Leadership Values

Michael Saunders

Team and org. Leadership

Professor Vanjura

3-20-14

Assignment 2

                  Values are something I feel every leader should have. Those values a leader should hold with then until death. A leader should know themselves inside and out and no matter how difficult the situation is the leader should hold onto their values and ethics. Values I feel are more along the lines of ethics because without ethics one really can’t have a plan and better yet not be a strong believable leader. Your values reflect a collection of experiences over your lifetime beginning with your childhood.

                  Values are critical to leadership for the simple reason that they are basically the back bone to one’s plan. Values play such an important role in our lives, being able to recognize and understand one’s own values set becomes critical very important decision-making. A leader must let the followers know their values from the beginning that way all groups are on the same page.

                  Leaders create the vision, support the strategies, and are the catalyst for developing the individual bench strength to move the organization forward. Those following a leader without any values would just be following the blind and I feel it’s that black and white about it. One wouldn’t follow their gps if the gps company had no values including getting the driver to the destination the most efficient and fastest way. The video with the guy dancing on the hill shows an example of values. His values that day was to have a good time and he attracted so many followers with his values he came with that day. Little did he know that his values of having a great time would end up in a big group dancing around following his dancing.

                  My personal values in life are to be a great leader after college (and hopefully graduate school) and be very successful in any field I go into. Has been my values since I’ve been a child and I don’t see them changing. Being on TV after college would be a great route for me and while following that dream I hope to teach and learn new things along the way. Stand on my own 2 feet with very little help so I can make my core values much stronger as I go on in life.

                  Rather its ethics or values one who are attempting to become a leader should at least have a very strong one of the two (but in my eyes they are the same thing). A great leader must not show weakness and never go back on their values or you may look weak. Being a weak leader in today’s society will get you nowhere but with your leadership spot taken by a much stronger and value efficient leader who won’t go back on his/her words. The ability to communicate appropriately is an essential component for leadership. Confidence, determination and empathy make up a great leader and those who follow will also share these characteristics. 

Leadership

Michael Saunders

ESHESA 2570

Professor Van Jura

3-3-14

Leadership

            At some point in every young person’s life they want to become a leader of some sort. It can be the king and leader of the jungle gym or it can be being the class president in grade school. Me myself I’ve always wanted to become a leader and have people follow me because I felt that I have always had the tools to become a leader. Once I got out into the real world I’ve realized that there are real leaders out there and people really follow their commands. Being a leader can come with great rewards but can also take wear someone who wants to play that position down.

            I registered for this course because I want to later in life become someone that people look up to in a positive way. I want to learn great leadership techniques that I can take out there in the real world and apply them to my everyday life. Being a leader and not a follower can set the weak minded individuals apart from the more dominate go getter types of individuals.

Now I am not saying that everyone who is not a leader is a follower but if the shoe fits then it fits. Some people just don’t have it in them to lead and would rather sit back let someone else take the course. Me on the other hand I want to become a leader in today’s society and that is why I am taking this course today.

I understand leader as being someone who takes charge and without any hesitation can make a very valid decision that can affect others. I understand being a leader comes with great responsibility and the decisions a leader makes can alter the lives of those followers. Differing from a manager or a professor, a leader must be able to stand tall on their feet and take over messy situations when that time comes.

My expectations for this class are to teach me the techniques of being a leader. I feel I have what it takes to be a leader once I get out of college but I am pretty sure that there are more things to learn when trying to become a leader in the real world. My expectations from this course are to teach me what I need to do to become a better leader than I already am. When becoming a leader you have to be firm and strong on your opinions. So I am hoping that by taking this course I will become more confident in my opinions when expressing them out loud and having great confidence in every move I make. Leaders can make mistakes but if I make a mistake I want to be able to live up to that mistake and have a better outcome the next time around.

Becoming a leader to me when I graduate and step into a real life job would set me apart from those who want to be followers. Malcolm x, Dr King, Al Sharpton etc… those are leaders and are/were very good ones. By taking this course I hope it teaches me that confidence they had and take me a very far way in life.