Leadership Entry 1

I have always been the one to hold leadership positions throughout high school and sports teams and musical groups, but I have always had an idea in my head as to how a leader should act, carry themselves, and look. After just the first emerging leaders class and reading Greenwald’s article on leadership it is interesting to see all the different aspects that make someone a leader and how many things there are to learn to become a better leader. I never thought so deep as to all the different types of leaders: self-leader, social and cultural leaders, creative leaders, conflict resolution leaders, team leaders, economic leaders, etc.

Leadership can be compared to working out- It is important to workout for a few reasons: to tone muscles, build strength, and feel good. Working out cannot be something one does once or twice a month. It is necessary to work out everyday to stay on point and in shape, just as it is important to work on being a leader everyday. Being a leader is an all day every day aspect. We need to study about leadership to keep it toned, we need to attend leadership seminars and classes and talk about leadership to build strength, and we need to practice leadership daily in our communities to feel good.

I strongly agree that people are not born as leaders for the same reason as when I first picked up a trumpet I wasn’t able to produce a sound. It is something that takes practice and many years of focus and study. Leadership is something that can always be fine-tuned and it will be ever changing. A true leader is flexible, open to ideas and criticism, and disciplined.

I disagree with Greenwald’s thoughts as to when leadership should be introduced. Leadership is a trait that should be taught to all age groups. If children were introduced to being someone who chooses their own path and set a good example at an age when they were being introduced to sharing and cleaning up after themselves, leadership would be a much more prominent trait in people across the world. It would be great in the future to see significantly less followers in society. I believe strongly that this class will set the tone for me to become a better leader, and also develop the skills to help others to become leaders as well.