Blog #6

Now that we're in the Final Countdown until the last days of the quarter, just like the book recommends, we have to reflect on our experience for renewal in the leadership process. This is our way of "taking a balcony perspective" that removes us from the "dance floor" where we are "being pushed and pulled by the flow of events." 

• How have you been able to apply what you have learned about leadership?

This class has thrown a lot of leadership concepts at us and challenges us to apply them to our lives. One concept that has definitely influenced my daily life is the aspect of leaders and constant change. I never realized how detrimental consistency can be. I am going into business, and realizing that if I resist change, I can fail miserably, was eye-opening. I've always kind of been one to get to the expected goal, call it complete, and forget about it. After our conversation that a leader must be open for change at all times, I realize times during the day when I'm resisting change. I now notice when I am being a blocker for something and try to keep my mind open to other options. Especially in college, as the entire world is moving forward, I must be able to change with it.

Understanding Complex Organizations has helped me comprehend the way the Student Orgs I am in work. In all honesty, I joined a professional business fraternity and have been struggling with it's fit in my life. After reading about the mission statement of groups and realizing the goal of DSP, I noticed that it is a worthy organization, it just isn't going to fill every aspect of leadership I am looking for. I took time to reflect on the group and take it's core values into consideration. I also realized that I can have a say in changing the parts of DSP I don't agree with. I know not to be stubborn or only take my opinion into account, but I ran for exec board this past week to help get my opinions into the organization and hopefully aid in moving it forward to a better future.

• How are you more aware of yourself?

The chapter Understanding Yourself has definitely made me more aware of myself. The StrengthsFinder test was probably my favorite part of Leadership 270. I have always known I was a people person, but the test showed in depth that interaction is my strong suit. I love that I got "woo" and realize now when I am using it in my conversations and relationships. I also notice when I am not being a good communicator, or woo-er, or harmonizer. Knowing that I have the potential in me to be great in these aspects, I try my hardest to use them in all my relationships. 

I have also become more aware of myself in attitudes toward differences. The chart on page 166 completely amazed me. We don't think of ourselves in steps or places when we act toward others we don't understand. Knowing that we move from repulsion, to pity, to tolerance, to acceptance is only half of the struggle. I always thought being accepting was enough. Acceptance would make the world a better place, but that's not true. Seeing that support, admiration, appreciation, and nurturance are all part of the attitudes has shown me how much farther we have to go. We attend such a diverse college where people hail from all over the world. When I meet someone so very different from me, who I might not even agree with their beliefs, I can still go through these stages to realize that what they bring to the table is 100% different from what I do, and it is 100% necessary as well. 

• What things do you now see differently? How are you changing?

The term "follower" has completely changed in my mind. It doesn't even seem applicable anymore, unless talking about the game of follow the leader. There are no followers. Even if a "leader" is telling someone what to do, the way in how the follower does it, makes them a leader as well. The fact that leadership is being passed around organizations is something I hadn't really thought of either. Groups are not static. The President of a group doesn't control it, and the members do not just sit an take what is given. For a successful group, leadership exists in all participants and the work they are doing for the group. No matter which organizational structure the group has, talent exists in all its corners, we just have to be willing to give it time and space to find it. 

How am I changing? Well, that relational leadership model picture is popping up in my head during the day. From DSP meetings, to my biology lab group, to the girls on my dorm floor, I keep seeing it as we work on our goals. My bio group had an, lets face it, extremely annoying lab a couple weeks ago and we were struggling. I remembered the picture of the model in class though and it almost made me laugh. When we got stuck, I asked what we were trying to achieve and if our process was working for completing the lab on time (somehow, we kept getting held over. Class ends at 8:18 and we always managed to be there until at least 8:30). We started splitting up tasks and actually encouraging each others answers through the night. We took opinions into account and got the lab done ten minutes early. what what. Basically, that little chart is getting to me. 

• How will you continue your learning about leadership?

Well, I am definitely considering a leadership studies minor. If I decide to do that, I'll be taking more classes plus completing a practicum which will be a continuation of my learning about leadership. Moreover, this summer I will hopefully be attending LeaderShape. I also hope to staff the Ohio Association of Student Councils summer workshop. I went through the Staff In Training program last summer and cannot wait to give to the delegates what I got out of my favorite leadership event throughout high school. I am also considering applying to be a Student Leadership Advocate next year.  I was just elected historian of my business fraternity and hope to practice my leadership skills through this position. I am now considered a member of executive board and want to bring the ideas of being empowering, ethical, inclusive, and purposeful to the group. 

• What is your own philosophy of leadership?

The book states "leadership is a relational and ethical process of people together attempting to accomplish positive change."

I definitely agree with this, but if I am creating my own philosophy of leadership it would be:

Leadership is the practice of using the appropriate means to accomplish positive impacts while working with others. 

These are the things that remind of my philosophy of leadership.

 

At the end of this class, we all realize that:

.....and I wouldn't want it to. :)

  

Blog #5

Vince, Katie and I read Toy Box Leadership : Leadership Lessons from the Toys You Loved as a Child.

Toy Box takes childhood toys and uses them to explain essential concepts of leadership. LEGO bricks represent Relationships, Slinky Dog for Vision, Play-Doh for Mentoring, Yo-Yo for Creativity, Mr. Potato Head for Communication, Rubix Cube for Ethics, Rocking Horse for Efficiency, Little Green Army Men for Strategy, Lite-Brite for Message, and Weebles for Endurance. 

This book helped to form my concept of leadership. We often think of just the high up CEO, or President, or extremely rich innovators as leaders, but that is far from the case. Toy Box takes the qualities of these great leaders and makes them understandable to everyday people. I'm so glad we chose this book because it took very open ended leadership ideas and applied them to toys you can see working. Toy Box helped change my view of leadership from such a widespread idea to an actual tangible, workable concept that can be played with, just like toys. 

I definitely agreed with authors Ron Hunter Jr. and Michael E. Waddell throughout most of the book. They applied a lot of the book to leadership in business, (which is convenient because Katie, Vince, and I are all business majors). In the chapter Yo-Yo, the authors put a huge emphasis on the importance of allowing for failure in the workplace. That idea is one most people disagree with. Everyone is expected to accomplish tasks perfectly on the first try today, but we must realize that success takes time. People need time to experiment and grow. "Many times you reward the attempt rather than the result." I definitely agree with the idea of allowing for failure. I know that the times I have failed are the times I have learned the most, and the fact that it applies in business makes complete sense. I hope to one day be working in a place that allows for these mistakes to happen and allows each employee the chance to grow and develop. 

However, in the chapter Rocking Horse, I had a slight disagreement with the authors. They state, "History books never record mediocrity, nor do we see statues built for people who were average. The Smithsonian has no exhibits for achieving the status quo." This sounds bad, but I have always been an advocate for the middle ground. I am not saying that I think people should sit around and be lazy or shouldn't try, but mediocrity is sometimes the best way to go. Not every person wants to go down in history or have a holiday named after them, and that does not disqualify them from being a leader. Some people lead through daily life and small actions that attribute to the ethical way of life that won't get them a statue or a great resignation, but they can still be great people who are only making it to the "status quo."

My favorite part of the book was the chapter Mr. Potato Head.

This chapter "spoke to me" because I think it is one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership. We worry about doing and saying the right things all the time, that we sometimes forget our faces exhibit just as much about us. 90% of our message is nonverbal. We wonder why people don't understand us sometimes, but maybe it's not their understanding but rather the way we are delivering the message. Not in our tone or words, but in our faces. Our faces have to communicate congruently to our message. "People will trust you once they know you have genuine concern for them." The best way for others to  know you are concerned with them is through your face. Every leader must pack 8 faces to explain what we mean. Empathetic, Confident, Intense, Attentive, Disappointed, Happy, Sincere, and Optimistic. These 8 faces, when used correctly and in combination, can deliver any message you need and connect others with your message. I find this aspect the most interesting in leadership because it requires us to see outside ourselves to how we are coming off to others, not just how we come off to ourselves. 

