To be a leader requires separating yourself from the pack, and doing things on your own drive, your own will, and with your own utmost determination.
There are 7 clear signs of a leader that I attempted to emulate this week:
1) Vision: I know who I am. I know who I want to be. I can imagine my future. I’m committed to the idea of making my dreams a reality. Teaching + building positive connections for the future are my goals, and everything I do to get to that point will be part of the journey.
2) Discipline: Being able to wake up at 6 AM every morning, being willing to work on weekends, being willing to move from job to job, being willing to stay after my scheduled shift to help out, and being willing to adapt my schedule accordingly to the needs of others are clear signs of discipline I experienced this week.
3) Emotional Strength: Obstacles might get in the way of reaching my goals. Academically and professionally I’m doing fine on an emotional level. Though there are clear moments of weakness in my life that come up every now and then, overcoming them will only make me stronger.
4) Experience: The experiences I make at Fairmont, the YMCA, and student teaching (starts next week) will carry on to the rest of my future endeavors in life.
5) Respect: I give others the respect they deserve, and I receive the respect I deserve. It’s not easy running detention, but if you are able to get others to listen to you, you are a leader in an essence.
6) People Skills: Something I’m still working on. But with my massive array of friends, and with the reality that I get along with all of my co-workers I think I’m quite a long ways away from the anti-social and shy behavior emitted in my high school years.
7) Momentum & Timing: This might be something I should work on in the future. Sometimes you have to have the right timing for things. To rush everything would be a mistake. To go at a certain pace could be a mistake. Having the right sense of right and wrong, and having the initiative to do something on your own only showcases your abilities as a leader.
The End Result: I am a leader. And I am proud to say that as a leader, you still need to listen to the other people around you. I am also a follower. I am willing to respect the chain of command and do what is expected of me. Doing what is expected makes me a follower. Going beyond that makes me a leader. I give myself an A for the week.
Next Week: Diligence
