SAIL

In the first 2012 Presidential Debate, Obama v. Romney, Obama said something very distinct about leadership. In his rebuttal to Romney’s plan for his term in office, he stated that a leader is is someone who is able to make plans and have ideas. Although this isn’t the exact quote, Obama was right. Being able to lead requires that the leader has an idea about what he wants to do. A leader is able to “look into the future” and plan accordingly to what he will need to do in order to satisfy a goal. However, to be President it is necessary to have a strategically style of leadership.

In class last Wednesday we were having a discussion about the difference among leaders. There are some who strategically plan out every step and others who plan along the way. In certain situations, both leaders’ approaches would be challenged. For example in the case that someone is required to plan out a party on so and so date and make sure everything for the party will be provided, a strategic style of leadership might be needed. Even to be President, a strategic leader would be more effective than a pacing leader. But what if the situation were different? Instead of a party or presidency, what if you were in a situation such as solving a puzzle. A pacing leader in this case, would be much more effective than a strategic leader. A pacing leader would be able to take each step diligently and figure out what needs to be solved in order to get to the next step. A strategic leader would see the end mark and not take into account the possibility of mistakes that could he could make along the way. A strategic leader is not as a flexible in situations as a pacing leader is.

Different situations call for different kinds of leaders. Don’t get me wrong, a strategic leader may also very well plan for problems along the way, but thinking about what problems may come Is not as effective as knowing what problems are already there. Both styles of leading are great and have the possibility of satisfying goals. However, each type works best in certain situations.

What are your views on leadership categories? And how do you think it ties into being an effective leader?

Can a leader lie to you? I just want to start this post off with saying my particular basis of beliefs. I have been a devoted Democrat since the Kerry Vs. Bush election. I consider myself a liberal but I grew up in a small town where Ronald Reagan is considered the George Washington of the 21^stcentury and Obama is a communist Muslim terrorist from Mars that is trying to corrupt the nation with his Obamacare. So when I talk any type of politics I try to appease both sides. Any ways I was surfing around on the internet and I found this pretty interesting article that talks about the recent presidential debate.Obama Vs.Romney Presidential Fact Check.As you guys read both candidates were caught fudging the truth. Is that a good or bad quality to have in a leader? Are they are lying because they are determined to win the position. If so will they take that determination into to all their tasks that they pursue? If a leader does unsavory things to get things great things done is he considered a snake or a hero.

As Americans I think we accept a lot of shady things. For instance, we accepted Andrew Jacksons (the guy on the twenty dollar bill) who basically ordered troops to kill hundreds of Native Americans and was a slave owner. He also solved the national debt at that time and he also fixed some critical issues with the National Bank. I personally believe that he was a hell of a president and that he saved America from collapsing. Is Andrew Jackson a bad leader? So when it comes to the next leader of the free world can he lie? When it comes done to the candidates Romney have been in the middle of the road since day one. When a person is in the middle of the road trying to appease everyone they are going to get hit by a car. In my opinion Mitt Romney is just trying to get elected at all cost.  When it comes to President Obama it seems like he is just trying to make his deficiencies look better.  For example, when he talks about the four Trillion Deficit Plan. All he was trying to do was make an accomplishment look better than it actually is. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty the debate was not really that great on both sides.

When it comes down to it does  to it I think that an average leader lies to you and a great leader sticks with the facts. How do you feel??

Hey guys if you haven’t already noticed, I am extremely shy and I only speak when spoken too. I have noticed that when we talk in class about leadership strategies we always break up into groups of leadership my a direct central leader and leadership by a group of people doing different tasks, but I believe in leadership by example. Obviously because I am shy this appeals to me more because there really isn’t much communication when you lead my example. I feel this strategy works best when you are looked up to as a role model in your family, your community or your school. If you just take the time to think about how your day to day actions would look from someone else’s point of view that looks up to you or how they would respond and/or copy those actions you can become a tremendous leader! Sometime you just have to step back and decide what would be an inspiring thing to see from someone else’s eyes. For example, if you see someone litter and you just take a few seconds to put the trash in a trash can. Think about how that would look to a group of kids walking by.  I have two younger siblings and plenty of little cousins that look to me as a leader. When I think about how much of an impact my actions can have on them it really makes me think twice about the example I set. So next time you see a youngster copy your actions, think to yourself “was that the best thing for them to see” or “how can I use my leadership skill to set a good example for people in my surroundings.” In the end, there are many different types to leadership and it all just depends on the situation but whenever I want to lead I always LEAD MY EXAMPLE!

