A641.9.3.RB- Becoming a resonant leader

Dear Trey,

Over the last eighteen months, you have really begun to grow as a leader. You have learned so much about leadership, teams, organizations, and most importantly who you are and what you can accomplish. 2017 is coming to a close and with its conclusion, you are nearing the end of another graduate course and the wealth of knowledge integrated into the class. This is a great opportunity to discuss your personal vision, disclose several learning goals associated with this vision, reveal three milestones for each goal, and think about the key people in your life that can help you reach the goals and milestones.

In the future, you envision yourself as an individual who is able to alter the culture of leadership in organizations. You want to become a leader that cares about your employees and leads through resonance. The MSLD program has opened your eyes to the way that leadership can look. Leadership does not have to be the traditional silo of a top-down hierarchy. In fact, Obolensky (2014) stated that the traditional hierarchy is dying so creating a new culture could generate a new movement in leadership. You hope to create a culture where the people come before profits. This culture will be implemented into a business in New York City that serves a need to the public. Now that you know what you want to do, how do you make it happen? What are some learning goals in creating your vision?

McKee, Boyatzis, & Johnston (2008), stated that learning goals are the things you need to achieve in order to reach your personal vision. One thing you must learn, or it will continually drag you down, is to relinquish the self-doubt and negativity you feel for yourself.  Herman, Leonardelli, & Arken (2002) stated that individuals with self –doubt try to handicap themselves as a protection from failure. Time and time again you have proven yourself wrong when you thought you were going to fail. The self-doubt is a recurring worry that is good for nobody! It does nothing for you, your friends, or your family! So, how do we learn to relinquish this nuisance called self-doubt? 

One milestone would be to begin to see you in a positive manner by trying out for a community show. You have always been deathly afraid of public speaking which has been an added factor in your continuous fear of failure. There are many individuals who can help you along the way including Casey and Dannielle. The last time you went to a show various cast members asked when you were going to try to earn a part. Each time they ask you, you convince yourself you cannot do it.  However, it is time to get out of your comfort zone and prove you wrong! Getting a part in a community production would help your self-confidence and also teach you impromptu skills that are great for leadership.  

Another milestone that would help to relinquish the self-doubt would be to create a leadership presentation and present it to your department.  The lessons of Simon Sinek and Drew Dudley are invaluable and could be presented to the department. Isalene would be an individual to help you develop the avenues needed to present your thoughts on leadership. This presentation would help you not only share your thoughts on leadership in your department but build confidence.

Another hurdle in relation to your self-doubt is the inability to own who you really are. A milestone to help you own who you really are is to either go on enough mock interviews to feel comfortable about yourself or join Habitat for Humanity as a way to see yourself in a more positive manner. Individuals like Matt and Alex can help you increase your confidence in interviews and Roth could give you the inside track to Habitat. Either of these activities would serve as a milestone by allowing you to do something out of the ordinary as a method to increase self-confidence. 

The second learning goal in route to your successful personal vision is to get involved in creating a leadership of culture.  How can you do this? The first milestone would be to finish your degree. You have gained so much knowledge about the effects of a positive culture on leadership and I know you will continue to learn more as you progress through each class. The individuals who can help you reach this milestone are the great professors and classmates in the program. The program itself is a testament to the power of culture.

Another milestone that will help you to achieve the learning goal of getting involved in creating a culture of leadership would be to get a mentor. Meyer (2013) stated that mentors were important because they (a) introduce us to insides we do not know, (b) reveal blind spots we do not see, (c)  help us develop strengths we are yet to develop, (d)  help us build disciplines we could not build, and (e) help us discover potential we could not find. There is no doubt you are passionate about creating a culture of leadership, but finding a mentor could be a great step in helping you reach that goal. Some potential excellent mentors are Isalene, Matt, Marty, and Linda. Each of these individuals could help you gain more insight into culture and the positivity a strong culture can have on the leadership of an organization.

A final milestone in the learning goal of building culture would be to work on a project in your current position to prove your knowledge in leadership. This activity would help you share the knowledge you have gained in the program while exhibiting the desire you feel for culture changes in organizations. Hopefully, your effort on this project would help you begin to shape the culture of your department which could lead to organizational changes. Some of the individuals that could help you reach this milestone are Veronica, Bob, and Marty.

