Every Day Leaders

        My first reaction to Richard Greenwald's article was very postive. Many things he wrote had certain truths to them that resonated within me. Upon a second reading, several factors based upon my experiences, including the importance of arts, the media, celebrities, and history, helped enhance how I felt about his article and my commentary. Honestly, my reaction the second time reading was very mixed and forced me to think me about how to build leaders and what we as society need to do.

Richard Greenwald wrote that "…leadership-like scientific disciplines, for example-consists of a set of skills, methodologies, and ideas that can be taught." I disagree with this statement. I feel that leadership can't be taught; it simply has to be embraced, engaged, encouraged, and re-enforced. To be a leader, it takes incredible strength, perseverance, creativity, resourcefulness, and charisma. Based upon what I've been through, leadership has to be engaged; one must simply be put into leadership situations in order to learn how to be a leader. As a result, leadership can't be taught. There are too many conflicting methodologies, feelings, ideas, and skills needed that some people have, which makes defining leadership impossible. Moreover, it is human nature to have strengths and weakness. I feel that because we have many strengths and weakness, we must re-enforce those strengths and weakness and build people up and encourage them to be leaders.

I agree with Greenwald when he wrote that "….Not everyone can become a leader". I feel that to be a leader you have to embrace certain realities. These include failure, no sleep, criticism, self-doubt, fear, and frustration. I feel that if you aren't up to working for days to get you to one moment, then you shouldn't be a leader. As harsh as it sounds, that is reality. If you can't stay firm on an issue or you're afraid of rejection or failure, then you can't be an effective leader and lead a group. A part of being leader, in my book, means you have to learn how to fail and fail gracefully and apologize when you make a mistake. If you can do this, people will see your human and don't mind allowing you to lead and take charge when necessary. Also, this statement works in the world of art. Not everyone can be an artist. It really takes a certain person to be an artist; a person who shares many qualities as a leader. Most artist are leaders and pioneers, which brings me to my next point.

Greenwald wrote that "….leadership was not considered a serious discipline by others in a higher education…." and that "….Today's student's are graduating into a world that is much risker that the one we knew…". Art and art education is not considered a major priority in children's education and college education. One of the benefits of UArts is that it is a liberal arts school. In order to prepare students today for the world,  college must help students  be versed in many subject matters, including the arts. Having an arts education allows one to develop early on certain leadership skills that are needed including discipline, decision making, time management, creativity, embracing diversity, respect, collaboration, and etc.  By re-enforcing these ideas and encouraging them as well, we can build up strong leaders and prepare them for the challenges we face today in the world such as the global economy, politics, diversity, war, and other cultures. If the school system can't help with art education, then "….colleges and universities must do the job.." as Greenwald wrote. 

One of the challenges that I see arising with starting leadership programs and encouraging them, is inspiration. Greenwald wrote that "…Students are flocking to these programs because they recognize the importance of leadership in ways that older generations may not". I disagree strongly. Throughout history, each generation has been the same. There were people who take a stance and became leaders, whether they were on opposing sides or not, and those who did nothing. Each generation responds differently to the trials of their time. Howard Zinn presented this in his book Voices of a People's History. This book, which was later turned into a performance piece, has influenced my life. Zinn's mission was to raise awareness and to show everyone that we, everyday people,  can be a leader if you choose to be. The only way, I see anyone being a leader also is through inspiration: you have to constantly be inspired to continue to lead, to fight for what you believe in and be inspired by others around you with their words and beliefs. Greenwald wrote that "….each institution needs to define leadership in a meaningful way….." or "……students will be left with a mash up of courses with conflicting purposes and nothing tying them together…". I fear that if that if this the case, those who want to lead and be leaders, won't have the necessary tools to accomplish what they need to, in order to achieve their goals.

          I think the best way to engage those who want to be leaders, is through the media. I think more knowledge and awareness helps anyone to be whatever they choose to be. If we can increase the presence of arts, by presenting children and even grown adults with leaders , they can be inspired and taught  how to be leader through hearing others speak about their experiences. Greenwald noted how after leaderships programs initially began to emerge, it quickly faded away; all the resources-the journals, articles, books, and etc-disappeared. The one constant is that media and the presences of technology in every home has increased. The best way to learn how to be anything is by listening to those who are seen as leaders-journalists, historians, politicians, and artists-all who shape our opinions, values, and culture. They, as I've learned watching Oprah's new t.v. show "Master Class", will be the first to tell that listening is how you learn and grow.

         If today's students need leadership training, we can't teach. They have to learn for themselves; they have to learn important skills, methodologies, thoughts, and experiences by and for themselves. We, as teachers and leaders, have to simply inspire them to be leaders, encourage them to embrace their communities, environment, and the world and times they live in, encourage them to be leaders and to learn lessons, re-enforce the lessons they learn along the way, and engage them with thought-provoking situations, arts, history, and other leaders. If the schools can't, then colleges have to step up and take a stance and provide clearer programs that encompass principles that I feel help create and make leaders.