Leadership: In my own words

Throughout this whole semester, we have learned about different types of leadership, and how to become better leaders in all areas of our lives. There have been a lot of different principles taught that I feel have really impacted my life and the things I do.

To me, leadership means impacting the lives of others. It doesn't mean having some kind of high up position, or being extremely outgoing. Some of the best leaders do it from the quiet walls of their home. I think great leadership begins in the home, which we learned about in one of the lectures. It means working well with others, knowing the hearts and minds of those with whom you associate. It's encouraging others to do their best, and assisting them in reaching their goals. There are all sorts of leaders in the world, and none of them are exactly the same.

There were a lot of things that I learned this semester that really impacted me. However, there were two events that really stuck out in my mind.

The first one was the firelighters/firefighter discussion. I loved this! It really made me examine myself and how I do things/treat other people. I noticed that subconsciously, I sarcastically will put people and their ideas down without realizing that it might actually be detrimental. After this discussion, I made an effort to try and make sure that I don't put others ideas and what not down, in even joking.

Another part of the class that really impacted me was an activity that we did in lab. We went and took candy to the library with notes, and gave them to random people. There were a few people who seemed really weirded out by the fact, but there were a couple of people that seemed to really appreciate it. There was one guy that particularly stood out to me. He was sitting and doing his homework, and I gave him some candy and a note. His face just lit up and he acted to gracious, and thanked me a couple other times when I walked by him. It really made me feel good that it made him happy. This particular activity helped me realize how big little acts of service can turn out to be.

Overall, this was an awesome class. I learned a lot and I feel like I grew a lot as well. I am very grateful for the opportunity I had to be in the class, and I will definitely take all of the things I learned and apply them to my life, now and in the future.

Leadership in the Community

The lecture on shared leadership in the home was probably one of my favorite lectures. I thought that Brother Hill had some excellent insights and I really enjoyed the lecture. Although I am not married and have no children right now, I feel like this topic was still applicable to my life as I am still part of a family, as a sister and daughter. However, the topic for this week is leadership in the community.

In lab, we watched the movie "Validation". At first I thought it was kind of weird, but by the end I could not stop smiling. It put me in such a good mood for the rest of the day. After leaving the class, I couldn't help but smile at everyone I walked by. Sure, I got a few weird looks from some people, but it still made me feel good.

Honestly, I think that just smiling and saying hello to people is one of the best ways to serve the community. I know that when I am walking around campus, when someone simply smiles at me, I'm put in an even better mood because of it. Awhile ago, I was thinking, and I realized that hey, if it makes me that happy, then why not pass that on to other people. Most people probably will not think anything of it, but you never know what might help someone else out!

I think another way to be a leader in the community is just to get out there and be involved. It doesn't mean starting up some foundation that will save the world (even though that would be awesome), but more, getting to know those that live around you. Although I grew up on the same street my whole entire life, I couldn't name more than 5 people that live on my street. However, one of my best friends grew up on a street only blocks away from me, where all the neighbors knew each other and were really good friends. That was because there were a couple of people on the block that made sure to get out and introudce themselves, and then organize events where they could all get to know each other better. I think doing things like this really brings a community together.

Intergrity

In a couple of my classes lately, the topic of integrity has come up. In my Principles of Journalism, we just had a presentation on ethics and integrity in the field of journalism. We talk about integrity a lot in my religion classes as well. Obviously, it's a trait that can and should be applied to all areas of our life, whether it be in school work, personal relationships, or in the professional field.

As I've grown up, I have noticed a steadily declining level of integrity in people as a whole. It has suddenly become more acceptable to cheat in class, have infidelity issues, and to lie in order to get what you want. Watching this, it makes me really sad. It makes me scared to raise children in this world, because of the mixed messages in which they will be getting from the media, friends, and many other areas. It makes me grateful to have been raised by parents who have a lot of integrity and have taught me that it's better to be honest than avoid getting in trouble for something.

There is a quote by President Hinckley that I love that goes "Wrong is still wrong even if everyone's doing it. Right is still right even if no one's doing it." It is so true! I look at tv, magazines, and even classmates from my graduating class, and I see the lives they live. They don't think there is anything wrong with living with significant others before marriage, lying, etc. But we must always remember it's importnat to do what's right, even when no one else is doing it.

The presentation was very interesting and I enjoyed listening to the presenter speak. He gave a lot of excellent points that I plan on implementing in my own life.

Servant Leadership

This last weeks discussion was probably one of my favorites. However, as luck would have it, I had forgotten a pen so I wasn't able to take notes. So, hopefully my insights make sense and are at least somewhat relevant to what he said.

When the speaker (I forgot his name . . . sorry!) first said he was talking to servant leadership, I kind of laughed to myself and jokingly considered that he would be talking about how those that serve under us should be our servants and do everything for us . . . cook dinner, do laundry, drive us places, etc. Of course, it wasn't, and what servant leadership is, is much better.

In all areas of our life, we probably participate in servant leadership. In fact, I believe that to truly be an affective leader, we need to fully embrace the idea of it. To me, servant leadership is complete, selfless service to those around us. In class, we were asked to think about someone we know that we believe emulates servant, Christ-like leadership and service. There are many people that come to mind and they all emulate love and true compassion in their service. By watching them, I have learned how I need to better myself and become more of a servant leader.

