Leadership Examples

As I was reading through the Anthology, I couldn't help but display the envy I have for Tom Jones, a fellow U.T. graduate. He went to "summer school whenever... [he] could"(899). That emphasizes how much love he had for education. I can tell that he took learning learning as a hobby if that's even possible. He enjoyed. He absolutely loved it. He "could scarcely wait for holidays to be over so that... [he] could rush back to campus (899).

Now that I'm in college and have actually had to chance to experience it in a degree, I don't think I would ever be able to have the same mindset as Tom. For him, school was what he loved. He loved to learn. For me, I can't wait it's over because although I have a goal of retrieving a Ph.D., my mindset is wanting to skip the processes of education and just go straight for my intended goal to working as a pharmacist. I often ponder why careers can't be like jobs. Just interview and get in without much prerequisites. Doesn't it seem like Tom and I are just completely opposite personalities? I wish I have the drive like he did. If I did, I bet that would give me so much more discipline and knowledge of the world around me. Reading such a quote basically invoked my ambition to work harder in my undergraduate studies. If Tom can do it, I can too. To me, he is a leader. Just like how the professors Toms speaks of, how they are "hungry to teach, hungry to relearn, hungry to transfer what they knew," I soon will be hungry for knowledge, hungry for education, hungry to be a Longhorn (900).

As I read further, I came across Barbara Smith Conrad, who was a sophomore the University when she was 17. Too me that is such a great accomplishment. At the age of 17, already a sophomore in college. I wish I was like her. Just by these details about her, I know she was an intellectual. To me, I think she relates to me the most out of the rest that I have read about because she "believed "that music is a healer and great bonder" (928). She limelighted that fact that she got close to people because of music. Music helped her develop rich relationships "because of the commonality of interest" (928). I for one am in the same boat as her because my closest friends are the ones that share the same distinct taste in music as I do. I myself love music and tend to usually think to myself why didn't I go into being a music major. Though I've always wanted to, I tend to think of the future. The future that comes that I must make the best choices for. Choices that will affect not only my life, but others such as my family as well.

Citations:

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/coolsummsch.html

http://www.postershop.com/Anonymous/Anonymous-Ambition-5000370.html

http://blogs.voices.com/buzz/2008/07/

The Anthology

Leadership

As I was flipping through Covey's insightful words of wisdom, I realized that "it is futile to put personality ahead of character" (Covey 43). It took much deep thought, but after actually sitting there in my dorm, with nothing but the sounds of the air conditioning and the four Jester East dorm elevators going up and down, I noticed that Covey brought up some  critical connections to my life. To me, attaining that marvelous personality is everything, but in order to make such a tedious change, one would have to have a great standing in character and values. Only then, I believe will personality be truly emphasized and experienced because without character, one would just be two faced. One would be two sided. One would be absolutely fake. I realized that only by taking such a dire to help assist you in the process of "improv[ing] relationships with others before improving ourselves" (Covey 43). To me, this process is the foundation that shapes leadership. Why you ask? I know for a fact it is because I've been through it. I've been a leader in the past and still am. It doesn't have to be in something official like in some fancy leadership organization. I want to emphasize that it could be as simple as being a son, being a daughter, an older sister, or brother. All these require leadership in many different aspects.

For me, I am the eldest son in the family. My decisions effect my family because I have to take in the responsibility of guiding my family could is foreign to this country. My family who doesn't know single thing about the English dialect since they first stepped off the American Airlines plane and set foot in a fresh start for the whole family in the United States of America. Sometimes when I take the lead, I get over stressed. I did however assume much responsibility since the age of 12. I was doing things many other 12 year olds were clueless about. When stress hits I tend to act out and demand something to happen instead of actually leading my family in the right way. Factors such as raising my voice is one example. Using such a negative tactic will of course attract the negative forces of nature and cause "people...[to] feel victimized and immobilized (Covey 43). I have to step back into the past, step back into the numerous times I've reacted in such a way. It makes me regret it. Instead of demanding and using the scare factor to get things done. I should have sat down, took a breather to consume and refresh my mind as I believe leaders should do when they are overburdened. I should have made my relationships richer, closer, and better before by sitting down and actually explaining, guiding, synergize with my family. This applied to my job as well. I look back to the times I actually did this. It wasn't much, but it was there. Outcomes came out better. Above is a picture of a book a found to be quite interesting and related to this topic.

