... Pensive Thoughts

As I sit here on this Sunday, many thoughts roam my mind. Not only is this semester a few weeks away from coming to a close, my time here at San Diego State is near its final end as well. When reflecting upon the courses I've completed thus far at this university, a few in particular come to mind as far as courses that I can really see myself applying the information learned to my future career. All of my "leadership" courses through the HTM program have been nothing but a success and without the help of Lori and Mark teaching them I don't think I would feel this way. Words cannot begin to describe how much I appreciate our teachers in this program. It is evident from their work at the university and beyond, how much they genuinely care for their students and for their success. I've learned more than I had ever imagined about myself as an individual from my leadership courses through HTM. To me, this is the most valuable and precious tool I can have as I enter into the real world. I know now just what I am capable of and where I need to go to challenge myself as a leader. I understand through my leadership classes that I have the capacity to be a leader and inspire others to be the best they can be; and with that I can only hope to grow. Entering the "real world" will not be an easy transition, I'm sure, as I am so accustomed to simply attending school and working part time on the weekends; but I know that if I have confidence in myself and in my leadership capabilities, I will accomplish great things. I have so much more drive and passion now than I ever have had before, and I know I owe that all to the HTM program and these ever helpful classes. I will continue to be my genuine self as I advance into my career, ensuring that I treat everyone with respect while making sure to put their needs before my own. There's nothing more precious than someone who is willing to care for you as a person before they care for you as their employee... and that is my ultimate goal as a leader. If I can connect with those people who I'm leading in an emotional way where we can build trust and be there for one another, I will be satisfied.

Reflecting

As I take a moment to look back on the semester and how my view of leadership has expanded, I'm in awe. Coming into this course I never thought I would learn so much, not only about leadership, but about myself as an individual as well. The theories that we've explored and the exercises we've done in class have helped me to further define myself as a leader and have helped me to understand just who I am now... as well as who I would like to be in the future. I know that my journey does not stop here, as I will continue to develop and educate myself on leadership for years to come. With the help of my leadership learning space I am eager to implement this useful tool into my lifestyle and make it a routine. Through this I am positive I will be able to advance and dig deeper into my leadership and industry goals. In addition the leadership map was a great way for me to really illustrate how I view leadership thus far. I feel as though I will only expand on this map with time and I cannot wait to see how much it grows and the changes that will inevitably happen with time. I'm thankful for this opportunity to have researched deeper into leadership and the challenge that it has presented me with. I will only grow from here!

Servant Leadership

First, I'd like to start this post off by stating something that jumped out at me when I stumbled upon this contemporary leadership theory of servant leadership. The title of my blog, "serving others before oneself" is something that I came up with on my own, without even knowing that there was an actual leadership theory entitled servant leadership. What a coincidence! When I found this theory I immediately knew that this is the one I should choose to blog about because it relates so closely to me and my leadership theory thus far. I was able to find this theory through a website, theleaderlab.org, which can ultimately be an extremely helpful tool in leadership as there are many related articles and posts. Leader lab also has a facebook page, twitter, and other online outlets for learning.

The theory of servant leadership is one that argues that the most effective leaders today are those who are servants of their people. These leaders give whole-hearted attention to their followers and their needs, unlike many approaches of leadership. Most theories you see offer suggestions on how leaders can influence and motivate their followers, rather than putting the emphasis on collaboration, trust, empathy and ethics like servant leadership does. The leader serves from a true desire to better serve others and not attain more power. With that, it is presumed that if leaders focus on the needs and desires of their people, the followers will reciprocate through increased teamwork, deeper engagement and overall better performance.

I feel as though I can very closely relate to servant leadership and what it stands for. I've always been one to place others' needs before my own and look for ways in which I can help other people. Servant leadership is a great component that I believe every leader should integrate into their theory. It does not need to be the one way they practice leadership but I believe that if they actively attempt at it every now and then they will find that it brings them great success in certain situations. I know personally that I cannot rely solely on servant leadership but I do know that it remains a big component of who I am as a leader and how I go about serving others.