A few other lines from the book that particularly stood out to me:

"Are you consciously choosing who you imitate, or are you simply following whoever happens to be in your environment?" -- When we pick a mentor, we need to be selective. I know I have been influenced by people who I would not consider role models, and knowing that I have the decision to follow and imitate only those who I want is an empowering feeling.

"The most important creative freedom by far is the freedom to fail." -- like I emphasized earlier, failure being essential to growth is something I value. 

"It's time leaders improve the character of their business rather than letting the business ruin their character." -- Our corporate leaders seem to have such a flimsy idea of ethics today that only those who are adamant in remaining fair and ethical will go on to be considered great leaders. 

"It is not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about?" -- Especially as college students, we consider ourselves sooo busy, but when we sit back and think about what consumes our time, it's normally stuff that really shouldn't even be considered important. 

"The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win." -- The chapter on Little Green Army Men explains that we can't just want to win, we have to want to prepare to win. Preparation is just as important as the actual accomplishment. 

"In people's attempts to be elaborate or clever they often leave their audience confused rather than enlightened." -- I am constantly confused when people are trying to be smart, especially here at OSU, so the idea that others agree with me, makes me happy.

Toy Box is definitely applicable to my life. The emphasis on business will help me in my hopeful career. I plan on going into human resources where communication is key. Building relationships like LEGO suggests will help me connect with people and using the 8 key faces of Mr. Potato Head will remind me to be genuine with others.  Another important aspect of human resources is in the hiring and firing department. Weebles remind me that when someone makes a mistake, they don't necessarily deserve to be let go. "A good leader recognized that when an employee makes a multi-thousand dollar mistake, you don't let him go. You just paid for his education, and what he learned from that mistake will benefit him and your company."

Today, the Rocking Horse efficiency chapter is the most relevant. In college, I sit around on facebook and in my dorm accomplishing nothing. Basically, I'm on a rocking horse getting me nowhere, but looking outside of myself and realizing that I am making no motion will help give me ambition to get on a real horse (metaphorically, real horses scare the crap out of me) and get my stuff done. When I get everything I am expected to done, I don't have to explain why it isn't. Little Green Army Men are also applicable. We're all in college "setting up" for the real world. We're placing our little army men in different positions and trying to figure out what works best for us to achieve our goals. As I set up my future, I need to remember to check my troops, my types, and my time. I am allowed to change my men and my future for that matter because, "A leader who is not willing to revise his plan will rarely reach his destination."

There are so many leadership lessons to be learned but sometimes it's as simple as looking at your childhood toys for that little bit of inspiration. 

Alternate Assignment

Since I missed the Annual Conference on Leadership due to attending a different leadership conference, LEAD, in Philadelphia, (I know, go leadership!) I took the Clifton StrengthsFinder online.

It concluded that my strengths are:
Woo
Communication
Empathy
Harmony
Developer

My very first reaction was "My strength is woo?"
But after reading the description, it does fit me perfectly. As I read through the descriptions, I honestly laughed because they fit my personality so well. I never really take time to sit and think, "what are my strengths and weaknesses?" I normally just recognize them as they pop up in daily life, so seeing them on paper is actually really cool.

I discovered how people oriented I am. I mean, I've always known that relationships are something that make me happy, but I never thought of them as a "strength." Each one of my traits relates to relationships with people and working with others. This made me realize how important it is that my future career involves me with people. I've been deciding between Information Systems and Human Resources for a specialization path, and this helped me choose Human Resources. I really hope the people I work with like me much more than Michael Scott likes Toby Flenderson though...

I was surprised when I received empathy. I immediately thought of sympathy instead of empathy, and as much as I would like to understand that, I never have. However, after reading the description of empathy, it isn't that I feel bad for others, it's that I understand others, which then does describe me. I do not feel bad for most situations because I am very realistic, but I can understand the emotions people are having. I don't "sympathize" with them, but empathize their situations. I can tell them how I would feel in their shoes or how I would have reacted.

One theme I thought would show up but didn't was "Arranger." Bringing it up again, my planner is ridiculous. It literally plans and organizes my life and I have always thought my ability to organize is one of my best strengths. It is actually one of my passions as well. I love when my days are planned to the T and my events run smoothly. Hopefully it was next on my list.

I shared my results with my mom and my best friends from my dorm floor. Not one person was surprised with these themes. Woo, Communication, and Developer were the ones everybody looked at me and said "well, duh." They all thought Empathy and Harmony fit me too, but the other ones were more prevalent. My mom told me Communication and Developer were the ones she'd always seen in me. As a kid, I talked to everyone and always made creative solutions. My barbie houses weren't the expensive dream houses that ran for hundreds of dollars. I used toaster boxes for houses, orange containers for beds, and plant shelfs for double decker buses. The themes I received are all perfectly fitting and seemed to have been with my personality for awhile now.

I really liked the StrengthsFinder quiz and wish I could have attended the other sessions of the Annual Conference, but I'll be sure to hit it up next year. I'm sure it will be....

:)

Blog #4

The Stages of Group Development:
Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, & Possibly Adjourning

I'm a first year here at OSU, so to get through all the stages I'm going to back track to my high school student council.

I joined Cambridge Student Council my first week of high school. The President came in on our orientation day and said it was worthwhile. I love being involved, so of course I took it on.

Forming:
Each year, our Student Council encourages these freshman to join. I've been on both ends as the freshman joining and as the President my senior year recruiting them. As a freshman, let's be honest, I was so confused. I remember not knowing what "homecoming" was. I hadn't experienced the events yet, so it was hard for me to have input on what should happen, but that's what I loved about our organization....

Storming:
In the storming part of Student Council, I never felt stupid asking questions. Everyone was open to helping me understand and I always tried to continue that when I was President. As we worked together, we did do a lot of majority voting, but only we had a 30-40 person council, so getting a unanimous vote wasn't normally an issue. We agreed pretty regularly on themes, and fundraisers, and community service opportunities. I cannot remember one "argument" in my 4 years of high school. Yes, people did talk over each other on occasion, but we had a gavel that normally quieted things down. We talked honestly and openly about what we thought would work or wouldn't and made sure offensive comments were never involved in the discussions, which can be quite hard sometimes in high school.

Norming:

As we worked towards our goals, keeping everyone updated was a must. Having such a small council, sometimes it was hard to get everything accomplished. We kept a facebook group and when I was President, everyone had my cell phone number. As corny as this is, I loved getting texts from members asking questions about StuCo. Our weekly meetings kept everyone informed and students from freshman to seniors interacted without the common "age gap" so dreaded during those years. One thing I wish we had done more of in the norming stage was starting each meeting with our goals. I mean, we said what events we were working on, but had we really talked about what we wanted to see happen, I think we may have even more productive.

Performing:

Our 3 major events were Homecoming, MORP (backwards Prom), and Blood Drives. Once we were done planning, putting together the decorations or working the drives was such a boost. We got to hang out as friends instead of acting like officials which made the reward even better. At MORP, we always spent a song dancing with the people who helped plan it and a shout out when to us from the DJ. It always made me feel special being recognized for our work. Making a profit was great, but knowing people had fun was more important to us. I think the little rewards, the shout outs, the kids who couldn't afford to go to prom thanking us for being able to attend our $2.99 MORP, the smiles from our advisor, and the friendship between our council made all our work worthwhile. 

Adjourning:

Well, technically, I adjourned my council, but it is still going strong back home. On my last day as President, I brought in Monster Energy Drinks for everyone with a note that said "I hope you never lose the energy to stop coming to meetings or attending events! Thanks for a great year!" I wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciated their attendance and participation throughout the year even when I had to leave them. They are not a group that should adjourn though. I have always felt that our Key Club should adjourn at my high school. It had dwindled to 8 members who did not even attend each meeting. We did very little community service and had no money left in our account to work with. Our advisor quit and our new advisor was completely confused on the duties we were supposed to fulfill. I think it would be wise to incorporate those members into our Student Council and then have a better basis to accomplish both social and community service events. 

In the end, realizing that the question of members is "how they should be involved, not whether they should be involved," keeps a leader from overbearing the rest of the group and keeps the rest of the members invested in the goals. The leader must also remember, "Don't just do something, stand there."Leaders have to listen effectively and have a sincere care for their participants to gain their trust and respect.