I am not a leader yet. I still have much to learn. Hopefully this UGS course will guide me through this path to success in leadership for my future. "Unethical people focus on power, wealth, fame, domination, and possessions" (Anthology 192). To me this is what my boss was when I was working part time back in San Antonio. This is something I had experienced first hand and didn't like the feeling of it. He used the scare factor on me. He demanded me to do stuff. I mean he ran the place, which is why people were afraid of getting fired. I on the other hand had a different perspective. I was going to attend college in a few months so I had a careless view on things. Through my time working at the job, I see how everyone was two faced. When the boss uses such tactics, to demand us to do things instead of improving the relationships with the employees, he induces cause and effect. By doing this, I see that all the employees are two faced. When the boss comes in, we all pretend to do work, but once he leaves, we all slack off.  I believe this outcome came out to be because my boss put personality before character. He didn't treat us like human beings. All he cared for was his business, so in the end, he gets unfaithful employees who do things behind his back. He should have developed positive relationships with us and worked together with us instead.

Leadership to me is based heavily on character and working together to others as a whole to get things done at its optimal efficiency. What my boss did was the exact opposite. I'm still a young grasshopper as an wise man would say. I still have a plethora of things I need to experience and learn.

Citations:

The Anthology

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen F. Covey

http://www.amazon.com/Cultivating-Spirituality-Leadership-Synergizing-Heart/dp/1550593153

http://www.collectorsquest.com/blog/2008/01/24/13-images-of-life-on-the-home-front-during-world-war-ii/

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Working_Together_Teamwork_Puzzle_Concept.jpg

Longhorns and Mustangs

What I already knew was that "Longhorn[s]... connote courage, fighting ability, nerve, lust"(157) and many more defined heroic traits that roots and feed us Texas Longhorns with the burnt orange pride, but what I didn't know is the fact that there is a nine foot tall "Longhorn statue...located on the Heman Sweatt Campus"(156). At first when I read about this while reading "The Longhorns" in The Anthology, I wasn't so surprised at the height because to me, a longhorn that is "about nine feet tall, [with]... a seven-foot horn span, and measur[ing] 10 1/2 feet from nose to tail" didn't seem much of an accomplishment (156). I was quick to draw conclusions, but when I actually retracted my thoughts to digest what I had previously read about the statue... that it was a "2,800-pound bronze statue... [that] was a gift from three UT student groups," I took few more moments to rethink and spit out a new opinion about the statue (156). It was 2,800 pounds! That's more than a ton. What matters is how much effort that was put into the gifts given to you. That's what I was taught as I was growing up by both my friends and family. As I thought more and more in depth, I realize that UT student groups are students like us. They don't just magically have money that grow on trees to infinitely supply them. They have to work for it through fundraising, which is exactly what they did. "Members of the organizations sold 12-inch-high replicas of the Longhorn at $2,000 each to pay for the $90,000 statue" (156). Once I read this, my past opinions were basically shattered into a million pieces and rebuilt to acknowledge such courtesy and such dedication. To me, $90,000 is a plethora amount of money. Heck, that's more than both my parents salaries combined! I personally give the three UT student groups that helped make this possible: the Wranglers, the Silver Spurs, and The Phi Eta Sigma my highest respect for such dedication and hard work.

From what I learned from further reading of The Anthology was that Mustangs "Carried The Men Who Made Texas "(182). It was because of the mustangs that gave the conquests to the Spanish explorers. As I read on, one quote seemed to stand out to me the most. It said that "a man was no better than his horse, and a man on foot was no man at all" (182). This especially stood out to me because this is true. Man can only travel as far and as fast as his own physically endurance and legs could carry him. The Spanish explorers had to go across two continents. Without these mustangs, I believe that these Spanish explorers wouldn't have made such a conquest to establish what is now Texas over Mexico. These explorers would have possibly been wiped out just from traveling across such vast areas of land. In my personal opinion, if it weren't for the mustangs, Texas wouldn't be Texas today as we see it now. 

Citations:

Longhorn Statue: http://pumpkinandpomegranate.com/2010/texas-photo-montage-with-some-food/

Mustang Horse: http://secure.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=6883882719

The Anthology

My Power/Spiritual Animal

As I was reading in The Anthology, I found out that early scholars like Sir James Frazer and Emile Durkheim all had different, but somewhat similar view on Totemism. For Durkheim, "a totem is a form of symbol representing the collective life...,[the] basic integrative force" that makes up the personality and layers of a person comparable to an onion metaphorically speaking (107). To me, I look at it this way. A person has many different sides to their personality. I'm not sure if it is the same case to all bystanders out there, but to me, that seems to be the case. Backtracking to Durkheim's beliefs about how totems represent a symbol of life, it really made me think about what type of spiritual power animal would fit my personality and lifestyle. I have never really put much emphasis and thought into such a matter until my first assignment in my UGS class where I had to think of a spirit animal that fit me and post it on the social networking site FaceBook for extra credit. At first I thought that the spiritual animal that gave me the perfect fit was the the feline lion.

