1. What does attitude mean to you? Briefly define in your own words.
Attitude can be positive or negative. It is how you see the world around you and how to react to everything. Attitudes can be extremely influential on other people and can hurt or help yourself.
2. How does attitude affect your leadership?
Attitude affects all leadership. No one wants to follow someone with a bad attitude and people with the best attitudes often have the most leaders. People with negative attitudes often lead too. However, their followers don't trust them or believe in their cause as much as they would if the leader were more positive.
3. We talked about the following points about attitude. Explain each as it pertains to your own leadership...
Your attitude is a choice-Every day I wake up, I can make the choice to let the little things that go wrong affect me, or I can brush them off and move on. If I choose the former, my attitude will be bad all day and it will show to others. But if I choose the latter, I will eliminate unnecessary stress in my life and will be able to move on more easily from even bigger obstacles.
Your attitude determines your actions-I am not the type of person who plays better when I'm mad. Some people are like that, but not me. Whenever I am in a bad mood, all of my actions suffer and I can't seem to to anything right. But when I'm in a good mood, everything seems to flow smoothly and I feel like I can take on the most challenging obstacles in my life.
Your people are a mirror of your attitude-Attitude is contagious, and whenever you are in a leadership position among followers, your attitude can rub off pretty easily. You don't even have to be in a leadership position most of the time--whenever you're with friends or family or strangers, if you're in a sour mood, you don't seem approachable and no one wants to be around you. But if you're in a good mood, you seem friendlier and that automatically attracts other people and makes them be in a good mood too.
Respond to the following quote by Victor Frankl, author of Man's Search for Meaning:
"The last of our human freedoms is to choose our attitude in any given circumstances."
I completely agree. Sometimes it's hard to rise above tough situations and have a good outlook on things, but it is ultimately our choice to do so. Bad things happen to good people all the time. Victor Frankl, when he wrote this, was talking about the Holocaust. One of my friends who I was talking to about this quote said that he gets mad over little things--like his alarm not going off, his car not starting, not having a cup of coffee, etc. These are all trivial things that are so miniscule in comparison to living through the Holocaust, and I think that if Frankl can have a good outlook in such a situation, so can all of us who have it fairly easy in life. I really like this quote, but what I like more is the history of the person who said it.
4.23.2010
4.15.2010
Mr. Bollinger
8 Main Points
1. Learn as much as you can.
2. Support the leader, you can't undermine them.
3. Head coach has to trust you by what you do.
4. Put people in a position of leadership, empower them.
5. Know your place in the hierarchy, you may have it upside down.
6. Stay focused on the "imporant" as much as the "urgent."
7. You are the glue between the leaders and the followers.
Questions:
1. Choose one you think is most important and why.
2. Pick the one you are best at and give an example explaining why.
3. Pick your weakest and give 3 concrete ways to improve on it.
Answers:
1. I think the most important is being the glue between leaders and followers, mostly because you are the mediator who can relay messages between groups in terms that they can each understand. Sometimes leaders don't understand where the followers are coming from, and sometimes the followers don't understand why the leaders make the decisions that they do. It is the middle man's job to be unbiased and help each party better understand the other side's view.
2. The one I am best with is probably knowing the order of the hierarchy. I liked how Mr. Bollinger elaborated on the fact that sometimes the "most important" individual in a group is on the bottom of the hierarchy, rather than on the top. I understand that the one most venerated, usually placed at the top, has the most responsibilities and therefore is on the bottom, because they are the base of the pyramid.
3. I am probably worst at supporting the leader when I don't support what they're preaching. It is difficult to abandon your own beliefs for a cause that you don't support or even care about, but it comes with being a leader, especially being a leader from the middle of the pack. Three concrete ways I can improve this weakness are: a) Refrain myself from saying anything negative about the person in charge or the cause which they support; b) Reassure the leader if their idea goes awry by saying, "I might have done the same thing," and c) Accept responsibility to issues that may ensue from a wrong decision made by the leader, even if it is not my fault.
1. Learn as much as you can.
2. Support the leader, you can't undermine them.
3. Head coach has to trust you by what you do.
4. Put people in a position of leadership, empower them.
5. Know your place in the hierarchy, you may have it upside down.
6. Stay focused on the "imporant" as much as the "urgent."
7. You are the glue between the leaders and the followers.
Questions:
1. Choose one you think is most important and why.
2. Pick the one you are best at and give an example explaining why.
3. Pick your weakest and give 3 concrete ways to improve on it.
Answers:
1. I think the most important is being the glue between leaders and followers, mostly because you are the mediator who can relay messages between groups in terms that they can each understand. Sometimes leaders don't understand where the followers are coming from, and sometimes the followers don't understand why the leaders make the decisions that they do. It is the middle man's job to be unbiased and help each party better understand the other side's view.
2. The one I am best with is probably knowing the order of the hierarchy. I liked how Mr. Bollinger elaborated on the fact that sometimes the "most important" individual in a group is on the bottom of the hierarchy, rather than on the top. I understand that the one most venerated, usually placed at the top, has the most responsibilities and therefore is on the bottom, because they are the base of the pyramid.
3. I am probably worst at supporting the leader when I don't support what they're preaching. It is difficult to abandon your own beliefs for a cause that you don't support or even care about, but it comes with being a leader, especially being a leader from the middle of the pack. Three concrete ways I can improve this weakness are: a) Refrain myself from saying anything negative about the person in charge or the cause which they support; b) Reassure the leader if their idea goes awry by saying, "I might have done the same thing," and c) Accept responsibility to issues that may ensue from a wrong decision made by the leader, even if it is not my fault.
4.12.2010
Mr. Cain's Talk...
Q: What did he mean when he said, "You have the choice to entertain your thoughts?" Give an example of this as it pertains to leadership.
A: I think he meant that there are thousands of thoughts that pass through our mind everyday, and as they pass we have the choice to do something about the thought or just to ignore it. As far as leadership is concerned, I think that when negative thoughts pass through my mind, it's best to ignore them rather than acting on them. I should choose to entertain only the positive thoughts.
Q: Right before Mr. Cain left, he read a story about adversity. Are you an egg, carrot, or coffee bean?
A: I think sometimes I can be a little inconsistent with adversity. Sometimes I am an egg, where I turn mean and bitter about the situation (or hard on the inside). At other times I am a carrot, like if I hear criticism and it just makes me melt. But I think majority of the time I am a coffee bean, because I try to make the best of a situation and not get down on myself. I think how I can even out my reactions to adversity is to conciously remember this story and ask myself, do I want to be an egg, a carrot, or a coffee bean??
A: I think he meant that there are thousands of thoughts that pass through our mind everyday, and as they pass we have the choice to do something about the thought or just to ignore it. As far as leadership is concerned, I think that when negative thoughts pass through my mind, it's best to ignore them rather than acting on them. I should choose to entertain only the positive thoughts.
Q: Right before Mr. Cain left, he read a story about adversity. Are you an egg, carrot, or coffee bean?
A: I think sometimes I can be a little inconsistent with adversity. Sometimes I am an egg, where I turn mean and bitter about the situation (or hard on the inside). At other times I am a carrot, like if I hear criticism and it just makes me melt. But I think majority of the time I am a coffee bean, because I try to make the best of a situation and not get down on myself. I think how I can even out my reactions to adversity is to conciously remember this story and ask myself, do I want to be an egg, a carrot, or a coffee bean??
4.09.2010
Mr. Diers
What does the following quote mean to you?
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man whom is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again....who knows great enthusiams, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at least knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, while doing greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat."
--T. Roosevelt
I like this quote because it basically talks about the difference between the ones who try and the ones who don't. I like the message it sends--that those who try gain more than those who don't, even if they fail. I especially liked that Roosevelt called those who don't try "cold and timid souls," because they do not try because they are above a worthy cause, but simply because they are afriad and don't want to be on the recieving end of criticism. But what I like most is that Teddy Roosevelt said all of this, because Mr. Borgmann told us that he was somewhat of an outcast as a child because he was weak and unable to play sports. I'm sure there were plenty of kids when he was young who were better at sports, smarter, more handsome, etc. But because he tried at everything, he ended up succeeding and experiencing great achievements, moreso than his peers who had more talent but never gave themselves a chance.
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man whom is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again....who knows great enthusiams, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at least knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, while doing greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory or defeat."
--T. Roosevelt
I like this quote because it basically talks about the difference between the ones who try and the ones who don't. I like the message it sends--that those who try gain more than those who don't, even if they fail. I especially liked that Roosevelt called those who don't try "cold and timid souls," because they do not try because they are above a worthy cause, but simply because they are afriad and don't want to be on the recieving end of criticism. But what I like most is that Teddy Roosevelt said all of this, because Mr. Borgmann told us that he was somewhat of an outcast as a child because he was weak and unable to play sports. I'm sure there were plenty of kids when he was young who were better at sports, smarter, more handsome, etc. But because he tried at everything, he ended up succeeding and experiencing great achievements, moreso than his peers who had more talent but never gave themselves a chance.
Initiative and Perseverance
INITIATIVE
In what ways can you better show initiative in your life? Give at least one concrete example of something you are showing a lack of initiative with, and at least 3 concretes steps your are going to take in order to do that.
There are a lot of ways I can show more initiative, like with bringing my ideas up in class, asking friends to hang out, and pushing myself in all that I do. I guess one specific example of something I am lacking initiative with is pushing myself to be social since I am naturally intraverted. Three steps I can do in order to improve on that is to: 1) Initiate hanging out with friends whenever I am not working or doing something school-related. 2) Make conversation with a stranger everyday. 3) Hang out with people I don't normally hang out with in order to expand my social horizons.
PERSEVERANCE
For the given situation pertaining to perseverance, I guess the questions I could ask this player if they are truly driven to play or if they are simply playing for something to do, and I could ask them about personal obstacles that might be occuring in their life. Most likely the advice I would give them would be honest feedback--letting them know that if they work hard they can most likely open a lot of doors for themself (as they are a valued player on the team). Also, I would remind them that quitting reaps no rewards and to stay resilient to all obstacles outside of the court/field/team.
In what ways can you better show initiative in your life? Give at least one concrete example of something you are showing a lack of initiative with, and at least 3 concretes steps your are going to take in order to do that.
There are a lot of ways I can show more initiative, like with bringing my ideas up in class, asking friends to hang out, and pushing myself in all that I do. I guess one specific example of something I am lacking initiative with is pushing myself to be social since I am naturally intraverted. Three steps I can do in order to improve on that is to: 1) Initiate hanging out with friends whenever I am not working or doing something school-related. 2) Make conversation with a stranger everyday. 3) Hang out with people I don't normally hang out with in order to expand my social horizons.
PERSEVERANCE
For the given situation pertaining to perseverance, I guess the questions I could ask this player if they are truly driven to play or if they are simply playing for something to do, and I could ask them about personal obstacles that might be occuring in their life. Most likely the advice I would give them would be honest feedback--letting them know that if they work hard they can most likely open a lot of doors for themself (as they are a valued player on the team). Also, I would remind them that quitting reaps no rewards and to stay resilient to all obstacles outside of the court/field/team.
3.15.2010
ESPN Feature: Power of One
I really loved this video. Not only did the kid have just one leg, but he was the absolute best even among his two-legged peers. What I loved most was that his attitude was really positive. He always wanted to try harder and try new sports. He never used his condition as an excuse, which was the best part. A lot of times people lower their self-standards because of things that are wrong with them, but the kid in this video looked at is as more of a blessing than an obstacle. This video pertains to courage because it definitely takes guts to play with the best even when you have insecurities about a disability. What was awesome is that the kid in the video didn't even seem afraid of being at a disadvantage among the other kids, he just went out there like any other kid.
Courage & Sacrifice
"The heart of good leadership is sacrifice."
This quote is special to leadership because it doesn't just say that sacrifice is important or essential to leadership, but it is the heart. Without a heart, we could not live. Therefore, without sacrifice, leadership could not exist.
In what ways do you display courage to those who you influence?
I'm not sure, exactly. I try to do my own thing and stay true to myself. I guess if somebody noticed that and thought of me when making a decision later down the road, I could say that through my courage I influenced them to make the right choice.
What does courage have to do with leadership?
I think courage has everything to do with leadership. Courage is having the ability to act in spite of your fear. The most well known leaders are the ones who have courage, because they seize opportunities while others see them but do nothing about it. You can't be a leader if you aren't able to step outside your comfort zone every once in a while.
This quote is special to leadership because it doesn't just say that sacrifice is important or essential to leadership, but it is the heart. Without a heart, we could not live. Therefore, without sacrifice, leadership could not exist.
In what ways do you display courage to those who you influence?
I'm not sure, exactly. I try to do my own thing and stay true to myself. I guess if somebody noticed that and thought of me when making a decision later down the road, I could say that through my courage I influenced them to make the right choice.
What does courage have to do with leadership?
I think courage has everything to do with leadership. Courage is having the ability to act in spite of your fear. The most well known leaders are the ones who have courage, because they seize opportunities while others see them but do nothing about it. You can't be a leader if you aren't able to step outside your comfort zone every once in a while.
Coach Krueger
Mr. Krueger talked a lot about sacrifice. What I liked most is that he replaced the word "sacrifice" with "selflessness." I think that selflessness is a better word because it shows that you are sacrificing something for the betterment of someone else, instead of just sacrificing something to gain a tangible reward or recognition. The quote I liked most from Mr. K was this: "Good teams become great when members trust each other enough to sacrifice 'me' for 'we.'"
2.21.2010
The Law of Influence
What is influence and how do we get it?
How critical is it to leadership and why?
What are three concrete things you earn influence each day with your peers and teammates?
First of all, I don't think that there's a specific way that influence is "gained" or "earned" or anything of that sort. I think influence just happens--and it can be a positive or negative influence. I see plenty of people that influence me to be unlike them, and there are also plenty that I see and am influenced to do things similar to what they do.
Obviously, influence is very critical to leadership. Without it, you have no impact on others and therefore you are not leading anything. I don't think it's possible for someone to NEVER make an influence on another person, though. Each person influences another in some way. However, some think that they have a bigger influence than others. In "The Law of Leadership" there are 5 leadership myths: the management myth, the entrepreneur myth, the knowledge myth, the pioneer myth, and the position myth. Basically, these are about people who think they lead because they know certain things, hold a certain position, or had the initial idea for something. Many times these people can be leaders, but most of the time they are not.
Three concrete things I do to gain influence? Again, I don't think influence is gained, it just occurs. I guess three things I do are: working hard, not giving in to anything I don't want to do, and being independent. But I think there are more things I can do to influence people, like giving compliments, participating more in in-class discussions, and asking for some time off at work so I can have free time to hang out with my friends.
How critical is it to leadership and why?
What are three concrete things you earn influence each day with your peers and teammates?
First of all, I don't think that there's a specific way that influence is "gained" or "earned" or anything of that sort. I think influence just happens--and it can be a positive or negative influence. I see plenty of people that influence me to be unlike them, and there are also plenty that I see and am influenced to do things similar to what they do.
Obviously, influence is very critical to leadership. Without it, you have no impact on others and therefore you are not leading anything. I don't think it's possible for someone to NEVER make an influence on another person, though. Each person influences another in some way. However, some think that they have a bigger influence than others. In "The Law of Leadership" there are 5 leadership myths: the management myth, the entrepreneur myth, the knowledge myth, the pioneer myth, and the position myth. Basically, these are about people who think they lead because they know certain things, hold a certain position, or had the initial idea for something. Many times these people can be leaders, but most of the time they are not.
Three concrete things I do to gain influence? Again, I don't think influence is gained, it just occurs. I guess three things I do are: working hard, not giving in to anything I don't want to do, and being independent. But I think there are more things I can do to influence people, like giving compliments, participating more in in-class discussions, and asking for some time off at work so I can have free time to hang out with my friends.
Vision & Goals
1.) Share your life sentence and what your thoughts were for putting down what you did.
2.) Share the team vision/slogan/motto that you and your teammates came up with and the explanation behind it.
1.) When answering the questions Mr. Borgmann gave us in order to come up with a life sentence, I thought about what I want my overall legacy to be. I came to the conclusion after some thought that what I want to do most is set a good example by sticking to my morals. My life sentence is still a work in progress, but what I have is: "I want to stay true to myself and set a good example for others."
2.) Since I am not on a team or in a club this year, I wrote about school and what I hope for my classmates in our futures. I wrote: "My ideal unique image of my future and the futures of my classmates is that each of us finds success and happiness. I hope that every single person persues something that they are passionate about, and in return experiences a sense of reaching their full potential. Beyong high school sports, academics, and social groups, I hope that we all learn about ourselves and those around us, and at the ultimate last moments of life, I hope we all feel happy with all we have done." My "slogan" was: Persue your passions, gain happiness in return. ;)
2.) Share the team vision/slogan/motto that you and your teammates came up with and the explanation behind it.
1.) When answering the questions Mr. Borgmann gave us in order to come up with a life sentence, I thought about what I want my overall legacy to be. I came to the conclusion after some thought that what I want to do most is set a good example by sticking to my morals. My life sentence is still a work in progress, but what I have is: "I want to stay true to myself and set a good example for others."
2.) Since I am not on a team or in a club this year, I wrote about school and what I hope for my classmates in our futures. I wrote: "My ideal unique image of my future and the futures of my classmates is that each of us finds success and happiness. I hope that every single person persues something that they are passionate about, and in return experiences a sense of reaching their full potential. Beyong high school sports, academics, and social groups, I hope that we all learn about ourselves and those around us, and at the ultimate last moments of life, I hope we all feel happy with all we have done." My "slogan" was: Persue your passions, gain happiness in return. ;)
2.19.2010
Leadership
What is leadership? What is the difference between vocal and performance leadership? Which is your strength and why? Are leaders born or made? Why?
Leadership is a pretty ambiguous concept, so it's hard to define. But I think leadership can be good or bad. Consider Hitler. He led millions, convinced them that it was okay to kill people who were the least bit different. But then there are people like Martin Luther King, Jr. who led millions in the civil rights movement for a positive cause.
Vocal leadership means being able to influence people through your speech, which I don't think is always the best type of leadership. A lot of "leaders" talk a lot, but don't support their words with actions. However, I think performance leaders are the best kind of leaders--because they don't have to prove themselves through saying they stand for a certain thing. They just do it. It's two completely different things to say you stand for something and do actually do something to prove that.
"A leader has to earn that title. You aren't a leader just because you're the best player on the team, the smartest person in class, or the most popular. No one can give you that title either. You have to gain the respect of those around you by your actions." Michael Jordon, Chicago Bulls
I am most definitely not a vocal leader. I'm not saying I'm the best leader because I believe performance leaders to be the best and because I believe myself to be a performance leader. I lead best when I just do. A lot of times when I try to lead vocally it doesn't come out right and it is blatantly obvious that it is not what I do best because I am naturally very quiet. I do have my moments, though, that I can be vocal and can actually have some sort of influence on others. But that only happens when I'm completely comfortable around people that I trust.
This question is tough. In my AP Psych class, we are always talking about the Nature vs. Nurture conflict. A "leader" can possess qualities like determined, responsible, reliable, competent, etc. It has actually been proven that genetics influence these types of things, which is why some people can play basketball and some can't; why some people are natural students and others are not; why some people can keep secrets and others cannot. At the same time, environment constantly affects us in more ways that we know. There was two twin brothers who were separated at birth and met up with each other when they were married with kids. They were so much alike it was crazy--they both had done similar things in life, had sons with the same name, and even their dogs were both named "Toy." These two guys could have been genetically separate, but two separate environments reacted differently with each so that the end result was almost the same..if that even makes any sense. If the two guys were exactly the same in every aspect of their genetics (besides their appearance) and grew up in two different environments, they both would have grown up to be completely different people. Sorry about writing a short novel with all this science, but I don't think it's possible to say that leaders are made my just genetics or just environment. Both influence each other and combine to make great leaders.
Leadership is a pretty ambiguous concept, so it's hard to define. But I think leadership can be good or bad. Consider Hitler. He led millions, convinced them that it was okay to kill people who were the least bit different. But then there are people like Martin Luther King, Jr. who led millions in the civil rights movement for a positive cause.
Vocal leadership means being able to influence people through your speech, which I don't think is always the best type of leadership. A lot of "leaders" talk a lot, but don't support their words with actions. However, I think performance leaders are the best kind of leaders--because they don't have to prove themselves through saying they stand for a certain thing. They just do it. It's two completely different things to say you stand for something and do actually do something to prove that.
"A leader has to earn that title. You aren't a leader just because you're the best player on the team, the smartest person in class, or the most popular. No one can give you that title either. You have to gain the respect of those around you by your actions." Michael Jordon, Chicago Bulls
I am most definitely not a vocal leader. I'm not saying I'm the best leader because I believe performance leaders to be the best and because I believe myself to be a performance leader. I lead best when I just do. A lot of times when I try to lead vocally it doesn't come out right and it is blatantly obvious that it is not what I do best because I am naturally very quiet. I do have my moments, though, that I can be vocal and can actually have some sort of influence on others. But that only happens when I'm completely comfortable around people that I trust.
This question is tough. In my AP Psych class, we are always talking about the Nature vs. Nurture conflict. A "leader" can possess qualities like determined, responsible, reliable, competent, etc. It has actually been proven that genetics influence these types of things, which is why some people can play basketball and some can't; why some people are natural students and others are not; why some people can keep secrets and others cannot. At the same time, environment constantly affects us in more ways that we know. There was two twin brothers who were separated at birth and met up with each other when they were married with kids. They were so much alike it was crazy--they both had done similar things in life, had sons with the same name, and even their dogs were both named "Toy." These two guys could have been genetically separate, but two separate environments reacted differently with each so that the end result was almost the same..if that even makes any sense. If the two guys were exactly the same in every aspect of their genetics (besides their appearance) and grew up in two different environments, they both would have grown up to be completely different people. Sorry about writing a short novel with all this science, but I don't think it's possible to say that leaders are made my just genetics or just environment. Both influence each other and combine to make great leaders.
2.18.2010
Trust & Honesty
Define
Trust: Being able to depend on another person, tell them your intermost thoughts withought judgement from the other end, and genuinely caring about the best interest of the other person.
Honesty: This can be exactly what you want to hear or not. It is usually for the best interest of the reciever.
What do trust and honesty have to do with each other? Do they go hand in hand?
Trust and honesty absolutely go hand in hand because the people who are most honest with me are the ones I trust most. People who lie and sugarcoat things to protect people's feelings cannot be trusted above someone who tells the honest truth or opinion (whether it is good or bad) purely because sacrificing someone's feelings by telling a lie does not help the person in the long run.
How do both relate to leadership and what are their importance to leadership?
Trust and honesty are essentials to good character. As J.R. Miller once said, "The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to to buried is the character of a man. This is true. What a man is survives him. It can never be buried." Basically, what people will remember most when a leader dies is their character--and trust and honesty are two of the most important characteristic traits.
Trust: Being able to depend on another person, tell them your intermost thoughts withought judgement from the other end, and genuinely caring about the best interest of the other person.
Honesty: This can be exactly what you want to hear or not. It is usually for the best interest of the reciever.
What do trust and honesty have to do with each other? Do they go hand in hand?
Trust and honesty absolutely go hand in hand because the people who are most honest with me are the ones I trust most. People who lie and sugarcoat things to protect people's feelings cannot be trusted above someone who tells the honest truth or opinion (whether it is good or bad) purely because sacrificing someone's feelings by telling a lie does not help the person in the long run.
How do both relate to leadership and what are their importance to leadership?
Trust and honesty are essentials to good character. As J.R. Miller once said, "The only thing that walks back from the tomb with the mourners and refuses to to buried is the character of a man. This is true. What a man is survives him. It can never be buried." Basically, what people will remember most when a leader dies is their character--and trust and honesty are two of the most important characteristic traits.
2.12.2010
Part 3 of Learning and Communication
Q: Hopefully this week you have paid attention to your focus while you communicate. Is your focus on you, the material, or the person you are speaking with? If it is not on the people what are some concrete things you can do or need to change to get better at this?
A: In the article we focused on this week, The Best Leaders are Listeners, the author said that listening is the best way we learn. A quote from this packet was from Larry King: "I remind myself every morning: nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So, if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." Unlike Mr. King, I am not very talkative, so I do not have to put a large amount of effort into listening because it's something I do by default. To be completely honest, I don't know any "concrete things" I can do to get better at listening because it comes naturally to me, but I guess if I had to choose anything I would say maintaining eye contact and asking more questions relevant to the subject will help me improve.
A: In the article we focused on this week, The Best Leaders are Listeners, the author said that listening is the best way we learn. A quote from this packet was from Larry King: "I remind myself every morning: nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So, if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." Unlike Mr. King, I am not very talkative, so I do not have to put a large amount of effort into listening because it's something I do by default. To be completely honest, I don't know any "concrete things" I can do to get better at listening because it comes naturally to me, but I guess if I had to choose anything I would say maintaining eye contact and asking more questions relevant to the subject will help me improve.
2.11.2010
Inspiration & Motivation
Q: Can you inspire and motivate people? Do you express your vision in such a way that your people are able to understand, internalize, and implement it? When you talk to people one-on-one are you able to connect with them?
A: I'm not sure. I have my moments that I am super outgoing and am able to "inspire and motivate" people. But at the same time I can also be very internal and cut off from other people. Because of that, I feel like sometimes I might not connect with a lot of people, and therefore can't express my vision in a way that others can understand or really take to heart. In The Best Leaders are Listeners, the author refers to the Law of Connection, which claims that "leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand." I like this because I think it's completely true. But it worries me a little bit because since I'm not very vocal or outgoing 100% of the time, I wonder if I ever am able to touch someone's heart and then have the privledge of asking for their help further down the road. I have a handful of people that I really connect with and that we can share ideas openly. However, being as shy as I am, I need to make a concsious effort to be more outgoing and step out of my comfort zone in order to motivate and inspire people through the "Law of Connection."
A: I'm not sure. I have my moments that I am super outgoing and am able to "inspire and motivate" people. But at the same time I can also be very internal and cut off from other people. Because of that, I feel like sometimes I might not connect with a lot of people, and therefore can't express my vision in a way that others can understand or really take to heart. In The Best Leaders are Listeners, the author refers to the Law of Connection, which claims that "leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand." I like this because I think it's completely true. But it worries me a little bit because since I'm not very vocal or outgoing 100% of the time, I wonder if I ever am able to touch someone's heart and then have the privledge of asking for their help further down the road. I have a handful of people that I really connect with and that we can share ideas openly. However, being as shy as I am, I need to make a concsious effort to be more outgoing and step out of my comfort zone in order to motivate and inspire people through the "Law of Connection."
2.10.2010
Are you listening?
Today's topic: Are you a good listener? Why or why not? What types of things make you a good or bad listener? What types of concrete things can you do today to make you a better listener?
It's hard to say if I'm a "good" or "bad" listener. Things that make me a good listener are that I can retain a lot of information that I've heard and that I try to ask questions to clarify information so I can then better remember what I've heard. But on the other hand, in pressure situations I'm not a very good listener because I'm always worried about what I'm going to do, if I'm going to do it right, and what will be the outcome. I guess something I can do to improve my listening is to make a concscious effort in listening, rather than just hearing. What I mean by that is that listening means to take what you hear and apply it to your own life. For example, maybe if I heard a song--I can hear the lyrics and instrumentals, but if I really listen I can make sense of situations in my own life.
It's hard to say if I'm a "good" or "bad" listener. Things that make me a good listener are that I can retain a lot of information that I've heard and that I try to ask questions to clarify information so I can then better remember what I've heard. But on the other hand, in pressure situations I'm not a very good listener because I'm always worried about what I'm going to do, if I'm going to do it right, and what will be the outcome. I guess something I can do to improve my listening is to make a concscious effort in listening, rather than just hearing. What I mean by that is that listening means to take what you hear and apply it to your own life. For example, maybe if I heard a song--I can hear the lyrics and instrumentals, but if I really listen I can make sense of situations in my own life.
2.09.2010
Advanced Leadership blog extravaganza!!
Today we are beginning our blogs. Before this I had no idea what a blog was, but I'm kind of excited to start one. I guess we will be writing our thoughts on whatever it is we are learning about at the time. Today Mr. Borgmann was talking about "Transformative learning," also known as learning that happens almost unintentionally. I think this is the most important kind of learning, it's what gives us common sense and qualities like creativity, determination, etc.
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