Leadership in Action

This video of Johnny's story is what leadership really means in a nutshell. It all started with one boy who decided he was going to make a little bit of a difference, and in the end he wound up being the greatest leader of all. Johnny inspired all those around him to better themselves and showed individuals what it was like to truly appreciate the little things in life. Leadership begins with one person and what I love about this video is that Johnny did not have to do something completely crazy to be recognized as a leader and as someone who inspires change. We all have the capacity to lead, just do what you love and be who you really are... it will come naturally!

Wanna Know How I Feel?

At this point in my studies, leadership has become something that I am now thinking about on a day-to-day basis. It may sound weird but the readings on theories and our class discussions keep me anxious to learn and discover more about myself through leadership. As I discussed previously, I’ve always had a big heart for serving others and putting their wants/needs before my own, which is why I am classified as the “caregiver”. I believe first and foremost that I will probably always be the “caregiver” type in my leadership behaviors yet my vision has broadened immensely since our leadership theory journey began this semester. Prior, I felt very closed minded in that I viewed leadership as a process of which can be attained by a multitude of people, so long as they are willing to commit and try. Now, I view leadership with an open heart and an open mind. I am inspired to try new things and branch out in my leadership ways. There have been times where I have failed as a leader and quite frankly; maybe I just wasn’t cut out for the position or the situation I was in. On the other hand, maybe I just wasn’t willing to explore other options and ways to behave as a leader because thus far I have been so set in serving others and placing their wishes before mine. My feelings for the most part have remained the same because I know that this is how I am by nature, yet I know there is so much left inside of me as a leader that I have yet to explore. I am eager to begin practicing new ways of leadership and taking all that I have learned thus far into account. I am now more aware and more confident as a leader because of the knowledge that I have attained, even though I have so much left to learn. My belief is that I can learn all I want to by the book and by talking about theory, but until I actually get out there and experience these situations first handedly, my journey has not yet begun. I think this may be why I have been thinking about leadership so often, on a daily basis as I mentioned… I am anxiously awaiting a time when I can explore the real deal and dive into my practice as a leader.

Theory Thus Far

Prior to this course in particular, I honestly was quite blind to the realization that there are a numerous variety of leadership theories out there today. I thought about leadership and the idea that it was not solely based around traits, yet the concept never came to mind that there could be other theories besides the trait-based theory. Who would of thought there would be so many diverging views and so many widespread beliefs about leadership? Not I. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always valued leadership and the opportunity to grow as a person through helping others, I guess I just never really thought much past that. After reading about the variety of leadership theories and discussing them in class, I feel as though my mind has been renewed with a whole new sense of knowledge and a window to the future. I found it most interesting to see how ultimately many of the theories can somehow link together and you can find certain little similarities between all of them. Thus, leadership can be interpreted in a multitude of ways but the way I see it, it all boils down to a few similar components. I believe that each one of the theories is important and significant in it’s own way, however; I do harmonize with a few more than others.

Situational leadership theory stood out in my mind as a component that could not be done without. To me, leadership is VERY situational and very much related to the task and overall conditions at hand. My eyes were wide open and my ears tuned in when I began learning about situational leadership and how different leaders excel in different areas. To me, this makes complete sense. I was able to put two and two together because I did not like the idea of the trait theory. Trait theory in my mind was blind to the idea that everyone has the capacity to be a leader, not just certain people born with certain traits. Here, in situational leadership theory, this comes together with perfection as different leaders are able to take the reigns and drive in one instance and other leaders are able to do that and perform in a completely different scenario. An element of leadership theory that I found to be important was the concept of transformational leadership in that it relates to helping others better themselves as leaders and better the people around them. As it is evident, I love helping people, but often times it is uneasy to assist others and serve them when they aren’t willing to commit. I discovered that I would love nothing more than to serve as a transformational leader and inspire individuals to serve in leadership wholeheartedly while putting others before themselves. If I could touch peoples’ hearts and motivate them to be a positive influence in others lives, I believe I would have reached that goal. Until then I will set out with my new outlook on leadership theory, with all of it’s prime components at hand I will attempt my best to keep an open mind to fresh leadership techniques while staying motivated and determined to practice my own.

