Creative Method of Reflexivity - Essay Example

Creative Method of Reflexivity Inserts His/ Her Inserts Grade Inserts Inserts d: September 3, 2011 Entry 1 – My First Journal Writing a journal is not really new to me. I think it’s closely similar to writing a diary, which I used to write in my early teens when I was an ever-turbulent teenager. My diary was the only way I could vent off my grievances against the people around me, often with fat tears of rebellion staining the pages. But there is a BIG DIFFERENCE here. Here I am to create a leadership scrapbook. This is a serious job. I can vouch for one thing from start that my journal is going to be a pretty disparaging one if I am to reflect upon my feelings for the “forced leaders” of today and how they’ve affected life around me. Since I feel the term “great leader” has been taken from a myth, which the parents and junior schoolteachers love to tell little kids. And even the different theories penned down by scholars about leadership can only be viewed as their fantasies and aspirations about how a leader should be. Disclaimer: All of my above criticism applies if I limit my scope to the political and societal big wheels of the current world only. I may be a cynic but I do whole-heartedly respect the leaders of once upon a time. The god sends that saved and made nations. Therefore, to the keep the derision out of my journal, I’d rather focus on my journey on the leadership trail as I relate my days to the class lectures and discussions I participate. Dated: September 9, 2011 Entry 2 – My Leader After attending each lecture on leadership, I get home with a new picture of leadership in my mind. From the books I’ve read I’ve learnt that to lead one shall be determined, focused, reliable, decisive, enthusiastic, and courageous and the list goes on. And above all a true leader must possess the charm to draw attention, to create followers and to instigate a movement. Just thinking about the ingredients of perfect leadership creates an image in my mind. A man (no offense meant to females here, since I know leadership exists in the bearings of a human irrespective of sex, class, race, age or nationality) who looks physically fit, standing impeccably dressed facing an expectant crowd with honest, experienced, intelligent eyes, bearing a smile full of promise and unswerving confidence. This is my leader. If we try to fit a face into the picture my mind conjured up, Mr. Barack Obama may be the most likely candidate. Although I’m not in accord with his political motives and certain decisions he makes as a politician, I have high regard for his commitment to his people and country. A black presiding over a nation of whites certainly puts to proof the greatness of this man. Fear of social acceptance, I believe, is a fear not so easy to surmount. I wonder if Mr. Obama ever saw that as an obstacle. An average person would surely be traumatized at even the prospect of standing up to be elected as a prospective leader and anticipate acceptance from the very people whose ancestors had been compulsive racists. But Mr. Obama is not an ordinary man. He never was. Dated: September 17, 2011 Entry 3 – Perceptions My last entry dated September 9 helped me sketch out the leader I aspired to have to help me bring about the changes I want in the world around me. When I reread that entry two days ago I got fascinated about the leader figures that inhabit the minds of people around me. I sent messages to my friends and family via cell phone asking who a leader is or placed the question when I met them in class or at home. The one-liner statements they gave are not their comprehensive descriptions of a leader surely, but they presented me with interesting angles to “Aspired Leaders”. Relative 1: “One who can influence the decisions made by others.” This image on the right definitely goes with the description presented by my relative. There is no greater influence than influence at the point of a gun. Ironically, the political leaders nowadays do make use of this kind of influence or at least a more discrete form of undue influence. Relative 2: “A leader is a person who has the ability to shape his followers’ future towards mutual betterment. His decisions are not influenced by personal interests.” On hearing this remark I thought of none other than the Jesus Christ. He was a leader without a doubt who preached selflessly and led his people to prosperity. Friend 1: “A person who understands your needs and strives to make your dreams and aspirations come true.” Now this is what only Superman would do! Hear out the people calling for help, fly over oceans and mountains, kill the bad guys and get people to safety. Or on second thought, Cinderella’s fairy godmother may also fit the description. A leader shall undoubtedly be compassionate and ever helpful but a leader is not the-knight-in-the-shining-armor figure. A leader is a living example for the damsels in distress to help themselves. He leads by example even when the obstacles may not be a piece of cake for him. Friend 2: “A person who leads other people to the achievement of a shared goal or objective by organizing a campaign and by being a part of it himself.” This is a more well-structured definition of a transformational leader. Transformational leaders are those who motivate and inspire people by helping group members see the importance and higher good of the task according to the relationship theories of leadership. Friend 3: “A leader is a master of the art that he undertakes to teach other people who ask for it.” A leader is a teacher too. He knows or has experienced more than his followers and that alone is what makes him the boss. But not all leaders know how to teach which is most important for effective leadership. If intimidation and mockery could reap good results, then the bullies would have been the most aspired leaders. I often hear my colleagues at work complain about their boss when the boss bellows at them for not doing work on time or not meeting his expectation. They say, “Has he forgotten that once he was a petty trainee like us too!” This is a major shortcoming that impedes effective leadership. It is important for all leaders to know that motivation, if confused with ridicule, becomes spite. And spite invites spite. Dated: September 22, 2011 Entry 4 – With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). A leader must be a man of determination and drive. And he should possess the charisma to make the followers place unshakeable trust in him. In return he must remain accountable for his actions and the actions of the people who follow him. He must not cower when faced with a dilemma or exhibit signs of indecisiveness as these signs shake the trust of the followers in their chief. One wrong turn can cost him failure. Being the boss does not only mean independence and submission to none, it brings with it the burden of accountability and being subject to expectations. Leadership viewed from this perspective reminds me of the time when in the age of sixteen I was made incharge of the literary society of my school. It was my job to supervise the quarterly issue of the school magazine “Aware” and ensure its timely distribution. There were many places in that span of youth leadership when I had to take quick intelligent decisions and bear the brunt if things did not work out right. I remember I had no time to calm my fears or stand in the corner to sing eenie-meenie-miney-mo to choose the right answer. If ever my extra curricular activity coordinator caught me fretting with anxiety, she used call out her regular booster “Be the leader, be the boss!” Dated: September 30, 2011 Entry 5 – Accountability A leader is accountable for the set of principles or standards that administer the activities of his followers. Therefore, he must devise ways to inspire the people to adopt the moral code he preaches. First and foremost, he must abide by the ethics himself. If a leader does not follow the ethics he sets forth, what else is he doing but leading those who follow him away from the principles? Dated: October 5, 2011 Entry 6 – Obituary Steve Jobs died today. I read about it on the Internet. The news is everywhere. And all that caught my attention while skimming through blogs, reading about what other technical folks said about him and even on the front page of Apple’s corporate website, was how great a mentor he was. One technical blog I read (I don’t remember which) said Apple’s fame and fortune is because of this great leader. I did not know before today that Steve was associated with Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Company too before Apple and that he founded Next. Since I admire the guy too much I read through his entire biography and I was surprised to see that after Steve’s resignation as the CEO of Apple, the shares of Apple and Walt Disney dropped hours after the announcement. A single human’s resignation directly proportional to the share price of a conglomerate as enormous as Apple’s! Furthermore, according to a rating site (www.glassdoor.com), 97% employees of Apple approved of Jobs as the CEO. Now that is surely a leader! A transactional one to be specific, since we know Jobs was a perfectionist. Dated: October 11, 2011 Entry 7 – Servant Leadership I had never heard of this leadership philosophy before this scrapbook and this course. And this one leadership practice has moved me most. But I did know what fear of God is. I was aware of the phrase ‘service to mankind’. Aren’t the two the same thing? Servant leadership is a form of immense fear of God and love for His being. It can only root from a natural feeling in a person of wanting to serve. Here, I can relate the discussion in entry 3 above regarding the statement made by relative 2. A servant leader has the best interests of other people at heart. He feels for those who are at his disposal before his self-interest. “Men are governed only by serving them; the rule is without exception.” (V. Cousin) Dated: October 14, 2011 Entry 8 – Leadership vs. Dictatorship I believe a leader with no compassion for his followers is not a leader at all, he is a dictator. And a dictator may get the job done but the quality of work is compromised. The quality of work depends largely on the commitment of the work force, the group being led. “The power is detested, and miserable the life, of him who wishes to be feared rather than to be loved.” (Cornelius Nepos) Dated: October 19, 2011 Entry 9 – Leader Worship It is the most ideal situation when the leader leads with responsibility and determination and the follower follows with trust and admiration. If a dictator is on the bad extreme of the leadership rating scale, there must exist a positive extreme, shouldn’t there? For this extreme of leadership that presides in the hall of fame there can be two possible consequences. Either leader craze which is not so harmful given that the leader stays sane at all times but the other consequence can be deathly as the images below portray. I came across many quotes by great thinkers when I surfed through the internet about leadership and leadership styles but the most comprehensive and beautiful explanation was: “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” (Dwight D. Eisenhower) References Voice of Leadership 2011, Can Leaders be Humans?, viewed 21 October 2011. Cherry, K n.d, Leadership Theories - 8 Major Leadership Theories, viewed 21 October 2011. Eisenhower, D.D n.d, Leadership Quotations, viewed 21 October 2011. Company Reviews, viewed 21 October 2011. Blanchard, K n.d. The Characteristics- of a Good Leader, viewed 21 October 2011. Nepos, C n.d, Inspire Us, viewed 21 October 2011. Cousin, V n.d, Set Yourself Free with Inspirational Quotes, viewed 21 October 2011. Emerson, R. W n.d, Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes, viewed 21 October 2011. Read More