The title of this subject is "the call to leadership", the lecturer pointed out that there are four calls to leadership. The 1st call is about the statement "Everybody is a leader", the 2nd call is about "Self-awareness", the 3rd call is about creating more leaders, and lastly, the 4th call is about being involved and being a part of the solution that plague's our world.
The goal of the lecturer is to impart these Calls to us, the students, and make us reflect on everything that we learned in comparison to what we already know and how did the new learning affect our daily lives and our future plans. The objective of this paper is to tell how the activities of the class had helped me to better understand the definition of an authentic leader.
First is treating everybody as a leader. The lecturer made us read Heroic leadership, by Chris Lowney, that is where I stumbled upon the phrase "everybody is a leader". The Jesuits believed that everybody has their own opportunity to become leaders, it could be as small as the basic form of community (e.g. Family), or as complex as running an entire nation. They also believed that we perform better when we are exposed to a supportive, encouraging and loving environment, which further proved that in order to make a company run at its best, every individual should be supported to bring out their very best. Because one way or another, a certain circumstance will arise that a person will need to use his or her leadership skills, and I learned that a person will best overcome a problem if they are prepared, and part of that preparation is treating them like leaders. Treating them as a person who is capable of doing a critical thinking analysis.
During our first session, we were first grouped and given a topic. We were tasked to defend why leaders are born, not made or not incidental. During the brain storming, I felt that everyone in the group were sharing their thoughts, and treating each other's idea as a possible answer to throw in the debate. I really felt the leadership of everybody in that group. After that activity we were grouped again, but this time, we were tasked to make a crime. I couldn't be more proud of my group mates. During our first meeting, everybody had a great idea. I was privileged that my "crime" was chosen, they were able to add some inputs to my idea, which made it even better. After all, 4 heads are better than one. During the day of the presentation, we were second to the last group to present, and on the last minute, that was the time when we thought of making a short script. We had not more than 5 minutes to make a role play, and everyone's idea were great, and we were able to construct a short 5 minute play on our Mafia crime scene. The difficult part was, there was no exact script. We only know the parts where we are to talk, but we had to think on the spot what we are going to say. But we were very confident of the skills of our fellow group mates, which I think is the reason why we were able to make a good play.
There were many activities that made us understand the phrase "everybody is a leader". The team building, the reading materials, the group projects, etc.. I learned that a family, group, or a company will function better if everyone involved is supported, encouraged and given the chance to improve and show what they are capable of. "To rule with love rather than fear". In summary, everybody is a leader, and that everybody should be supported and encouraged so that when the time comes when his leadership is needed, he will be prepared.
2nd is about self-awareness. This is probably the most common trait among leaders, knowing and analyzing themselves to become further become a better person. Knowing their own selves a lot more than yesterday. This came up in the heroic leadership as well as leading from within. This calling tells us that we are unique in our own ways, that we have our own strengths and weaknesses that we have developed throughout our journey in life. Many activities were given to us that made us reflect on all of our weaknesses and strengths, and where we might have got them.
The defining moment reflection paper was the first. It was able to bring out what I already know, and made me realize how important the good things and the challenges I have encountered in my life time. For instance, I realized how the things that my parents made me do had an impact to my life today. If they were not there to discipline me as I grew older, I don't think I'll ever be the person I am today. Another reflection paper was the External factors that affected my life. That reflection paper was like a guide to me. While doing that paper, I further realized how everything that happened to me shaped me to what I am today. For example, If I didn't experienced my problems in school, then I wouldn't have forced myself to improve. I learned while doing that reflection paper that in a football game, team work is important. You should have enough faith in your teammates, and at the same time train with them. Grow with them and improve with them.
The Genogram made me realize how some of my traits were genetically acquired. We were always told that our grandfather was a hot headed man, however, he was an entrepreneur, and that's two of many things that my parents got from him. Which I feel like it was also passed down to us. For the entrepreneurship part, I had only been working for 3 years since my graduation, and my first goal is to have a steady source of income and build a name for myself as a professional optometrist and an Ocularist. But I want to open up my own businesses one day. Business that aren't in line to our family business and owned by me.
And lastly, that lecturer started the class by making us submit a learning objective. He made us list down our strengths and weaknesses, which I believe that one of our weaknesses should be afraid of letting other people see our personal life. At first I thought it was a simple task, writing down your strengths and weaknesses. But as I start typing, my words per minute started getting slower and slower. I wasn't exactly sure what are my weaknesses and my strengths. It took me hours to make that learning agreement. I'm just glad I was able to submit right on time.
Self-awareness is important because that's where you will now your own capacity. You will know what your strengths are and your weaknesses. And by knowing all of these, you are able to identify which traits you should work on and which traits you should improve. After all, the first step of fixing a problem is knowing there is one. And knowing your weaknesses is a good start.
