The Next Steps For My Leadership Journey

Before I took this class, I thought being a leader was simply being a guy in a high position that people can look up to. However, now that this class is coming to a close, I have realized that in order to be a successful leader one must not only be in a high position, but also have many other intangibles.
As for my plans for the next six to twelve months, I look to continue the leadership concepts that I learned in this class, and hopefully improve on them as well. Currently, when I am in a leadership position, I tend to sometimes become frustrated when things don't go my way, so therefore I must improve my emotional intelligence.
As for my plans in college, I plan to have a good time, both socially and athletically, while at the same time taking advantage of a great education. As it pertains to my leadership plans, I am considering running for a role in the student government, or something like that. I never really was involved in student government during my tenure at Parish Episcopal, but I always had regrets for not running. I also hope to become a football team captain, or something close to that, for whatever football team I end up playing for.
As a leader, I feel that I will need to improve my improve my emotional intelligence so I will not lose my cool as easily when things do not go my way. Also, I feel that I need to become a more resonant leader because at times, I tend to be a bit timid when it comes to stepping up, and connecting with my group.

How You Can Be A Resonant Leader

If a person wants to be a resonant leader, one must follow these simple rules to have success. First, one must have passion and energy that has the ability to spread throughout the group. Resonant leaders have a strong charisma, and personality that is able to grab hold of the group, and therefore allows he or she to get the group to do whatever one likes. Resonant leaders "must become one" with those that they are leading. One must be able rally his constituents around a common cause and goal that the leader is looking to achieve. Also, when the going gets tough, a resonant leader is able to keep their cool under pressure. While keeping their cool, a resonant leader can keep his group calm, and maintain their emotions.

Goleman Quote Analysis

In my opinion, I believe that Goleman is saying in order to be a complete leader, one must have emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence meaning that one must have a complete knowledge of their emotions and leadership capabilities. Also, leaders must have the "complete package." Meaning that they must possess all the traits of a successful leader, and not just some of them. The leaders that lack in certain leadership traits are known as, according to Goldman, one winged creatures. These are leaders that seem to lack certain leadership traits, and do not have a complete knowledge of their emotions.
Complete leaders must contain many traits. One trait is self regulation. This is a component of emotional intelligence that allows individuals to control their emotions. By having self regulation, a leader's integrity may also increase. Complete leaders must also have motivation. A leader with motivation will strive to get things done, and will always strive to achieve. Good leader's must also have social skills. To summarize the definition of what social skills are, it is friendliness with a purpose, that has the ability people in the direction you desire. Leaders must also have empathy. 
An example of what a 'two-winged creature', might look like would be a captain of the football team. For example, during two-a-days, everybody on the team is complaining how hot it is, and how much they wish they could be somewhere else. As a team captain, it is his job to lead by example. As a captain, more than likely a senior, he has a motivation to win the state championship, which is hopefully also the goal for the team as a whole. Also, it is his job to work to keep the morale of the team up by being empathetic, but also, he needs to use self regulation to keep a positive attitude, even if he has a bad attitude as well. 

My Experience With The Myers-Briggs Tool

My experience with the Myers-Briggs Tool was really interesting. When first being handed the packet, it looked more like a standardized test than a Leadership tool. However, this tool, even though it was rather tedious to fill out, has certainly impacted the way in which I look at myself as a leader.
The thing that surprised me most about my results was how it said that I was an introvert. I always thought of my self as being super sociable, and outgoing, but when truly thinking about, and discovering that an introvert follows a strict schedule/routine, I finally figured it out. Also, while thinking and digging deeper, I did think about how sometimes I do tend to go into a shell at times, and kind of separate myself from my peers. Generally, this only occurs when I need to think about stuff.
This tool helped me to be a better leader in the future because I now feel like I want to be more of an extrovert. I want to work to be more sociable, and communicate with others, which is something I sometimes fail to do. As it is constantly mentioned in class, it is known that communication is a key to being a successful leader.

My Credo 2011

How My Leadership View Has Changed?