Inspiration: For Your Own Interpretation

Braveheart Freedom Speech

The Father of Leadership

James Macgregor Burns is better known as the Father of Leadership for his works and his philosophy that sparked a revolution in leadership theories. Prior to Macgregor Burns, leadership theories were primarily viewed as trait studies or behavioral motives through the actions that bold men took. James views the most essential elements of leadership as power and purpose and states that we are to view these elements as the basis of leadership and are not put an over- emphasis on power. His main theme of his philosophy was the idea of bringing leaders together as collaborators to work towards a mutual benefit. James looks to inspire others through transformational leadership so that they will rise to higher levels of motivation and work towards leading mutually held goals.

Striving to Find the Perfect Match

Blanchard's model describes low supportive and low directive behavior as "delegating", high supportive and low directive behavior as "supporting", high directive and high supportive behavior as "coaching", and finally high directive and low supporting behavior as "directing". In this Situational Model of Leadership, each leadership situation is categorized into one of the four sections I just referenced. For the most part, this model works as a great reference and serves true in the majority of situations. However, if the leader and the follower are not cohesive and not on the same page, then this model will not serve it's correct purpose.

I was elected to serve on the Executive Board of my sorority for the 2009-2010 year along with 8 other of my peers. I held the position of the VP of Event Planning and I worked very close along side with our Chapter President. In the years past that I had been in the sorority, our President had always been a year older than all of the other Executive Board members; however, the year I was serving on the board, our President was in the same grade and the same age as the rest of us. For the given circumstances, I thought she served as a great leader but looking back on it I would categorize her as a "supporting" leader. She was our "friend" and this is exactly how she treated us... with respect, kindness, love, and support. Of course our executive team loved this and appreciated her desire to always be there for us but at the same time, something was lacking. In almost every instance I can remember, she did not know what to do when something went array. I can even remember a few times where she asked me what to do and told me to go do something about the situation at hand. Now, I understand I was in a leadership role just like she was, but as the President you step into a higher authority and people look to you during times of trouble. With her lack of competence to accomplish many tasks and be the leader when we needed her most, my view of her as a leader quickly turned. I still respected her and admired her loving support but I knew she had to realize that she was indeed the President and it was her role to be there as a directive, more authoritative leader from time to time. Her "matching" with the situation was that she genuinely cared for us so this gave us the confidence we needed in certain times when she was not able to step up and take control. However, her "mismatch" was the role she was in because as the President it is your ultimate duty and responsibility to oversee all chapter functions and be there as the guiding force for everyone. She could not take on this role in any situation as she was too timid and thus looked to other people to serve as this leader.

I learned from this situation and my experience serving on the executive board exactly what situational leadership means. I think our President did an outstanding job of uniting our chapter and making everyone feel as though they were important. Not only was she kind-hearted, but through her inability to step up as the leader in task situations, we were all able to find that in ourselves and serve as that leader in her absence. Through this situation I have become more task oriented with time and have learned when to introduce the authoritative side of Nikki. I will admit, I'm still more on the relationship end of the spectrum but I believe I am finding my way to a balance where I can introduce task and directive behaviors into certain situations.