And i'll end with just some pictures from our events over the years. This might help explain MORP. :)

(toilet paper decorations)

(Sign in "sheets" from over the years)

Blog #3

When reading through Chapter 4 of our book, I highlighted the 4 functions that I thought I exhibited. On page 140, I have extravert, sensing, feeling, and judging colored over in pink. After taking Jung's Typology Test, I got ESFJ. I guess I know myself a little better than I thought.

Extravert
Made-up Definition: Someone who craves social interaction and enjoys being in a group setting. They get bored after being alone with their thoughts for too long and would rather be out-and-about using their energy to meet new people.
I'm not surprised that I received this. From the very beginning, I've been an extravert. My mom doesn't even know my first word because she said, "Once you started talking, I couldn't get you to shut up." I love being around others and having those connections with people.

Sensing
Made-up Definition: A person who is down-to-earth and realistic. They have a hard time visualizing how things could be, but see them more as they are. They build from their own experiences and face life with a sensible attitude.

I am always pretty straight forward and realistic. I have a hard time viewing the unforeseen and imagining strange concepts. I hate "fantasy" movies. Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. They all drive me insane because they are not "real." My mind doesn't wrap around those concepts and they leave me sitting there with a headache.

Feeling

Made-up Definition: Someone who acts on emotion rather than reason. They follow their heart instead of their head and find mercy in daily actions. 

See this one had me a little torn. I am soo 50/50 on feeling/thinking and I struggle with situations because of this. I know what is rational and right but sometimes I let the "inner girl" in me take over. Not always good but it happens. I wouldn't say I'm like this:

(ignore the subtitles)

but I do have that side to me.

Lastly, Judging

Made-up Definition: Someone who is set in their decisions and likes to plan ahead. They plan everything out completely and are very scheduled and organized. They are not very flexible with change and need closure to move on.
Yeppp. That explains me too. My planner is my baby. I write out everything I need to do and love the feeling of crossing things off. I have yet to have a day in college where I've actually finished everything in my planner, but seeing the things I am accomplishing helps me remain focused. In daily tasks as well as organizations, I like checklists and schedules and have a hard time leaving things left open.

And even though I was labeled a ESFJ, I think of myself more like a kldajfdkljalkdfj. I'm a mix of everything and have a little bit of IITP in me too. I may not be the entire 64-color box, but I sure have more than 8, and I hope whatever colors I do have keep changing and growing until maybe I have a complete box, or maybe just a melted one where you can't see which color I "am" but just a blob of swirls with a little of this and a little of that. A hot mess of different characteristics that make me a good leader is what I'm going for.

:)

Blog #2

Hello there!

The relational leadership model centers around 5 main elements. People must be purposeful, inclusive, empowering, ethical, and process-oriented. When thinking about which characteristics I exhibit, I also felt it was necessary to ask the people who know me best what they felt were my strengths and weaknesses because, well, leadership happens among people. Maybe I think I'm very empowering but they think I come off more like this:

My best friend Caleb said a strength of mine was being inclusive. I always try to bring groups together or make everyone feel welcome. Whether it's working on a project or just hanging out on a Friday night, I want everyone to feel like they belong. I try to make my friendship inclusiveness resemble this:

My friend Sammi said I had a knack for being empowering. When working with others, I want them to feel like they are worth more than they realize. I trust people with the roles they want to take on, and always try to have absolute faith that they can handle it. Moreover, in day to day situations, I try to empower the little things. Compliments, thank-you cards, letters, short phone calls. The stuff that makes your day.

Personally, I think I am very purposeful. I was President of my Student Council in high school and had a new task on my hands each week. When planning a new event, I always asked what our "vision" was for the end result. I try to keep in mind what we are trying to accomplish and make sure we get there. At the end of the day you have to be sure to...

Now, I wouldn't say I'm unethical, because I definitely have my values; however being 18 years old and, let's face it, irresponsible, I forget exactly how important it is to remain ethical. I always respect others values and try my hardest not to judge their opinions, but sometimes I forget to hold my own. Basically my ethics can be summed up in:

"Old enough to know better, yet too young to care."