What do you think about when you hear the word leader? A politician? Professor? Maybe even a law enforcement officer? All of these people may be leaders, but leadership extends far beyond these people. Leaders make a substantial difference in the community and in the lives of people around them. A leader is courageous and takes bold risks in difficult situations. A leader looks out for the best interests of an organization or group of people that he/she may oversee. I think it is important that we all cultivate our leadership potential because we are the future! Our generation will be the next to run the country, and educate the generations that will come after us. I believe an important aspect of being a leader is learning to first be a follower. Has anyone ever heard the phrase, “too many chiefs and not enough Indians?” Well in a ot of cases, this phrase applies. Sometimes leaders have to recognize when it is appropriate to take the back seat in a situation. Leaders are able to designate times in which they are vocal and times in which they allow others to take center stage. As college students, we are already on the path to being successful leaders by educating ourselves. By being a part of this Leadership and Community Engagment LLC, we are polishing our leadership techniques in order to further enhance the way we view the world and impact society. Everyone should realize that anyone can be a leader! There us no leadership stereotype! A lot of times, people feel intimidated because they may not be the “typical leader” but that is definitely no excuse. I challenge everyone to go out, and sharpen their leadership skills. Make a difference-BE a difference!!

Until next time,

Tediah Grant

Hey guys, so I had the privilege of attending the Leadership Conference this past Saturday, and it was a really great experience. The speakers were phenomenal in their approach to how leadership and civility go hand in hand. From the Conference, I came up with a shortened definition of civility which is basically doing the right thing, not just for yourself, but for others too. In addition, it may be perceived as giving a voice to the voiceless. With that being said, everyone remembers the golden rule, right? You know, “treat others the way they want to be treated.” Well what about the platinum rule? Has anyone heard of that? If you have not, the platinum rule is treat others the way they would want to be treated! Mind blowing, right? When you think about it, everyone may not want to be treated in the same manner. While some things are appealing to certain people, others may not find it as appealing. So, treating others the way the want to be treated eliminates the sort of miscommunication amongst people. Also, what do you do when you overhear someone being disrespected or mistreated? Do you stand by and watch the situation occur or do you take a stand? That’s civility at its finest! We are not obligated to speak on the behalf of others, but we do it because it is the right thing to do. No compensation, no fancy medal or prize, but we do it for the personal satisfaction. That coincides with what a leader should do. We all as leaders help others and stand up for what is right. So I challenge you all today, the next time you find someone in trouble, stand up! You may not know that person, but look past the individual and see them as another human being. Handle the situation in the manner you would imagine that they would want to be treated and see what happens!

Until then,

Peace…Love…Leadership

In class, we discuss what a leader is. The characteristics of a leader, what a leader does, what is not a leader. But looking into leadership as a role, we barely take time to discuss the challenges that certain leaders face today. Women leaders have been marginalized and people often overlook the difficulties of being a female leader today. Even though there is strong evidence over the stellar work done by women in power all over the world, there is still a significant difference in the ratio of men to women leaders in this world. Take a look  at this pdf:

Women and Leadership

Even with this statistic, the few women leaders, either in corporations or in public office, continue to be badgered and face challenges—mainly from the media.

Looking back at 2008, when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were fighting to receive the Democratic Presidential Election Nomination, some articles (here is one) point out how the media played a prevalent role in aiding Obama in getting the Presidential election. It is quite possible that the media had a bias in between the two nominees. They badgered Clinton and praised Obama. To wrap this up, leadership studies shouldn’t just be about the making of a leader. Learning about the struggles certain leaders face enables future leaders to overcome those obstacles, to be strong against opposition, and to be less fearful.

Okay, leadership is such an easy subject that you can’t even consider it a topic suitable for idle conversation. But if you still wanna know much I studied the concept of one person telling everyone else what to do with their lives, I can tell you this: I’ve rarely studied the subject at all. The “leader” that taught class all throughout 5th grade in elementary school? I knew she was being lead by the principal. And even then, the principal was under the control of the superintendent, who was being influenced by our parents.

Now having said that, it wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized CEOs, Army Generals, Class Presidents, Country Presidents, Criminal Bosses and the Town Sheriff/Rookie Head Cop/FBI  Officer flick heroes that fought said Evil Crime Bosses, were also being lead by other people. Okay, I guess I always knew they were being lead. I just didn’t wanna admit it. All I ever wanted was for a CEO, Army General, Class President, Country President, Criminal Boss or the Leader Hero that fought ’em to just appear and say “Hey.”

Unfortunately, reality is a hard road indeed. Yep, you gotta admit, the laws of leadership definitely puts a damper on things. I even stopped watching those TV shows about office leaders and CEOs telling everyone else what to do. CEOs, Army Generals, Class Presidents, ‘course they don’t lead every single person in the world. But a little part of me wishes they did. I guess I’ve grown up and realized that I can think about those things and still accept reality. But by the time I got out of High School, I pretty much outgrew that kind of stuff. And I guess I got used to the idea of living in an ordinary world without any true leaders that tell everyone else what to do. And just like that, I was in college. And that’s when I met her.

“Nice to meet everyone. I hope we all have a good year together.” I announced to the class standing up, it being my turn to introduce myself. Taking a seat back down, it was the person behind me’s turn to introduce herself.

“I’m from East Town High School.” What she said was pretty normal up to this point. So I didn’t even bother turning around to look.

“First off, I’m not interested in any normal human beings. But if any of you are Army Generals, CEOs, or Country Presidents, please come see me. That is all.”

Upon hearing that, I couldn’t help but turn around. There stood before me this amazingly beautiful girl.

And after that, leadership never became a problem for me anymore.

By: Megg Gawat