Taking a Dive into "Theory"

The concept of situational leadership is one that I've found I can really relate to and appreciate as both a leader and a follower. In the article "High Task-Low Realtionship Management" I was able to discover exactly what situational leadership entails and how important it is to understand when in a leadership role. Situational leadership values using one's natural management style while also utilizing the styles that fit the situation at that moment in time. The four types of leadership beahvior styles in situational leadership are as follows:

• high task-low relationship (telling)
• high task- high relationship (selling)
• low task-high relationship (participating)
• low task-low relatoinship (delegating)

Task relates to the duties and responsibilites of an individual or a group, including telling people what to do, how to do it, when, and where. On the contrary, the relationship behavior is the extent to which the leader provides encouragement, listens, and coaches. Keeping the situational factor in mind these task and relationship behaviors are best exhibited only in the correct circumstances. This depends on the "readiness level" of group members which is the extent to which a staff member has the ability, willingess, and confidence to accomplish a specific task. By evaluating my leadership theory thus far, I'd say it's pretty safe to admit that I would fit under the "participating" leadership behavior style in most all circumstances. As I've made apparent, I'm one to put people and their feelings before my own and in this instance, even before the task at hand. I believe that by giving people confidence and encouraging them with kindness and motivation, they then will be able to master the task at hand and know that I will be there as their leader to support them whole heartedly. However, I am finding out that this style of leadership behavior is not favorable in every situation. If my team was in a time of crisis, there would need to be a focus on task and getting the job at hand done, rather than simply making everyone feel loved. A leader of whom I believe exhibits the "selling" behavior very well is my advisor for the SDSU Ambassadors organization on campus. Her name is Ashley and she is an SDSU Alumni and former Ambassador. Ashley is really great at advising us as student Ambassadors because she not only has formed a relationship with each one of us, she also knows the appropriate time to step into the authoritative role and get things accomplished. Somehow Ashley always found the perfect balance for this through her behaviors and made us all feel as though we could trust her as a friend and as a leader. There were times when I saw Ashley step into the "telling" behavior such as at New Student Orientation. Ashley was very busy during this time so she would simply tell us what needed to be done, focus on the task at hand, and ensure that everything was completed properly. In this situation I feel as though "telling" behavior was what should have been used anyways because she was dealing with so much at once, if she started to focus on the relationships then she may have become distracted.

I found the Fiedler contingency model to resemble the idea of situational leadership, in fact I believe that the contingency model and situational leadership go hand in hand. They complement each other through the use of one's leadership style and the situational favourableness. Fiedler's "least preferred co-worker" (LPC) serves as an instrument for measuring one's leadership orientation. According to Fiedler, both low-LPC (task oriented) and high-LPC (relationship-oriented) leaders can be effective if their leadership orientation fits the situation. Here you see how situational leadership behaviors mesh together with Fiedler's contingency theory and situational favourableness. The model suggests that improving effectiveness requires changing the situation to FIT THE LEADER. If there is a "mismatch" in the situation and the leader's natural personality there will most likely be a "mismatch" in the leadership and the ability to lead effectively. I can agree with Fiedler's model in that it is of utmost importance to have a good "fit" between the leader and the situation itself. The question is, how to we ensure that we are able to be the ideal leader in a variety of situations? Is this something we can develop? Or do we have to change ourselves in order to behave in a way that may not come natural to us but may be the "right fit" for the specific situation? My ideal goal is to find the perfect match where I can be who I truly am and do what I love in those situations which will allow me to do so.

So Get Out There and DO SOMETHING!

The sense of accomplishment is unlike any other. So often I find myself doubting my abilities and that, in turn, affects why I am hesitant to make change or take risks. I wonder, has anyone reached a goal and not felt an immense feeling of satisfaction and pride after? If not, I wonder if just maybe that goal wasn't great enough or didn't push their limits and their confidence to new heights? Upon reflecting on my LPI assessment and my PMAI archetypes, I have found that I am not usually one to implement any sort of risk factor into my leadership behaviors. By "risk factor" I mean something that would take the team to new heights, but it involves change and taking a leap of faith.