Your final learning goal should be to create a healthy work-life balance full of mindfulness. Boyatzis & McKee (2005) argued that resonant leaders should have a means of both refreshing and create mindfulness. One milestone needed to create a healthy work-life balance is to have a no technology weekend. You are dependent on your phone and other technology. After you are finished with school, you should make a point to have at least one no technology weekend. It will be important to let anyone who may look for you in on your plan, but it will be a great way to refresh. The time that is usually spent on the phone or in front of the TV can now be spent walking on the beach, playing a board game, visiting friends and family, reading a book, or spending time with the pets outside. This is a great idea as a way to refresh and may be able to be implemented once a month. Casey would be a key factor in making sure you stayed on track. You have had this conversation with her in the past, so you know she will on board with the refreshing idea.

Another milestone in the learning goal of mindfulness is to compete in the Disney half marathon. When you were younger, the activity of running was a great way to release the negative feelings of a stressful day. This was your time to reflect and renew yourself. Over the last couple of years, you have quit running. A running schedule will keep you grounded and the joy of running will help you get over stressful days. Also, this would be a way to prove to yourself that you can still accomplish goals. The Disney half marathon has been a goal since you moved to Florida and training for, competing in, and finishing the event would be a great way to promote a healthy work-life balance.

Finally, another hobby that would promote a healthy work-life balance would be to finally learn to play the guitar. You bought a guitar over ten years ago and have not committed to learning how to play. Nourfoundation (2013) stated that the human brain has the ability to learn until death, so why not learn a skill that you have always wanted to learn. The milestone could be to learn a couple of songs. The practice and repetition could be a way to create mindfulness. You also have a member of the family that would be willing to help you reach this milestone.

Trey, if you are able to begin to relinquish the self-doubt that continuously holds you back, get involved in creating a culture of leadership, and work to create a healthy work-life balance, I am confident you can see your personal vision to the end. The only thing that is standing in the way is you- so move out of your own way and watch the progress begin.

References

Boyatzis, R. & McKee, A. (2005). Resonant leadership. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Herman, A., Leonardelli, G., & Arkin, R. (2002). Self-doubt and self-esteem: A threat from within. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/484807/Self-doubt_and_self-esteem_A_threat_from_within

McKee, A., Boyatzis, R. & Johnston, F. ( 2008). Becoming a resonant leader. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Meyer, D. (2013). The power of a mentor. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-meyer-phd/the-power-of-a-mentor_b_2860647.html

NourFoundation. (2013, February). Becoming conscious: The science of mindfulness[YouTube]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeWvf-nfpA&feature=youtu.be 

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.). Gower.

A641.8.3.RB- Personal Balance Sheet

As an accountant, the idea of a personal balance sheet intrigued me. According to Strittin (2015), individuals are similar to businesses in that we have assets (strengths) and liabilities (weaknesses). I began to wonder what my balance sheet would look like. In my personal opinion, would my strengths outweigh my weaknesses? Would this assignment help me to realize the weaknesses that I need to work to correct?

One of my distinctive strengths is honesty. When I was about five years old, I got caught in a lie I told my parents. I thought it was a good idea to tell my mom that my dad said it was okay to go outside and play and my dad that my mom said the same thing. My five-year-old mind did not put together that they would probably talk to each other at some point during my outside adventure. When I got back inside, I was questioned about my actions. I told another lie which turned into another which created a continuous pattern. After being punished and grounded, I realized that it is much easier to just tell the truth. When the truth is told, you do not have to think about what you said or who you said it to. Everything is much easier that way. This lesson taught me that I should always be honest and it is a concept that I have tried to adhere to since I was a child.

Another one of my strengths is compassion. I have always felt deeply for everyone in my life and do my best to be there for each of them. According to Williams (2016), individuals who lead with compassion encourage trust and the well-being of others. I have always believed people are important, so I want to prove that I care about them over an opinion they may hold or the job they perform. We are all here together, so we should treat others with empathy. Another strength along the same lines as compassion is respect. I was taught at an early age to show everyone the same amount of respect. I remember my father telling me to display the same level of respect to the groundskeeper at the school as I did to the principal. This lesson has stuck with me for years. I have learned that to earn respect you must give respect and as a leader, respect leads to trust, comradery, and eventually production. If I believe that I will earn respect because of my title, then I will quickly fail.

One of my potential strengths is positivity. I have mentioned in previous blogs that I would like to be the positive part of people’s day. I want to treat them with optimism and kindness and leave a positive mark on their day. However, there are times where I get caught up in my own life or world and miss opportunities to deliver kindness. I was recently in the grocery store and was lost in my own thoughts. Because I was not paying attention, I walked past a woman trying to get something off the top shelf. As I turned the corner of the aisle, it occurred to me what happened. I quickly turned around to help her but missed my opportunity.

Another potential strength is my anticipation. There are times when I can anticipate what actions need to be taken and put myself in a good position. On the other hand, there are times where I fail to focus on anticipation and create a negative situation. As a leader, I must learn to anticipate the actions of my department and how these actions may affect my organization. According to Wink (2013), leaders should attempt to plan for every scenario.

One of my enduring dispositions is my hard work and desire to be perfect. I only know one speed and have a habit of not slowing down or resting until my duties are finished. My yearning to complete things helps me get through the various activities and hoops thrown at me during everyday life and I do not know how I would get things completed without this drive toward perfectionism.

When I began this exercise, I thought that I would list more liabilities than assets because one of my weaknesses has always been self-doubt. I not only have a huge fear of failure but I also am full of insecurity. I always believe that I am going to not only fail but go down in flames while I am failing. Self-doubt is a common theme in my self-discovery writings and one that I must work to negate.

Another weakness that I have is the negative way I view myself. I mentioned that positivity as a potential strength that I possess, but I fail to view myself in a positive light. For a long time, I did not see much value in myself. I never thought I was good enough or smart enough to succeed. This negativity has always kept me in a box (or my comfort zone). One thing I am working to change is how I view myself. According to Gordon (2015), positivity helps us see the bigger picture. I am smarter and better at my job than I give myself credit for so I need to begin to view myself in a positive manner.

Another weakness that I have become more aware of recently is recollection. There are times where I will have a conversation with my boss, coworker, or girlfriend and attempt to actively listen. However, when I get back to my desk, I have trouble recalling something they said. This weakness more than likely has to do with the listening blocks of rehearsing or filtering (Tang, 2011). I would like to change my communication deficiencies in an effort to not only be an improved listener but also retain the information discussed. Another weakness that is related to my lack of retention is my inability to receive proper coaching. There are times I will be given great advice but I try to spin it into my own words and misconstrue the coach’s advice. Once again, I believe this comes down to properly listening and understanding.

One disposition that could get in my way, and I know this may sound weird, is that I am too nice. I have noticed that when I am in a store looking at an object (let’s say it is cereal) and another individual comes to that section then I will move to allow them to pick out their choice of cereal. I try to accommodate everyone at all times but have noticed that this behavior can become a weakness. There have been individuals that I have worked with that try to take advantage of my nice behavior. I do not want to shy away from my behavior of being nice, but I also need to know when to stand up for myself.

A final disposition that could get in my way is my perfectionist tendencies. I also stated that my tendency to be perfect was a strength that kept me going. However, I must know when to slow down. I must understand when to let go of perfectionism. There are times when I take on too much and still attempt to be perfect. Sometimes, for my sanity, I must remember the advice from Frozen and let it go.

This personal balance sheet has allowed me to view and discuss my strengths and weaknesses. I understand that there are various strengths that I could display more often, but I feel comfortable with my strengths. My weaknesses, on the other hand, tend to hold me back. I must learn to be view myself in a more positive manner and relinquish the self-doubt if I am going to continue to grow.

References

Gordon, J. (2015). The power of positivity. Retrieved from http://www.jongordon.com/positive-tip-power-of-positivity.html

Strittin, D. (2015). Self-discovery assignment: Your personal balance sheet. Retrieved from http://www.dennistrittin.com/resources/PersonalBalanceSheet_05-15.pdf

Tang, Q. (2011). The twelve blocks to listening. Retrieved from https://onmymind.areavoices.com/2011/11/05/the-12-blocks-to-listening/

Williams, R. (2016). Why we need more empathetic and compassionate leaders. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201608/why-we-need-more-empathetic-and-compassionate-leaders

Wink, J. (2013). The action of anticipation. Retrieved from http://leadlearner2012.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-action-of-anticipation.html