SAIL

I think an important characteristic of being a leader and not being quick to judge.

A lot of times it is really easy to judge someone on what you heard about them or by their stereotype or by what you have seen them do or heard them say. All in all, false perceptions can be very misleading and can lead to serious problems. Often enough, I feel that a lot of genuinely good people are alienated in society because they may not seem “cool” or negative comments may be associated with them, however, I try to be the type of person that doe not judge someone based off of things that I have heard. Instead, I would much rather get to know someone and see them for who they really are rather than taking someone’s else’s opinion of them. Maybe I will have a different experience with an individual from the next person. Similarly, stereotypes can be really cruel and hurtful, and I’m sure that no one would want to have hurt someone’s feelings because they did not take the time to get to know them for the person they truly are. While some people use the childhood phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” that isn’t true. Words have a lasting impression on people and can potentially taunt someone for a lifetime.

Think about it:

Are the words you using positive or negative?

Would they make or break someone’s day?

-Re’Necia Coda

Similar to Chauncey’s post, in high school I was extremely involved in co-curricular activities and various organizations around school (all of which were quite exhausting), so when I arrived at Mason I decided that I would take a back seat and allow others to take charge. With no job on campus and no memberships to any organizations on campus either, now I realize all the wasted time I exhausted over last semester. I began to think of all the hours I could have contributed to an organization on campus, or participating in various activities. What I learned is that leadership is not a light switch that you can flip on and off. And given day of the week at any given time, one’s leadership skills can be tested. It is most definitely an honor and privilege to be able to lead others, so I personally took it as a lesson to myself that i need to appreciate all the opportunities that I am granted.

My 10 Top Enlightened Leadership Light Bulbs

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Please visit this site for leadership “light bulbs,” helpful hints for young leaders!

-Re’Necia C.

In preperation for our community engagement projects, I have been thinking alot about service projects and events that I have attended in the past. One thing that I noticed is that sometimes community service feels like work, while other times it just feels fun. But I also realized that it’s not the event itself that is either work or fun, but yet something entirely different. Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t know if anyone else has been tasked with doing a StrengthsQuest Assessment. I just recently had to do one. The results is what I want to talk about.

According to the test, I am:

Activator- People who are especially talented in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into  action. They are often impatient.

Command- People who are especially talented in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make decisions.

Communication- People who are especially talented in the Communication theme generally find it easy to put their thoughts into words. They are good conversationalists and presenters.

Harmony- People who are especially talented in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don’t enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas of agreement.

Woo- People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.

This has been the theme of the week for me. Today is a particularly good example. So far I have slipped and covered myself in mud, lost my ID, and been late to class. Despite these less-than-favorable occurrences, however, I have also have had a few good experiences. I got a good grade on my paper, found my ID in time for lunch, and people have gone out of their way to make sure my mud coated self was okay. I think that this is all part of being a leader . Learning to keep your composure, even if you slip up a little behind closed doors, in the face of challenges. People look to you for an example.

The core of the matter is that people who step forth to lead are typically those who refuse to let circumstance rule their life. Think of all of the amazing people in your life. The common denominator is often a lifetime of struggle that was overcome with grace, strength, and perseverance. How can we expect to help others in their lives without first learning to take control of ours? As college students, I hope this message is particular pertinent to you at such a challenging and rewarding time.

Instead of leaving you with my thoughts for the week, I want you to think of how both good and bad has happened in your life and how you have overcome it. Are you being a leader in your response? I leave you with this quote to meditate on:

It’s not whether you get knocked down. It’s whether you get up again.
-Vince Lombardi

Rant, celebrate, or share a story… be sure to comment letting me know how you handled obstacles as a leader.

Read the rest of this entry »

These are the African Americans leaders that mean’t alot to the African American community and the world that don’t get as much recognition as they deserve. Barrack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Micheal Jordan, and Micheal Jackson are not the only successful African American people.

As we study effective leadership philosophies, I think it is important to understand one element in particular: knowing when a leader is wrong. The former Google executive turned CEO of Yahoo, Marissa Meyer, made a comment about working from home yesterday that resulted in numerous headlines.

Mayer claimed, “It is not effective to work from home and should be banned.” This female role model’s claim has created a negative impact on her credibility. Most of the audience has reacted harshly to her statement, because there are still a vast amount of employees and employers working from home. Their stance is they are not sitting in front of a TV watching soap operas or wasting time, they are being actively engaged in their own companies and jobs. Mayer’s backfire is in order for a company to be successful, they must be co-collaborative and interdependent to get the task force accomplished.

Although both claims are understandable, Marissa Mayer should, as a leader, understand her role amongst the public. After all, leaders are still allowed to make mistakes, but leading a group of people sometimes involves “admitting when they are wrong.”