Growing up I have always admired and looked up to my Dad as my hero. He is a true man of integrity, drive, and respect. He has worked his absolute hardest to support my family of six and I feel blessed to have been given the life that my Dad has provided for me. I feel as though I am very similar to my mother in relation to traits, but as for my father, I believe I model more of his behaviors. My Dad is a very loyal man and when I say that, I truly mean it. Here's some examples: he has been going to the same hairdresser (mind you, he's a guy and he only gets the standard buzz cut) for probably around 15 years now, he pretty much sticks to buying just one brand of cars for our whole family, he went to the same university for his undergrad as well as for law school, and to top it all off he worked for the same company for 25 years and now he has retired and will never work for another company again! I could go on to talk about many other aspects of his life which demonstrate his loyalty and commitment, but I won't get into too much detail... I think you probably get my point! But let's be honest, I know that his commitment is outstanding but if you dig a bit deeper, what do you realize? .... The man does NOT like change! In no way am I saying this is a bad thing but I think I can probably get a big clue as to where I've picked up on my behavioral habits from. My Dad has to think long, and hard before making any sort of decision, which I find myself doing a lot. I am thankful for the influence my Dad has been in my life and I wouldn't have asked for anything else. However, now that I am aware of his influence I will have become more self-aware in the aspect of how I can implement change and chance into my life as a leader. I know this will not come easy for me but I believe that with constant practice and by building my confidence, I will be able to ease into taking risks as a leader.

Leadership Practices Inventory

The idea of being yourself plays a large role in the Leadership Practices Inventory and how you act as a leader. The LPI asks a series of questions relating to behaviors and what you actually DO, rather than focusing on qualities or traits. I took the LPI assessment and in addition, I had my HTM mentee from last semester rate me. I developed a strong bond with my mentee and I felt as though she really got to know me and my leadership practices from our time that we spent together during the mentor/mentee process. Overall I found that our ratings were pretty similar (within 1 or 2 numbers of one another), but one stand out point to me was that I almost always scored myself lower than she did. I feel as though this is a present factor in my every day life because often times I think people see me in a different way than they actually do, and it was great to get my mentee's perspective on my leadership behaviors. I was pleased to see the areas where she ranked me highest and it was also extremely helpful for me to realize the areas where I might be lacking.... take a peek.

Strong Areas

"Treats people with dignity and respect" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating:10

"Develops cooperative relationships" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 9

"Appeals to others to share dream of the future" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 8

"Expresses confidence in people's abilities" Mentee Rating: 10 My Rating: 9

"Follows through on promises and commitments" Mentee Rating:10 My Rating: 10

Room For Improvement

"Speaks with conviction about meaning of work" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 5

"Seeks challenging opportunities to test skills" Mentee Rating: 7 My Rating: 6

"Experiments and takes risks" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 6

"Talks about future trends influencing our work" Mentee Rating: 7 My Rating: 7

"Asks, what can we learn?" Mentee Rating: 6 My Rating: 5

I found this instrument to be a great self-developing tool because I was able to discover the areas where I am doing well versus the areas where my mentee sees I could use some improvement in relation to my leadership. It came as no surprise to me that the areas where I scored highest were all along the lines of relationships and valuing people on my team. In contrast, the areas where I was not ranked so well related to the idea of change and more work/task oriented behaviors. I believe that if I focus on keeping my relationships strong with those I lead, I can then move on to perfecting opportunities to improve our work, etc. Now, I know this won't happen immediately but by being proactive and understanding where I should improve my leadership practices, I can only grow as a leader...

Embracing Similarities

"My ideal leader is someone who is Dedicated, Passionate, and Genuine. Leaders create changes for the good of others and not for themselves. Leaders are not selfish. Leaders take interest in their team and help them move forward. Leaders form true relationships with the people they are leading. Leaders motivate and inspire. Leaders create room for creativity. Leaders are PASSIONATE." - Giselle Miselewicz

As I read through Giselle's blog, I came across the above excerpt from her and immediately had an "ah-ha" moment. When looking to define leadership, I could have not said it better myself. Furthermore, I think it is pretty safe to say that I am in utter agreement with Giselle and her perspective as to what leadership really is. We are both individuals who truly believe in seeking the good in others and placing them and their feelings above all else. In addition, we both see the value in motivating and inspiring those on our team to do their best and strive to achieve a goal. Unselfishness is the basis of my leadership theory and I was pleased to see that Giselle values this concept as well. Leaders who are in it for themselves and for the title rarely "do good". However, take a peek at those leaders who "do good" for OTHERS and for the overall sake of attaining a goal as a team... they've got what it takes and I think it is safe to say that these individuals are unselfishly amazing.

