In every situation in life where a choice must be made, values affect the outcome. That is a generalization, but I'm using it anyway. Everyone wants to make the right decision. Another generalization. Decisions will be different when made by different people with different values. Probably true, but a bit specific. Considering these statements, values determine what different people feel is right when saved with different situations. So what is actually right?
By now, the majority of us understand that there are many different types of leaders, and there are many different types of good leaders. Do good leaders all have the same values? No. Do all good leaders make the same decisions? No. A leader must be able to either use their values to facilitate good decision making, or to put aside their values for the good of the group. This may lead to different results, facilitated by different decisions, but the key role of a leader is to be able to interpret and handle the situation in what they feel will result in the best outcome.
Did I just say that leaders need to go by their values to overlook their values? Yes. No time to rewrite that section, but I can explain it, using myself as an example. I have a lot of conflicting values, and I doubt I'm alone in that. I hate making people feel bad, but when a group member has a 4th grade writing level, the last thing I any them to be doing is the intro to the report. So, would it be 'right' inform them of this and reassign their skills, or do I avoid the conflict altogether and rewrite it silently afterward? I know that in this situation my dislike of disheartening others would trump the potential to advise them and help them improve, but whether or not this is the right decision is up for debate.
My idea of this topic has actually changed as I've written, so here's a revised statement: Leaders must be able to assess situations and make the correct decision based on their values and their leadership abilities. If I knew that bringing up my group member's writing ability could really help due to my ability to teach the subject well, then that might have overcome my fear of making them feel bad. I don't have that skill, so that wouldn't happen, but for another leader it certainly could.
Values are another tool in a leader's arsenal, if they choose to use them as such. They are, however, a much more dangerous tool, and can become a weapon if you don't know when to holster them.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Registration, Leadership, and Going Over Length Requirements
You could say I took this course because I needed the credits. You could say that because I did. However, if you checked the available classes at the time I registered, you would realize two things. 1: not a huge selection, and 2: there was a selection. I did take this class because I needed credits, yes, but I chose this class. Not Barbecuing 101. Not Shakespearian Poetry 1292939. ESHESA 2570. I needed to stay full time, but rather than breezing through some random elective, I chose to further my knowledge of leadership skills, and hopefully, my leadership skills themselves.
I tend to do everything at the last minute, hence the name of this blog. 11:20 may not seem like 'last minute' to some people, but when you have a lab from 12 to 3 and then this class, it's cutting it a bit close. Why do I mention this, though, in an essay that's supposed to be about leadership? Hey, I have to get this thing to 500 words somehow.
I kid. I mention this because this is an aspect of myself that I can improve in terms of leadership in my life. I am easily distracted, and procrastinate for hours every day. My ADD medicine only feels like it lasts for about 4 hours after I take it in the morning, and I tell you what, it really helps me focus on procrastinating much more intently! Or writing 500 word blog posts. But really, only four hours of normal human being focus? "Extended Release Tablets" my ass.
As I said, I get distracted. "Why didn't he cut that crap out? It's dumb!" or better yet "Can he go two paragraphs without writing a rhetorical question?" Guess not.
With all these flaws, you'd think I'd be an awful leader, and probably have zero experience. Oddly enough, that's not the case. My family has hosted a Bible camp called 'Backyard Bible School' at our house every single summer since I was three, and I've lead small groups for that since before I was even allowed to sign community service papers for it. I've also always been a music person, and that included being lead guitar in my Junior High and High School Jazz Band for that 6 years, along with being section leader junior and senior year in the Marching Band and Drumline. I played Marimba, and since I know I'll have to explain that otherwise here's a picture:
And here's a video of me doing that, which for some reason couldn't be embedded:
So I have real life experience, and apparently I'm decent, because somebody put me there and liked that setup enough to keep me there. I took this class because I know that musical leadership isn't even close to the tip of the iceberg in terms of leadership as a whole, it's just a part of it. The Titanic hasn't even been built yet to go out and hit the iceberg with the experiences I've had. I may not get all of those precious participation points for saying some words within a set three hour period in my day because in this class I want to be primarily a listener, a sponge sitting there to soak up the lessons that everyone else has to teach, a drain for the stories of others to flow into. And despite all that guitar playing, four malleting leadership up above, trust me: I'm a damn good listener.
-Grant
I tend to do everything at the last minute, hence the name of this blog. 11:20 may not seem like 'last minute' to some people, but when you have a lab from 12 to 3 and then this class, it's cutting it a bit close. Why do I mention this, though, in an essay that's supposed to be about leadership? Hey, I have to get this thing to 500 words somehow.
I kid. I mention this because this is an aspect of myself that I can improve in terms of leadership in my life. I am easily distracted, and procrastinate for hours every day. My ADD medicine only feels like it lasts for about 4 hours after I take it in the morning, and I tell you what, it really helps me focus on procrastinating much more intently! Or writing 500 word blog posts. But really, only four hours of normal human being focus? "Extended Release Tablets" my ass.
As I said, I get distracted. "Why didn't he cut that crap out? It's dumb!" or better yet "Can he go two paragraphs without writing a rhetorical question?" Guess not.
With all these flaws, you'd think I'd be an awful leader, and probably have zero experience. Oddly enough, that's not the case. My family has hosted a Bible camp called 'Backyard Bible School' at our house every single summer since I was three, and I've lead small groups for that since before I was even allowed to sign community service papers for it. I've also always been a music person, and that included being lead guitar in my Junior High and High School Jazz Band for that 6 years, along with being section leader junior and senior year in the Marching Band and Drumline. I played Marimba, and since I know I'll have to explain that otherwise here's a picture:
And here's a video of me doing that, which for some reason couldn't be embedded:
So I have real life experience, and apparently I'm decent, because somebody put me there and liked that setup enough to keep me there. I took this class because I know that musical leadership isn't even close to the tip of the iceberg in terms of leadership as a whole, it's just a part of it. The Titanic hasn't even been built yet to go out and hit the iceberg with the experiences I've had. I may not get all of those precious participation points for saying some words within a set three hour period in my day because in this class I want to be primarily a listener, a sponge sitting there to soak up the lessons that everyone else has to teach, a drain for the stories of others to flow into. And despite all that guitar playing, four malleting leadership up above, trust me: I'm a damn good listener.
-Grant
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