Situational Leadership

For class, I have decided to read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I feel that this book will help develop my leadership skills. Most people that I have spoken to that have read this book all have positive things to say.
In class on Monday, Adrian Klemme came to speak to us about situational leadership. He tried to convey to each of us that a leader must act in a flexible manner depending on the situation. To help us do this, he showed us a situational leadership model. In this model, there were four different sections, which are:
1- Directing: This style is meant for those that are inexperienced. You must be able to guide and 'direct'.
2- Coaching: This is a style that focuses more on teaching.
3- Supporting: In this style, you are meant to back up the individual(s) you are leading. They don't need to be guided, but rather supported.
4- Delegating: This is a style where you distribute responsibility. You can rely on those working with you because they are able to perform at high levels. Because of this, it can be a very effective form of leadership.
After this lecture, I was wondering how I could apply these four steps into my leadership role and ability. I realized that this applies to anyone I associate with. Also, that there isn't one perfect style of leadership. Also, I realized that my style should flow between all four of these sections.

Leadership Interview

For class, my roommate Brandt and I interviewed one of our friends that live in the same building as us. His name is Daniel Kellis. In high school, Daniel was student body president and is currently serving in our ward as the publicity specialist. Fortunately for Brandt and I, he was willing to let us ask him a couple questions. The first question we asked him was: What makes up a good leader? Daniel responded by saying "humility, confidence, selflessness, thug status, and simply just being a good example". We then asked him whether or not he had any advice for future leaders. Daniel loved this question and had a lot to say. He said "one thing that i failed at was i got a little caught up in the attention and pride that comes with being a leader. I would advise future leaders to remember why they are a leader, and to focus on the important responsibilities that come with being a leader, and put everyone else before yourself". The last question that Brandt and I asked was how he has been influenced by leaders. Daniel responded by saying "I guess seeing priesthood leaders, and the way that they focus so much on service, I was influenced to become more service-minded. We also had a Student Council Advisor who happened to be LDS, and helped us focus on doing service. seeing my mistakes always influences me to do better, I hate failing, and when i see my shortcomings, i want to turn them around". I strongly feel that Brandt and I learned a lot from doing this interview. Daniel helped make us understand the importance of being a humble and service minded person. If we do this, our capability and success as a leader will greatly increase.

week 2

In class on Monday, we had the privilege of hearing from Nathan Ward. He gave us a presentation on great leaders throughout history. During his presentation, he concentrated on five qualities that great leaders have. They are: Motive, Vision, Challenge, Example, and Knowing/Serving. I felt as though these were simple yet necessary and super effective qualities to posses. I thought it was great how Brother Ward was able to provide specific examples throughout history, such as Admiral Nelson. Overall, it was a very beneficial presentation.
During our lab, Tommy asked each of us to research a little about a historical figure in hopes to contribute to our discussion. He assigned me Napoleon Bonaparte. At first, I felt as though I knew a lot about Napoleon already. However, I proved to be wrong. Many historical figures consider him to be a tyrant. Although this is true in many aspects, I feel that Napoleon has leadership qualities which every leader should have. Just like Brother Ward commented on, I feel Napoleon had VISION. Vision is when a person has a goal/desire and do all they can to achieve it. Being one of the greatest military minds in history, Napoleon had his vision. His vision was to achieve as much power as possible. He was able to win over forty battles and even became the French emperor. Whether people like Napoleon or not, he had vision and did everything to achieve it. That is something we can learn from many of our historical leaders, specifically-Napoleon.
This semester, I am supposed to identify a leadership role in my life that needs improvement. Because of this assignment, I have realized the vast amount of areas in my life that pertain to leadership. However, I have decided to focus on my calling in my ward. In my ward, I am the Executive Secretary. Throughout the semester, I want to make a conscious effort to do everything in my power to magnify this calling. Whether it is becoming more organized, more sociable, or simply serving the ward members more often. By working on this leadership role, I hope to apply and improve many aspects of leadership.

1/06/10 Class!

I LOVED OUR LAB! I thought it was great to meet all of my classmates and learn a little something about each one of them. Whether it was their favorite condiment, vacation, their major, or simply their name. Tommy was great! He engaged with the class very well and kept the class on track (we even learned where Saudi Arabia is located in regards to Nepal). We were able to go over some aspects of the syllabus and class expectations. We are to be punctual, participate, and productive! If we do these things, we will have a successful semester!