The third is about creating more leaders. As the first calling stated, we are all leaders, everybody, from the people who sweeps the floors to those who do the paychecks. And if given the opportunity and resources, we should be an advocate of creating more leaders into society. Leaders that would one day influence other people to become leaders. Encouragement and Support is a good way to create leaders. In that way, we are able to bring out the best of an individual. In this class, the professor himself is the perfect example of this calling. He was so passionate enough that it was very contagious. He didn't just made us read books and discuss inside a class, he made us do team buildings which I believe tested our leadership skills better than just sitting inside a four cornered room. He created a blog site which served as a blackboard to the class, which still operates even when it's not class hours. I believe he was successful in creating more leaders.
One of my favorite activities we had from him was making a speech about our advocacy. I enjoyed making mine, I was saddened when I got a low grade from it, but hearing from my fellow classmates that I did a good job, and some of them even asked about the children with low vision, I think I was able to deliver my point. Then I realized when you are making a lecture or a speech in the real world, no one will grade you, but you have to do your best to deliver your objective to your audience.
The lecturer labeled all of us as leaders. He would call us "leader" followed by our name. And I think that was a very effective move. I see the lecturer as an authentic leader in all of his ways of teachings, and I can see how effectively he was able to create other leaders. Kudos to the lecturer.
The last and most important call is applying your leadership to the world's deepest needs. The professor discussed what ails the Philippines. It through that healthy discussion, a lot of problems came up; pollution, corruption, stronger natural disasters, company's choosing profit rather than environmentalism.
But as Atenean, the lecturer was grooming us to be people that will be the frontline to things that ails the Philippines and the world. With the guidance of our faith and some Jesuit teachings, it's our moral obligation to help mankind. Leadership doesn't have to end in the four walled classrooms of the Ateneo, but rather it should continue in the real world. We are tasked to be man and woman for others. To help. To be in service, especially in places and situations where we are needed the most. We are taught that we should offer ourselves to a cause bigger than our own dreams and ambition. To make our dreams meaningful to others as well.
As the song for Mary stated, "we stand on a hill between the earth and sky", they want us to serve, to be where the action is. As what was said in the blog site, "to be at the forefront, at the area where your faith and leadership meet the world's deepest needs. to be where the action is, to be at the front lines of life and religion,".
In conclusion:
These 4 callings, I believe is what makes a great authentic leader. In our business, I learned that everybody can be a leader. I often ask our staff's if they know something I don't know, I ask them to tell me. It made me trust more of what an individual is capable to do. Rather than limiting the thing that they can do, I learned that if your give them a chance to excel at something they might be good at, the results would always be phenomenal.
In my life, I know that I am a leader and a future leader. A leader in a business ran by family members. Whenever there are conflicts, I usually try to be neutral as possible to avoid more trouble. I usually ask both sides of the story before making a verdict. I believe that rules and regulations are best implemented in a family business just for the sake of preserving friendship and love.
As a future leader, I know that someday I will be a father to a family. And before that day comes, I would like to be physically, financially, and emotionally prepared. I want to give them nothing but the best, I would give everything I do.
I learned in this class that Love has a great role in your success in life. We should all do things out of love and not just because we need to do it. In managing a business, we should rule with love rather than fear. We should build them up rather than intimidating them. A company where every individual are performing great because they love their job will be a very successful company.
The lecturer taught me the importance of self-awareness. How knowing your strengths and weaknesses can determine the outcome of your job.
The lecturer also taught me about heroism. On influencing others with the word Magi. All of us should aim for excellence, and once excellence is achieved, we should strive more than what we already have. We should never be contented. We should always aim higher.
The blog site has been very helpful and touching. If only there were a way to compile all the life stories of the leaders who contributed and make it into a book to immortalize everybody's life story. I would've gave everyone a 4 if I were the one to give the points. Everybody were very inspiring, especially those who are head in their company and those who owns large businesses. Their successes in life are probably my inspiration in building my career. I know I am still young, I have only been exposed to the real world for not longer than 5 years, and as the famous Filipino film would say it "marami pa akong kakaining bigas". But reading their stories, it makes me want to work harder. I currently work 6 days a week, 3 different jobs, and almost 10 hours a day, but I know that someday it'll be worth it. As a quote in the movie I chose during the Campbell's hero has a thousand faces activity usually say "I'll be there someday, I can go the distance."
Lastly, the lecturer taught us about serving others. And how this class is not limited to the last day of the 8 session class. We should apply everything we have learned to the outside world. We should treat everybody as a leader, we should know ourselves very well, we should create more leaders, it could be your employees, children or even your family members.
In relation to the last calling, I am glad to be finishing this subject with the Gawad Kalinga of Ateneo Graduate School of Business. It would be a great start for my service to the country.
Thank you very much for this semester, professor. Thank you for your contagious passion.
Mark Paul Paroli
To God be the glory!
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