I know many people in this world will have a lion as their totem animal, but even though many will, the "Power animal [will be] specific and personal for each individual" since everyone is unique in their very own way (108). Such unique qualities that beam from each and every person makes me ponder and all the endless possible combinations there are in the world. To me, a Lion is a leader and is very independent which is two characteristics that mainly build my own personality. I am the first son in my family and take responsibility on mostly every account of everything. I have to do things by myself most of the time because that's how i was raised. Living in a household that doesn't know the English language well really takes a toll and caresses these traits into me. Lions are  noble, arrogant, and lazy. These traits fit me as well because I myself have high morals and ideals that can't easily be changed. I do what is usually right or else I just won't feel good. Sometimes I'm bigheaded and usually really lazy, but that's what makes me, me.

Sure I put thought into this, but after putting thought and rethinking about it, I Believe that the animal that best fits me is a regular cat. Just like cats, I like to have fun, fool around, and be lazy at times by just laying there and doing nothing. Minding my own business and sometimes like just walking and being alone because sometimes I have have to escape to reality and have my "me" time. Lions are usually ferocious, too ferocious I believe, which is why I changed my power animal to a cat. Sure my personality causes me to erupt sometimes, but not always as often as a lion. Cats on the other hand don't really reach such a degree, but if they need to, they will defend themselves, just like me. On top of that, they love to sit back and relax, giving me the feline characteristics that describe me because I too am laid back and like to watch the game sometimes instead of actually playing it.

As I read further into The Anthology into Chapter 2: Awakening To Your Spirit Totems, I found out that most societies believe "that spiritual guides often use animals or animal imagery to communicate their purpose and roles to humans" (113). Reading this actually confirmed my beliefs and gave me something to look up to now. A cat can be my representation now. Sure there are many cats out there, many Asian heritage people out there, but everyone of us is unique, just like every cat. Now I know you guys can tell the difference between cats so why not the difference between us Asians? Just playing, but my point is that as for my human role, I believe my spiritual power animal will guide me through my ups and downs and keep my personality for who I am intact if anything were to ever happen. Felines is my thing. What's yours? Some people say that "shortly after discovering...[their] spirit animals, they egin to see signs everywhere" (121). I can say that I believe it because just the other day, I saw a black cat as I was walking through the sides of the FAC building.

Citations:


http://nehasinha.wordpress.com/this-helps-me-to-move-on/
http://themightylayman.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html

http://www.abolitionist.com/reprogramming/darwinian-life.html

The Anthology

Time Management

Today seemed to be very hectic to me all because I decided to do things last minute. Two days ago, I seemed to have had the best time ever, but as a result of my choice to put my work aside and go hang out with my friends, I have thus lost time. I have lost time in which I could have been productive in. Time in which I could have gotten much of my studies and readings done for my classes. I felt as I did the week before. I felt as if I am overworking myself due to this work load. At times I ask myself "Why is it that I have so much work?" and "Why is it that I always seemed compelled to wait until the last minute to do everything?" I've come to to a conclusion that its because I might not have enough motivation in me. Over the course of my life, I have found the inner me to be a very lazy one. I also found that I have short term memory, which is why I wait until the last minute and struggle to finish reviewing and reading books. This is a bad habit, but it seems as though its the best way for me to retain information. I know that if it's something I am interested in and like I would retain the information, but as far as reading books for memorization of quotes for quizzes, it really takes fun in reading out of the picture. Even this blog was created at last minute to be honest and I really wished I didn't because now I feel like I'm rushing everything. This isn't a good practice, but at least everything I'm saying is coming directly from my mind without editing or dishonesty.

As I read through Covey's book as fast I could to meet the 8pm deadline on this DB topic, I found that I wasn't "living Habit 3...by practicing effective self-management" (147). I do everything last minute last minute as I said above and never pull myself together to maybe spread my agenda apart to create less stress for me and more leisure time for the sake of my mental and physical health. From research and my own personal perspective, I have concluded that "when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price" (Help Guide). Stress causes one to deteriorate physically if not mentally, which is why I have realized that I shouldn't be doing this. For the sake of my future, I have to manage my time. If I want to become that full fledge pharmacist, I will have to start managing my time which is something I pledge to starting doing tonight. Covey has taught me that the "essence... of time management can be captured...[if I] organized and execute around priorities" (149). I will start organization small like sticky notes and agendas. I will keep a check list of the things I need to do. This will overall help me with time management.

This also connects to The Anthology because to manage time effectively, I have to first "Break...[my] goal into little parts" (90). By only doing this will I allow myself more time and help myself become who I really am. Following these tips will allow myself to slowly change into a better time managing person. I for one am thoroughly influenced by the phrase "Give yourself time to change" (91). To become more organized I can't just change myself in one day. I have to give myself time to get used to it, which is why I should start as soon as possible. With this said, I will end this blog with saying I have now taken the first step to overcoming my time management obstacle. Time flies and we don't ever know it until it is too late. 




Citations:


http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2008/11/
The Anthology
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey