Weekly Reflection

This week in class we talked about traits that effective leaders need, and the one that I decided to focus on was "Taking Action". I spent some time trying to put my ideas and dreams into action and learned some interesting things. First off, I realized that without action nothing can be accomplished. Infinite dreams do no good without somebody to pursue them. Many times i find myself wanting to talk to a new person or help somebody out, but most of the time I don't take action. This mentality is common to almost everybody and it can limit leadership greatly. This past week I tried as hard as I could to meet new people and follow my thoughts. In doing so I have made many new friends and learned some cool things about others. If I had never taken action I wouldn't have met these people. On the large scale I realize that there always needs to be someone or something to drive the project to its final goal. One thing that I find effective is setting deadlines and short-term goals so there is motivation to reach the end. Imagine a world where nobody did anything, but just made ideas... it wouldn't be a very great place! I encourage everyone to become involved so that they can progress as effective leaders. We all should learn how to become an effective task manager... even the people with the big ideas. It's the devil in the details, and action is a big detail.

Leadership Role

After my leadership interview I decided what my leadership role is that I'll focus on this semester. I had never realized that leadership can have many definitions. The idea that a leader is somebody who influences others to perform at higher levels was very interesting to me. In order to become an efficient leader in this sense requires lots of effort in personal relationships and individual levels... therefore my leadership role that I'll work on this term is being a "Leader amongst my peers, friends, and fellow classmates." I don't think I can be a good leader if my personal relations aren't personal. I guess I'll see how it works out... wish me luck!

Interview w/ Kirk Strong

Yesterday I had the opportunity to interview Kirk Strong, the director of admissions at BYU, about leadership. We had quite a discussion on what leadership is, what leaders do, and how people come about being effective leaders. The first question we discussed was "What is a leader?" Obviously there are lots of different ways to answer this, but the way this question was answered really hit me. Leadership was defined as "somebody who inspires others to perform at higher levels." Kirk seems to demonstrate this leadership in his daily life. He and his staff help reach out to students across campus and around the world to come to college and excel. The few times that I have met him he is always open and willing to talk with me, which is important. Creating relationships and effective communication are vital to successful leadership. What really struck me was the idea that leaders don't always hold a position or calling, but are just living their lives. It's not about the title, but about the actions people perform that compose a leader. Often the effective leaders, according to Mr. Strong's definition of leader, aren't always the popular leaders. These are the ones who can step back and direct their followers in the direction that is necessary, but may not be very popular. I am inspired to build a strong character, because that's what a leader works from… not the ideals of a party or others. Kirk mentioned that the best leaders aren't in congress, but in the homes. He seems to know that leadership builds off the personal level and over time that influence grows. Effective leaders know how to identify, implement, and internalize correct principals in others. The position that Brother Strong holds provides him with chances to influence others to live the honor code and worthy lives every day. I hope that one day I may be able to do this effectively amongst my peers and colleagues.