Leadership Blog 2

            Thomas Merton writes, “There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.” This quote is profound and deep when time is spent analyzing and considering its message. The more I think about this quote, the more I tend to agree with the message. As human beings, we have a deep desire to know our purpose and our reason for being. We have been created with this feeling that there is something far greater than we can comprehend; however we continue to search for it, many times subconsciously. God created us with the desire for a connection with Him, we were made in His image and we are His. This understanding validates Merton’s quote because as we learn more things about God and His mystery and wonder, we learn more about our purpose and ourselves. The same can be true when reversed. By learning more about myself on a deeper level, I learn more about my creator and His plan for my life.

            I feel that I do a pretty decent job being self-aware. There are several blind spots that I suspect are there, most likely as a result of my tendency to over analyze and complicate something that does not make a lot of difference in the grand scheme of things. I try to keep a great group of friends around that help serve as an accountability system for me. They are honest with me and know that I expect to be called out on things that need to be addressed. Many times I need people to tell me to chill-out and relax because I can over think things. A leader who does not have a high level of self-awareness can be hazardous to the entire team. Leaders are the people who are looked to when decisions need to be made. If a leader has a low level of self-awareness, they will not understand their natural tendencies and their bias can lead to bad decision-making.

             According to the free MBTI online assessment, I am an INFJ. I have previously taken a similar quiz with similar results; therefore this information does not come as a surprise to me because of its consistency.

Leadership Blog 1

After viewing that power point on followership, the Follower style that fits me the most would be a cross between simply a challenger and a partner. Many times, I take on a role that challenges the group in a positive manner, however I try to show my full support to the leader of the team. The advantage of this style is that I can push a team forward by inspiring them and lift the proverbial bar. A disadvantage of this style is that it can come across offensively depending who is leading. If a leader as a low sense of security in his or her position, they may feel threatened by my contribution to the team.

            A metaphor that explains leadership well could be a football team’s head coach. As a leader, a head coach is responsible for over seeing every detail of a team with the purpose in mind of creating winners in a competition. A head coach is worthless without his team to practice and play in a manner and culture that the coach sets. He cannot win a game by himself, and a successful team is one that plays up to the standard he sets in the locker room and on the field. The head coach as to be in constant communication with his coordinators and must spend time preparing for each game. Some of the greatest head coaches were ones that pushed their teams to new heights, challenging them in everything that they do. They understand that hard work pays off and the common goal is excellence in every aspect of the game. They know just how hard to push a team, motivating and encouraging along the way. These are the characteristics that I can relate to because I strive to make the team better than before as we achieve excellence together in everything we do.

            I believe the theory and practice of leadership will evolve with younger people becoming more accustomed and experienced in the new technologies of the approaching era. As social media increases and people can communicate easier all over the world, a dependency for the latest technology will become greater. Therefore, those who are experienced in communication and implementing this new technology into their teams will become very successful in leadership. The world is getting smaller and information is moving faster than ever. Therefore, a quality of leadership that will become a necessity over time will be the need to excel in the world of social networking and rapid communication.

            However, some things about leadership will stay the same. Leaders will still need to know how to properly motivate and encourage the rest of the team. They will still need to know how to manage and prioritize responsibilities. They will also need to learn how to influence someone and carry a confidence that commands respect. To some this thought up, I believe that many different aspects of leadership will change with the emergence of new technology and social media, however many of the same principles of leadership will remain.