At first, I thought being a leader was simply stepping up, and taking control of a situation. While that may be considered leadership to some, as I have learned in this class, that is only a microscopic piece of the monster pie that is leadership. Throughout the class I have learned that leadership is not only stepping up, but also involves communication, a vision, and trust.
According to K & P, leadership is an ability that must be learned. It is a practice that must be observed throughout a period of time. One might feel that he or she can walk right into a room and start to lead, which is something I used to believe, however, since joining this class; I have determined that leadership is not something learned overnight. In order to be a successful leader, one must have trust from the group, and trust in himself. The group must have faith in the leader that he will lead them in the right direction, and the leader must have confidence in himself that he can lead with dignity, and will not fail. The leader must have a vision as to where he wants his group to go. If he does not have a vision, then he really has no purpose for leading. Communication is a key for any type of leader. When the leader is able to communicate his vision and thoughts for the group, the group will begin to have more faith in him, but when the leader fails to communicate, his leadership, and the group will fall apart.
For me to be a more successful leader, I feel that I must incorporate these principles into my daily life. For example, during the football season, I was able to lead by example through my effort, behavior, responsibility, etc. but I feel that I was never able to communicate my goals and ambitions that I had set for the team. Although we achieved our ultimate goal, which was to win a state championship, I feel that I never clearly made my goals for the team clear in order to have a more exciting season. As the season began to draw on, and everybody grew tense and began to lose the sense of fun in football, as a leader, I failed to try and get everybody to look at the bright side of the season, and at times, I actually began to show negativity, which was a bad thing for me to show as a leader.

My Leadership Interview With Steve Van Amburgh, CEO of KDC Real Estate Development and Investments

1. In your opinion, what is the most important trait that a leader should had?

He believes that trust is the most important trait a leader should have. From his perspective, he feels that having the trust from his clients, and his employees is one of the keys to his business' success. How do you gain that trust? Mr. Van Amburgh says that trust is gained by doing what you say you will do, and having integrity. Also, to him, a close second is collaboration. Instead of doing the things that he wants to do, he collaborates with the other members of his company so he can do what is best for the project, or the employees. Collaboration is also important because employees like to feel that sense of inclusion in decisions. When they begin each year, since each year is different, Mr. Van Amburgh and his fifty other employees sit down and list all the things that are most important for both them personally, and the company as a whole. Adaptability is also a trait that he feels any leader should have because, to him, any good leader must be able to adapt to certain situations on the fly, and lead the group in the right direction. When the economy was in the ditch, he and his company had to adjust their goals, and find other business opportunities that could still succeed despite the ailing economy. He believes that if he had not made this change, then he might have been forced to let go ten to fifteen people. Even through this tough economy, not one employee has not been let go, in fact his company has actually been quite successful. 

2. Do you believe that leaders are born or made? 

Mr. Van Amburgh believes that it is a little bit of both. He thinks that some people are born with the traits that a good leader has, such as empathy, respect, fairness, etc.; but also he feels that as a person gains experience, like in the business world, the better leader that a person will become. He used a really good example of someone gaining leadership through experience by using the scenario of being with other people on a life raft. He said that the person that will become the leader is the one that has the skills needed to get the group of people to safety, such as paddling, keeping the group calm, etc. He feels that through experience, a person must lead to the best of his abilities in order to be successful, and that over a period of time, a leader is able to work on his abilities. 

3. As a successful CEO, what tactics or methods do you use as a leader?

As a business leader, he uses great discipline and communication. Once a week, or more than once, for two hours, his company has what they call "All Hands" Meetings, like  the term all hands on deck. In these meetings, all the employees meet and communicate and discuss various topics. He described the goal of these meetings as "making sure the left hand knew what the right hand was doing." He believes that these meetings are crucial to the success of his company, and if an employee does not attend these meetings, there are consequences. 

4. During this time in which their still seems to be a bit of economic uncertainty, how have you as a leader worked to keep up the morale of your employees, and the overall company?

His main method to keep the morale up was communication. He communicated with his employees his intentions, and told them that he did not intend to let any of them go. As a leader, he uses the motto "no surprises." He believes that in order to be taken seriously, then he cannot surprise his employees with a certain issue, or conflict, such as suddenly being let go. Also, because his company deals with the real estate market, he adjusted the principles and goals of his company, based on the status of the economy. Before the beginning of every year, he and his other constituents lay out a plan for the year, and their goals, and the steps that they must take as a company to achieve their goals. For example, for next year, they have already planned to expand their marketing because, for the betterment of his company, he feels that they need more people out marketing, and searching for more business opportunities. He says that he will take employees that are really good salespersons or finance people, and put them in a new area to market the company, and find more business. Mr. Van Amburgh believes that if he and his company kept doing the status quo method they have been doing the previous years, then they would not be able to achieve their goals for 2011. 

The following is a list of KDC's keys for success in the year 2011: