We've all applied for various posts and positions in different organizations in our lives. We've all had to fill out various questionnaires or answered seemingly irrelevant questions pertaining to our character. One common question that I remember I always seemed to be asked was "What experience as a leader have I had?" I always felt that the perfect leader would never have to answer a question like that. The perfect leader would parcel out credit for his/her excellent leadership to his/her underlings, giving them a false sense of importance. I always struggled to answer this question. What in my short time on this world, when I have for the most part been following and learning from more experienced elders in our society did I ever really get an opportunity to become a leader? The space below these questions is usually where the famous and trademark Jose Ordonez bullshit would make its appearance.
My answers to these leadership inquiries would usually follow along the lines "Among my group of friends, it is usually always me who makes the tough decisions. My friends also find comfort in my advice and I always enjoy giving it." I always gave a slight cringe when I put that last period down. Why? Because I find it hard to ever believe myself when I wrote that down as many times as I did.
I find comfort in not having anybody judge my actions. By definition, a leader's every move is judged by his peers. He is constantly the center of attention, and the consequence of his actions rest mostly on his shoulders. I never could see the benefits of drawing so much potentially negative attention to myself.
According to Covey's observations about the human brain, one should "manage from the left, lead from the right.(Course Anthology 226)." By this he means that the best leaders do technical, procedural tasks with the more logical left side of the brain, while dealing with people and being a leader requires more use of the more emotional right side of the brain. Sometime I believe this philosophy is completely changed in my way of life. I often deal with others in concise, simple terms. I don't want my actions or intentions to be confused by anyone, which is probably why I am so bad with the ladies. But anyone who read my entry about my college application experience (in which I stupidly only applied to one college...guess which one!) knows that I can handle important, delicate matters with the emotion and diligence of a five year old. I definitely fall into the category of people who "have become turned off by time management programs and planners that make them feel too scheduled, too restricted (Covey 150).
Am I proud of these qualities? Of course! It makes for some damn good stories and DB entries. It also translates into amazing amounts of stress and parental headaches, I'm sure. But if you ask me, a life without some sleepless nights is a life not worth living. Does this kind of disorganized and seemingly lazy lifestyle translate into any sort of leadership skills? I would think not, but I think it can be applied to certain aspects of leadership. A leader must be flexible, willing to understand where everyone in a certain party is coming from. With my care free attitude, I find it very hard to become impatient with others and I never expect too much from anybody. I am also not afraid to speak my mind, something that can be little appreciated in our society but something I think is important for anyone to be able to do in order to have healthy relationships with others. The ability to empathize with others is also fundamental to healthy relationships, and I the fact that I am conscience of others feeling and motivations is proof that "conscience transforms passion into compassion (Course Anthology 237)."
The irony of all of this particular diatribe is that I am now in a class that stresses the importance of leadership. I hope to develop this skill, but it may take a lot of work and self-application before I get to a stage where I can call myself "a leader". For now, I'll let Molly lead the discussion.
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