Lastly, Process-oriented. Now here's where I hate to admit it. OASC has taught me so many times to focus on the process. That's the main goal of the 3 summer workshops I have attended, so I get pretty upset with myself when I mess this up. When I think of the 5 attributes, being process-oriented is the one I value most and the one I lack in way too often. "The ends justify the means" is a saying I absolutely abhor and so I feel I should be much better in the process-oriented field than I am. I am constantly working on it though, and every time I remind myself that you must view the group as a collaboration who have to work together and work effectively to really succeed, the project becomes easier. The group is happier and the end result is almost always better than expected.

^^^ Just a picture of my Staff In Training group where we spent a week working on "the process."

"Never stop learning. 

You have your entire life to grow into the person you want to become. 

You're 85? Keep learning. 99? Keep growing. 

Know that no matter what you are today, 

you have the potential to be everything tomorrow. 

So work for it. Go at it. Become what you hope."

:)

Blog #1

Part one:

My high school English teacher always told us “No man is an island unto himself.” In leadership, one cannot be considered a “leader” if he or she has no one to lead or inspire. I’ve been involved with multiple organizations with a focus on leadership, but I want to write about one I am presently involved in, instead of digging into the past.

I joined Delta Sigma Pi (a professional co-ed business fraternity) my first quarter here at Ohio State and being brutally honest, I had little to no idea what I was signing up for. However, it turned out to be the best decision of my freshman first quarter. DSP elicits all of the qualities of being involving, empowering, ethical, and inclusive. I’ll start with inclusive. Even as pledges, actives took time to get to know us and wanted to consider us “brothers.” On a campus as big as OSU, an organization that made me feel included was a necessity. DSP also keeps everyone’s values in mind to remain ethical. Each brother has different values and I have yet to hear a judgment on someone else’s choices. We even state at the beginning of meetings that our Fraternity’s objectives must not conflict with our religious, ethical, or political beliefs. Moreover, each member empowers the other by helping them to accomplish their goals. We will always have a brother’s back and make sure to give what we can to boost each other to our fullest potential. Involvement is also crucial. Each brother is expected to attend all meetings and give their best at each one. When asked to participate, each member is expected to give what he or she can to the group because “he who serves best profits most.” Delta Sigma Pi is organized so that power and authority are split between multiple people. We do have a President and VP, but we have VP’s for every aspect of our Fraternity from community service, to fundraising, to awards, to social. By splitting up tasks, power is shared more evenly and no one person feels unimportant or left out. This also makes it easy for change to come about. When change is necessary, the VP of that certain area brings the change up to the group and is discussed rationally in terms of what is best for the Fraternity. DSP supports the aspects of leadership and makes it such a great organization to belong.

Part Two:

I’ve always considered myself an extreme realist. On my poster about how I view leadership in class last Monday, I wrote that leaders see the world not how it is, but in how it could be. That has always been a trouble of mine. I attempt to be as optimistic as possible, and I would say I am rarely pessimistic, but I normally stay quite (if not too) rational. My own sense of hope, optimism, and ability to build and strengthen others then comes out in an “authentic” way. I don’t throw around optimism like the world won’t knock us down. That is my way of building others up. When something has gone terribly wrong, I refuse to just smile and say, “Everything will be alright.” I’m the person who will listen to your entire story and instead of just hoping things turn out okay, I work towards creating a solution to turn things around. If my friend failed a midterm, I won’t say, “eeh, it’ll be okay.” Instead, we’ll study together or I’ll quiz her on the material. I guess, in essence, I don’t believe the world will just hand others the easy way out and I’d rather be there helping them through the rough patches than just “hoping” it works out. Optimism and hope are things I am constantly working on, and I’m not saying I don’t let fate take its course. I do believe things happen for a reason and we must encourage each other to accomplish our goals. I think that is a vital part in being a leader. Our thoughts must be positive to accomplish change. However, I think leaders also have to take the next step. Take those thoughts of helping others and make them actions, even teensy tiny day-to-day actions, to make sure we’re not only hoping for the well-being of others, but attempting to make it a reality.

Not sure if this was blog-esk enough, but i'll work on it for next week. :)