Values

Leadership, no matter what form, is driven by the set of values a person or group of persons believe Values drive all aspects of leadership: process, ethics, and empowerment in the way people interact each other and purpose and inclusiveness in the reason for the group to be formed. The latter way that values are used in leadership is the reasoning behind a movement in the first place. The value of belief in free speech may motivate a person to join or create a group that fights to guarantee the free speech of others through protest or unionizing, for example. Within that group, the same value of free speech allows each member to be honest with each other and conduct business in a way that does not impede on the voices of its members.

 In group dynamics, it is important to understand the value of others. For example, it may not be a big deal to show up late to a meeting for some groups but others may value punctuality and efficiency. Knowing your audience as a leader or a follower can decide whether or not they will respect your ideas beyond your methods of achieving them. If a group cannot get past the fact that your report is scribbled on Post-It notes because they value professionalism or because it is in 20 page essay because they value creativity and engagement then the meaning behind the words on those notes or that essay is not going to well received, no matter the significance behind them.

As a leader and a follower, I value dedication more than any other trait. Dedication is the only trait that you absolutely need to make an idea or plan successful. Being creative, passionate, loyal, or truthful doesn’t carry much weight if you are not willing to put in the hard work to see a project through. Dedication is what can turn a failure into a success because you are not satisfied until the product is completed or the goal is reached. For example, if a member of a group has no desire to reach the goal, then they will not see it through until the end.

Another thing I value is the ability to effectively communicate, whether that is information or feelings because nothing can get done if everyone in the group is not on the same page. Often times disagreements are nothing but products of misunderstanding. In an informational sense, poorly communicating something like the purpose of a meeting, the goal of an organization, or what kind of lunch meat the group likes (maybe it’s a picnic meeting) will lead to members of the group either wittingly or unwittingly confused. Those who don’t know what is going on will either realize it and make unsure decisions or won’t realize it and make sure decisions that are wrong for the purpose of the group. In a feeling sense, poorly communicating how the actions of another affected you will make a bigger deal out of something small or vice versa. I found this out specifically in the Zebra/Water activity with both informational and emotional miscommunication. During the activity, we did not understand the intent of others in the group when it came to strategy. Because of that, some people’s ideas were shut down. Not until after the activity did I realize that some people felt left out or hurt about those decisions. Communication was not effective until we all had time to reflect and share how we felt.

Group values and individual values and the way they interact truly decide whether that group is successful or not in their endeavors.

An Introduction

There is a very fine line between being a stubbornly loud voice that demands its own way, and one so inspiring others can’t help but follow. Well, maybe that line is a bit thick… Regardless, I know I have drunkenly (with power) toed it quite a few times.

                My ideas about leadership have changed quite dramatically through my transition from high school to college. While I’m nearing the end of my first year at The Ohio State University, I still consider my life in transition. I hope this mentally, emotionally, and morally ambiguous state of my brain allows me to take hold of this course like a child to language during the “sensitive period.” Oops, a little bit of Child Development just slipped out.

                My understanding of my strengths as a leader contributes most to my understanding of leadership in general and my expectations of others as leaders. I can say that a lot of my experience in analyzing leadership has come from Ohio State’s strong dedication to StrengthsQuest (and I mean strong; I've seen the presentation probably five times in the past 7 months). This allowed me to see how people use their strengths to lead in different ways. Personally, responsibility and a desire to achieve truly drive all aspects of my leadership. I find them to be the motivation between my hard work, a yearning for excellence that will eventually lead to the approval of others and myself. I put myself if a position of leadership, formal or informal, because I am confident in my ability to reach a result. I feel an obligation to others lead them to success, sometimes forfeiting my own comfort for that goal.

I can attest that a strong sense of responsibility is important for all leaders because they must feel accountable for the success or failures of the group. I expect leaders in my life to be entirely committed on all activities they take part in, because leading is a choice you consciously make.

                My means of leading, as opposed to my motivation, have to do with my other strengths. I like to collect and then give as much information as I can about a topic in hopes that that will spark an idea or plan of action. I am genuinely interested in the “why,” behind ideas or results, making me slow to accept the opinions of others who don’t fully think through them. This makes me constantly question and try to understand any idea. Unfortunately, my hesitancy towards the plans or ideas of others due to lack of understanding can break down my relationship with another, something detrimental to leadership. Being a stubborn know-it-all at times can be pretty off-putting, I've heard. I also expect others to be just as dedicated and on task as I am at all times and can become easily frustrated with others who are not a task-oriented as I am.

Throughout this course, I hope to garner the skills and experience in building relationships that seems to be most lacking in my own leadership strengths.  Many of the roles I fill, and hope to fill in the future, deserve a respected leader that others want to follow. Whether it is in my position in the Arts Leaders Council, in my job as a resident adviser next fall, or in my future role as an educator, sharpening my leadership skills will allow me to succeed and help others do the same. I’m looking forward to the remainder of the semester!