Obviously, Christ is the greatest example of servant leadership. His life was dedicated to serving and blessing the lives of others. He paid the ultimate price when He died for us so that we may have eternal life. The scriptures are full of stories in which servant leadership was portrayed. One that comes to mind right now in John 13.

It was the night before the Passover. After supper, Christ washed the feet of the Twelve Apostles, even those of Judas Iscariot, even though He knew that he was going to betray him. Simon Peter told him not to wash his feet but Christ said "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." Even though Christ was perfect, and everyone probably wanted to serve Him, He always served others as if He was their servant.

 In this chapter, Christ also says "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not great than his lord; neither he that is sent great than he that sent him." I think that Christ is saying that, it doesn't matter what your "position" is, or how high/low you are on the totem pole, no one is greater than anyone else. And because of this, everyone needs to serve each other.

Servant leadership is very important. After hearing the presentation given in class, I have felt inspired to become better in this aspect of my life and leadership positions.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is a necessary skill that everyone needs to work on having. As the person who presented (forgive me, because I can't remember his name :) said, conflict resolution isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, things will come up in which individuals may not agree, and it needs to be handled in a way that the best decision is reached. 


As leaders, it is important for us to understand how to properly handle conflict. Otherwise, situations will get blown out of proportion, and certain decisions may not be made in an effective manner. 


I feel like the presentation that was given gave a lot of helpful insights on how to handle conflict in all sorts of areas. Whether it be while leading a group, being the Relief Society presidency, or even in ones home, by handling conflict properly, things will work out better. 

Stand Close Together and Lift Where you Stand

The theme for this weeks blog is "Stand Close Together and Lift Where You Stand". Even though this talk was given in the Priesthood session of General Conference, I love it and feel it is very applicable to everyone. By helping each other out, hard tasks become easier. We become united as one, and a bond is built that cannot be broken. I really feel like this can be applied to every group that we are a part of; a family, roommates, classmates, church-friends, fhe groups...the list could go on.

Tom Holmoe talked about how, if we tell people about our goals, we will be more likely to achieve them. I think this applies to the title of this blog because when others are aware of our struggles/goals/motives, they will likely help us out. Sometimes when we are trying to accomplish a rather lofty goal, it can be discouraging when you don't always see results. I have found that when you have someone rooting you on and being your cheerleader, it becomes easier. Another reason why it is important to tell people about your goals is because it makes you feel more accountable, and more likely to keep the goals. I currently have a goal to run a 5K in May. I was never much of a runner before the past 6 months, but I am determined to do this. After hearing Brother Holmoe's talk, I decided that I needed to tell people about my goal. So I started a blog, where I have been tracking my progress. It has really helped me to stay on track and work towards my goal.

Brother Holmoe talked about the two kinds of people; the firelighters and the firefighters. After hearing the description, it made me think about what type of person I was. Am I someone that supports others, no matter what, or do I rain on peoples parades and discourage them in their endeavors? As much as I hate to admit it, there are times when I am a firefighter. However, I do think that for the most part, I am a firelighter. I think that most people are that way. Sometimes it is hard to always be supportive, especially if you aren't feeling too motivated or confident yourself. I have found that the more you encourage others, the better you feel. I have made it my personal goal to be come more of a firelighter, and not a firefighter.

Finally, I really enjoyed Brother Holmoe's lecture on the "Five Stages of Relationships". I feel like there are people in my life that I can put under all of those categories. I am grateful to say that there are people that I consider to have a "significant" relationship with. I don't think it's bad to have "surface" relationships though either. It's important to have different sorts of relationships with many different people.

Balance and Time Management

For a long time, I have struggled with procrastination. I am a huge procrastinator. Ever since I was in elementary school, I would always put of projects until the last minute, and I would stay up all night finishing the project. It always worked for me, and I still did well, but it wasn't the most efficient way to do things. When I started college, I vowed to break my procrastination problems. However, I'm pretty sure it has just gotten worse. I never write papers until the day (or few hours) before they are due. For some reason I struggle with getting motivated until it's the very last second. However, I always get everything done that I need to. Like I previously said, it's not the most efficient thing in the world, but it works for me.

Despite my procrastination, I feel like I do manage my time well. Yes, I could start projects earlier, and go to bed earlier, but I'm happy with the way my life runs. I have so many friends that either are constantly doing homework, or constantly partying, and none of them ever seem completely satisfied. However, I have found a good balance between homework and play. I truly believe that if you don't allow yourself to relax every now and then, things are a lot harder, as well if all you do is party and forget the priorities in life. We talked about in class the "Rock/Sand" analogy. Although it is sometimes hard to know exactly where certain priorities fall, I know that when you put the big things first, everything else will fall together perfectly. I have found that when I take 2 hours out of my day to attend the temple every Saturday, rather than do other things, whether it be hanging out with friends or even doing homework, everything works out better. If you put your priorities in line, it becomes easier to let the "sand" filtrate into our lives, without pushing out the rocks.