[ referencing from http://giselle491.blogspot.com/ ]

Valuing Differences

When reflecting on the PMAI and my dominant archetypes, I found it interesting to explore my fellow classmates' blogs and discover how they scored on the assessment. After browsing Leanne's blog and learning that her two most dominant archetypes are the Jester and the Seeker, I was intrigued to dig deeper and find out more information regarding these archetypes and how they play into her life as a leader. Leanne describes in her post that she relates to the Jester archetype in many various ways. She sees herself as one who finds pleasure in humor and can be seen as a "trickster" from time to time. It is rare for someone to offend Leanne with jokes but she can understand how her clever and jester-like ways may hurt others who may not be so comfortable with this archetype. I personally cannot so much relate to the Jester archetype and could potentially see myself as one of the people that may end up being a bit sensitive to the humor. Although I cannot completely relate to the Jester, I do respect that they are able to bring a positive light and a humorous nature to sticky situations. When problems arise, I am not typically one to turn the situation into a joke and make others laugh but I think that is a beautiful quality to find in someone and I'd love to work on a team with one who has a bit of the Jester in them. It seems as though Leanne in particular knows when it's appropriate to joke around and knows when she has taken things too far with her humor, which is why I think she makes the perfect Jester. The Seeker archetype plays an active role in Leanne's life, especially right now during her senior year of college. She says that in the last few years life has become a bit bland and boring to her and thus she feels the need to explore and evaluate new options for her life. The Seeker is not afraid of change and loves adventure, which is something I would like to improve on. I love the idea of new experiences and change but I find myself fearing this at times. I've learned that I find comfort in stability and am never one to let something go in order to see what's on the other side and explore. I admire Leanne, the Seeker, because like many great leaders of our past and present, they had to change something and take a big leap of faith to get where they are today! Like the quote above says, "If you change nothing, nothing will change". Therefore, if you're unhappy with your life or finding yourself seeking the opportunity to explore something new... DO IT! Chances are you won't regret it. Thank you Leanne for inspiring me.

[ referencing from http://leannemansfieldsd.tumblr.com/ ]

Traits and PMAI

In my previous post about the trait based theory of leadership, I expressed my opinion about how I believe everyone has the capacity of being a leader and that I do not necessarily believe in the trait theory.

In relation to the PMAI, this test shows that each person has dominant archetypes, just like we all have dominant traits. These are the archetypes/traits that we see ourselves exuding most because they are what we're comfortable with and who we've grown to be ultimately. BUT Carl Jung states that we all have the capacity to play any one of these characters/archetypes at any point in the story of our lives. Just like archetypes, I believe we all have the ability to develop certain traits and lead with them given the right circumstances. As I mentioned, it may not come easy or it may not be comfortable if it's not one of your dominant traits/archetypes but it definitely is possible! With that, I hope that everyone has a more open minded view of leadership through understanding that we all have our dominant ways of which we lead, but we can demonstrate a variety of other traits/archetypes during our lifetime....

Me, Myself, & PMAI

CAREGIVER

It came as no surprise to me when I scored highest in the Caregiver archetype as I have learned over the years that I am always one to put others before myself, which I have mentioned in previous posts. The Caregiver is one who sees others with kind, compassionate, and forgiving eyes. In relationships, the Caregiver tends to act like a caring parent who creates nurturing environments where people can heal or grow. As a leader, the Caregiver has a great ability to take care of those they're leading. The Caregiver also has a natural ability to provide sound customer services, simply because they really care about others. With that, people trust the caregiver, thus making it a lot easier to work in groups with one who exhibits these traits.

I see myself portraying each and every one of these points on a regular basis. I gain happiness from being kind and generous, but one thing that with get me down is when others take advantage of me. I will give, and give, and give... just to hear a simple "thank you". However, if I give all of myself and constantly put others needs before mine, yet do not see any sort of gratitude from them, that really hurts me. In most instances thus far in my life I've been blessed to have developed relationships with individuals who appreciate me and by caring for them and being there for them, I have better learned who I am as a person and who I always will be... a Caregiver.

LOVER

The Lover is someone who is full of love for others and for life overall. They may have a knack for helping individuals and groups appreciate one another and ultimately become close. This love differs from the love of a Caregiver because the Lover views others as peers, not people in need of help. As a leader, the Lover exudes passion and charisma and helps team members to bond, so that they truly become friends. People will appreciate the Lover's friendliness, loving nature, and passion.

I believe the Lover in me comes out in the aspect of making a long-term commitment to care about others and their well-being. The Lover and the Caregiver almost go hand-in-hand in my eyes because you cannot genuinely care for someone unless you have a love for them. This love does not need to me an intimate romance, but it needs to be a true kind-hearted passion for people. I always seek the good in others and try my best to steer away from making judgements until I have walked at least a mile in their shoes. People have the most interesting lives and until you truly love and care for them, you will never realize what they've been through and why they are the way they are today. As a Lover, I rely on communication when problems arise and I always encourage others to express what is bothering them so that we can work on the problem together to restore love/friendship. Just as the archetype for the Lover states, I truly believe that many of life's problems could be solved if people just opened their hearts and loved a little more.

RULER

The Ruler steps up to the plate to take control when things are going array. This individual also takes the responsibility because they are good at putting structures, policies, and procedures in place that make things easier and ultimately more efficient. Others will appreciate the Ruler because they take charge and get things done.

In leadership scenarios I have seen myself emerge as the Ruler in subtle ways. I've learned that in group projects I somehow end up taking most of the work upon myself because I feel that it may not be done up to par if I leave the work to someone else. Also, I see myself taking responsibility in almost everything I do. I like that I have a bit of the Ruler archetype in me because I think with my other two dominant archetypes, the Caregiver, and the Lover, I need something with a bit more authority and courage when it comes to stepping up to the plate and getting things done. With the balance that I have, I am hopeful that I will not turn into a dictator or too authoritative. By modeling the behaviors I wish others to exhibit, such as love and passion, I believe that everyone will come together as a team in my leadership scenarios. In addition, I have to remind myself that I cannot make people do anything, but I can try my hardest to inspire them by sharing a worthy vision that takes each of their interests into account.

The Concept of Archetypes

When asked to take the PMAI test in order to find out about my archetypes, I thought to myself... what exactly are archetypes anyway?!

After researching and reading on the subject I learned that we all often find ourselves in roles that we didn't even choose to play. And thanks to Psychologist Carl Jung, we now know that these roles and characters are archetypes. He claims that there are many archetypes, just as there are many situations in life, which makes complete sense to me.

I found it especially interesting that each one of us is capable of playing any of the characters at any time during our lifetime. But, out of these archetypes, each of us uses a select few more frequently than others. Naturally, we develop into humans that are comfortable with stability and find ourselves "stuck in our ways" which relates to your dominant archetypes and how they are the roles that you typically find yourself using over and over again. I believe the concept of archetypes is a unique and eyeopening way to look at traits and human nature as a whole. It is great to apply this knowledge of archetypes to leadership because then you are able to identify what role those around you identify with and more importantly, the archetypes YOU relate with. In the study of leadership, having a concrete knowledge of archetypes demonstrates that we all are capable of acting out and leading in a wide variety of ways, it simply depends on the individual and which archetype they relate with more intimately. Knowing one's dominant archetypes before they take on a leadership role can give you a solid understanding of not only how they will lead and what to expect from them as a leader, but more importantly, how to approach them when problems arise, etc. Overall, the archetype concept is one of which I believe to be true and a present source in our everyday lives.

A Picture Is Worth...

One must stay focused and determined on their vision in order to reach their ultimate goal.

"Leadership is not a one-day thing. It is a constant commitment to excellence, a habit... a daily practice"

Be unique. Show the world that you're not afraid to be YOU.

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader"

Leadership means interacting and building a team of people of whom you never thought you'd see yourself relating with.

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves"

Trait Based Leadership Theories: The Big Debate

The trait based leadership theory is one that has a long history and always sparks much debate. Here's my take on it...

Pros:

Traits such as drive, leadership motivation, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business illustrate that these are learned traits rather than ones we were simply born with.

The theory suggests that the individual does matter. Which is good to a certain extent because all leaders matter, but this also means that all should have an equal opportunity.

Cons:

Trait based theory states that leaders do not have to be great men or women by being intellectual geniuses to succeed, but it does state they they do need to have the "right stuff" and this stuff is not equally present in ALL people.

The theory also argues that the combinations of traits and attributes are more likely to predict leadership than additive or independent contributions of several single traits.

In conclusion I'd like to leave off with a quote from David Rooke and William R. Torbert, " Despite the undeniably crucial role of genetics, human nature is not fixed. Those who are willing to work at developing themselves and becoming more self-aware can almost certainly evolve over time into truly transformational leaders".

Traits To Admire

CONFIDENCE

In today's era, I feel as though confidence is becoming harder to come across as time passes. Society is suddenly obsessed with image and the idea of being a "perfect" human that even the most incredible individuals feel as though they are unworthy. Not only does confidence affect appearance, it also deeply affects what's underneath the skin and one's internal ability to persevere and believe in themselves. I admire these individuals of confidence because they take leadership to a whole new level. Not only do they inspire team members, they are not afraid to push limits, and most importantly... they fight for what they believe in!

HONESTY

Those who are honest are those who deserve utmost respect. Now we've all heard the quote "honesty is the best policy", but in reality, how often do people actually implement this policy, especially when it may put them in an uncomfortable situation to speak the honest truth? Living an honest and truthful life makes me feel happier and more fulfilled daily and I can imagine that only the best leaders practice honesty in whatever they do. Not only are these leaders people of whom should be respected, they should be regarded as leaders of true character and leaders to ultimately look up to.

SELFLESSNESS

In regards to leadership, I strongly believe that one must put others' feelings before themselves and truly strive to serve the team rather than simply fulfill selfish needs. If someone desires to be a leader, it should be in order to better a group of people and to inspire others to improve themselves in order to reach a common goal. I see so much beauty in people who exude selflessness and it is a trait of which I strive to implement in any leadership scenario I may be in. Not only does it bring a team together, it allows those you are leading to confide in you and admire your ways.

Leadership In My Eyes

To me, the word leadership touches pretty close to home. I've always considered myself a person of integrity and motivation, both of which are helpful when it comes to taking a stand as a leader. I've held a few leadership positions in student organizations thus far in my life and although they may seem small in nature, I have been able to learn from these experiences and take the little lessons with me into the future. One thing I've learned about myself as a leader is that I am almost always willing to put others before myself. This has been helpful in leading because I can genuinely show the people that I'm working with that I care about them and their satisfaction. So long as they see me as part of the team, and not as someone who only cares about their power and their position, the others are more willing to accept me as a leader and contribute to the common goal.

I've seen various styles of leadership and with that I believe that anyone can be a leader, given certain circumstances. Leaders are made, not born and so long as the individual is willing to work at their goal and vision, I believe that they can make a difference in others' lives, no matter how big or small. "It's never to late to be who you might have been" can be interpreted in a multitude of ways, however for me it relates to leadership because many people simply think they cannot be leaders because they have no experience, or they weren't born with specific traits. As long as the individual has a passion and is ready to learn, I have no doubt that they may develop into one of our finest leaders. Leadership is all about the willingness to stand when no one believes in you and is about showing them that you are capable of exceeding all of their expectations. Almost all great leaders have been doubted, but without taking that risk they would not be where they are today. So think about it... "It's never too late to be who you might have been."