Seeking and Creating Leadership Opportunities Post

Everyone waits around for moments of service to come to them.  The defining characteristic of a good leader is that they look for opportunities to serve and to lead.  There is so much to be done in the world around us.  We can each look for ways to serve others and make the world a better place. The one thing that this class has taught me is that we all can help to make the community around us better, we just need to look for opportunities to serve.

Leadership for Change Post

This subject was a bit confusing but I think there is a good principle behind it.  We all need to be looking to make changes for the better.  Just trying to meet the status quo is not worthwhile leadership.  A true leader should always try to better himself and the people he leads. The world is ready for good change.  It is important to look at behaviors and incentives and to realize what needs to change in order to become a better person or to make leadership work.

Leadership in the Home and Community Post

Leadership really begins in the home. Leadership is more than just leading in public.  It deals with all aspects of life. In order to be a true leader, you must begin at home.  A true leader cannot be one thing in public and something different in the home.  I always wondered why people made such a big deal about politicians and other leaders who have family issues, but I realize now that the person at home in private is really the true person and if a leader cannot be true at home, then how can they be trusted to be true when leading in the public eye.

Ethical Leadership and Integrity Post

it is important to have integrity in leadership.  Nothing is worth doing if you do not do it honestly.  Leadership should not be based on a lie. It must be based on honesty and trust.  It is so easy in today's world to get caught up in dishonesty and deceit, but the world needs more people who are willing to stand up for what is right and to be good honest people. Dishonesty is really so tempting, but in the end it does not pay off.  In high school, I used to cheat in school sometimes and it was never worth it.  Ever since I started school here at BYU I decided that I would not cheat again and that has really made a huge difference in how much better I feel about school because I know that I have earned every grade that I have received.

Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is probably one of the most important keys to leadership.  If you do not care about the people you lead and try to help them through service, than you should not lead. Good leadership is really service.  A good leader loves those he or she leads and wants to help them because of that love. A true leader does more than just boss people around.  He works alongside those he leads and does what he can to help them by serving them.

Balance & Time Management

Balance and time management are key elements to leadership because it is important to be able to manage your time wisely.  In leadership there are many different responsibilities and many different things vying for your time.  In order to be able to accomplish the tasks that face a leader, being able to use your time right is key.  A man or woman who can use his or her time well can accomplish much more than he or she could without such skills.

Divine-Centered Leadership Post

Divine-Centered leadership is important because everything we have comes from God, and it is important to remember him in everything we do.  Especially in leadership.  By knowing God and making him a part of our leadership we are blessed with abilities beyond what we can normally do.  Also, by understanding our purpose in life we can make good goals that go along with God's and receive his help to accomplish the tasks before us.

Strengths Based Leadership Post

Strengths based leadership is helpful in that if you understand yourself then it is that much easier to lead others.  By understanding your strengths and the strengths of those you lead, you know who has the skills to meet the challenges that face you.  Sometimes there are challenges that take specific skills and by knowing those you are leading and their skills, you know who can face the challenges that face you.

5 March 2010- Conflict Resolution Post

My roommate and I had a conflict a couple of weeks ago.  He would stay up all night playing Rock Band and going in and out of my room all night.  I couldn't sleep at night.  The night before I had my accounting test, it reached it's worst.  I was very stressed out and had spent all night in the library and had to get up early to go study and take it the next morning.  The combination of the stress, no sleep, and him bursting into my room at 4 am, led to an epic conflict, in which I went upstairs and cussed him out.  Later that day, we texted and explained our side of the story to each other.  We both came to understand one another and there has not been a problem since.  He knows that I need my sleep and I know that he has trouble sleeping some times, so we are able to make compromises and help each other out.  Now, our relationship is stronger than ever & we are really good friends.

26 Feb 2010- Working as a Team

I can't remember exactly what the blog post is supposed to be but I think that it's something about how, a group of people can do more together than by themselves.  I know that's true.  It is so true.  There are so many reasons why a group is better than the individual, but I think that one of the most important reasons is what Mr. Holmoe touched on on Monday.  When you work as a group you have others to help support you and you support them.  As an individual, when times are tough you have no one to look to but yourself and in many instances it is easier to give up than continue forward.  As a group, you have people there who can encourage you when get discouraged, and you in turn can encourage them.  Working with others is so important in accomplishing goals because it helps keep momentum going forward.

i don't have access to a laptop right now & my phone only lets me write in the title. i will post later tonight. i promise :)

4 Quadrants of Leadership

Directing- An example of Directing leadership in my life is in my calling as Ward Prayer Co-Chair.  In this position.  It is highly directive, but low supportive.  My partner and I choose someone each week to say the prayer and give a spiritual thought.  We do not coach them or have to support them very much.  They are all highly capable, so we just give them the order to prepare a thought and pray, and they get it done.\

Coaching- An example of coaching in my life was as a trainer on my mission.  I had to direct my companion what to do plus support him in it a great deal.  He was just learning Spanish and was brand new to the mission, so I had to give him a lot of direction and support him, too.  If I did not direct him he would not know how to go about the work, and if I did not support him, he would find it difficult to stay motivated.  Also, I listened to his opinions, but in the end the decision was mine.

Supporting- An example of supporting in my life was as a district leader on my mission.  The missionaries in my district were quite capable.  They knew what to do. They just needed support, so I would mostly just get them excited about going out and spreading the word.

Delegating- An example of delegating in my life was in my job when I was in quality control.  Some of the customer support representatives were very capable and motivated.  I would hardly have to coach them at all.  They would just do their own work, but we would meet together once  a week to talk about how they were doing.

22 Jan 10- Leader Interview

For my interview, I interviewed my mom and asked her about her leadership role as a mother and leader of our family.  I asked her what prepared her to be a leader, and she told me that the experience of being an oldest child (having to be a leader to her siblings), having other good leaders to look to, and being taught a good sense of responsibility helped.  I asked her what are some of the most valuable qualities to a leader.  She responded: Putting the people you lead first, having a strong conviction of your trying to accomplish, and being able to see the big picture (vision).  I asked how the examples of others affected her as she seeks to lead, and she said that the people she has tried to emulate have strong convictions, are selfless, do not compromise their beliefs, and are aware of individuals and their needs.  I also asked if she had advice for others seeking to lead, and she said to make sure to be prayerful and find out what the Lord's will for you and those you lead is and to always put the needs of those you lead first.

I learned a great deal from my mother, and I know that I will be able to use her advice and example in the various leadership roles in which I find myself.

Alexander the Great and Leadership

This week as I learned of Alexander the Great and his leadership attributes, I learned about how to be a better leader amongst my friends.  There are great leadership attributes in Alexander, but in the end his motives were wrong.  He wanted to win just to win, noit to help his followers and friends.  That is important when being a leader.  You cannot just win to win.  The sacrifice is too great.  If you have to make sacrifices that hurt those you lead, you better have a great purpose and meaning in you motives.  That's what I learned, that a true leader leads his followers into battle, real or figurative with a good motive in mind.  One that will bless them.