A Leader's Values

Leaders are among the soundest members in the group when it pertains to values. As with leadership, there again is no correct formula as to what value someone in an authoritative role must encompass. Being well-rounded, yet strong in the values of main importance to you is of upmost interest. With that being said, when it comes to leadership for me, the golden value to posses overall is honesty.

As touched upon in my class example, I have experienced group members twisted values and the overall effect. I was in a group selling t-shirts for the boys basketball state game when I was in high school. There was no defined leader of said group (our first mistake). Instead everyone naturally took roles best suited for them. When it came time to hand out the t-shirts to the customers it was revealed the member handling finances had overcharged each t-shirt by two dollars. Some people may observe a two dollar overcharge as nothing to make a fuss about. It's only a few bucks, right? Well, that is by no means how I viewed it. Our group had a decision to make. Do we confront the problem member or just let it slide in an attempt to save our reputation? Needless to say, the group confronted the unethical member and unveiled to the school what had transpired. 

Being a part of this group was an embarrassment and has since sculpted my view regarding the values of an effective leader. First off, the group should have assigned an operations overseer  as a leading figure to prevent foul play. On top of assigned roles, there should have been stronger examination into the morals of all group members. Yes, it is important having a leader with a high standard of morals but it's a group and every member should be held accountable. Not only was the corrupt member's reputation tarnished, but my hands were also blooded as I was associated with the group. This is why being ethical and moral are of superior importance in the values of leadership.

Aside from honesty, communication is key. Without an effective dialogue to present ideas it is impossible to influence people.  A prime example was Tuesdays class with the puzzle. My group had an open communication environment where each individual participated and was heard. When team members had an idea to solve the puzzle they presented it with clarity and illustrated it in a way that was comprehensible to everyone.   Multiple ideas where built off one another until we came to a reasonable conclusion. The situation was high tension, but my group left the lines of communication open and it paid off through trusting one another and listening to each others thoughts. Clearly, there are many more values present even within these examples, but honesty and communication are my main focuses when in leadership.  

My Relationship with Leadership

        Tuesday's class was scattered with a little voice in my head saying, "Oh my gosh what have I done, what have I signed myself up for, I don't know enough about leadership to hold such philosophical conversations!". Clearly, I was being dramatic but I truly felt as though my lack of experience would result in me being less beneficial to the class. Through this inferior thought process I was left reminded as to why I signed up for the class initially. ESHESA 2570 came to my attention as I scoured buckeyelink in an attempt to pick up some last minute credits, but credits that would prove useful. As the cartoon on the ESHESA 2570 blog addressed, it is more beneficial to get the mind thinking then simply memorizing unprofitable facts. So, why not take a class on team organization which will present me with strong transferable life skills?
         Leadership is precisely what I need to be studying at this time as I struggle to find ways to get involved. Being involved has always been a passion of mine, but it's been missing since my transition to OSU. My goal is to gain the confidence and skills to explore a leading role within the university or community. I need to start now as I have began planning for my masters program. It is important to me that I showcase my ability to be a leader. Anytime leadership is presented on an application it shows the student posses initiative and the desire to have an impact. Hopefully, this class will explore how to get started as a leader along with the roles of every individual within the team. I am eager to hear my classmates ideas on the various topics resulting in an expansion of my present views. If this is meet, I have no doubt I will be better poised to return back to my passion accompanied with even stronger, more valuable skills.
        After throwing around the word leader and leadership it is important to take a step back and evaluate what leadership means to me. Is there even a clear cut definition? If I began to create a definition to leadership this paragraph would never end, and trust me when I say neither of us want that. But, to me, the most valuable component is the silent leader. It is someone who has gained the honor and respect from their cohorts. This person, or persons, often make substantial improvement towards the overall goal but doesn't feel a need to draw attention to their contributions. Basically, being humble is an important aspect. A leader needs to account for everyone's viewpoint and realize what is best for the overall good, not just what in their eyes is right or wrong. Clearly, as just stated there is no wrong or right definition to leadership, but throughout the following weeks I plan to open mind-idly explores other's viewpoints.