Leadership - Section 2
You Are a Leader 

About Your Life

​​​​​​​

​

 

 

A cell from your father combined with a cell from your mother, to form a new cell. 

That is you. 

You started as a single cell. 

Your first cell contained a very special collection of atoms,

gathered into a molecule, which we call DNA, which was unique to you. 

 

You were thrust into the world without choice.

All humans arrived just as you did. 

 

You were conceived and born into certain, specific circumstances,

of which you had no choice.

 

In a sense, it is like being dealt a hand in a card game.

You cannot do anything about the cards you receive,

only how you play them out.

Obviously, life is much more complex and intricate. But you get the idea.

 

On the one hand, you are very simple. 

All that is ‘you’ physically, was contained in that first cell

and is now contained within the skin of your body. 

You are a complete, intact, living being. 

 

On the other hand, ‘you’ are incredibly complex. 

Physically you are composed of many, many parts. 

You are made up of trillions of atoms,

combined in many different ways,

into many diverse configurations,

forming the many physical parts of your body. 

 

You are also made up of a special form of energy called life. 

You use the energy flowing through your body for movement, thought, and emotion. 

These parts of you have formed a very special creation,

your consciousness through which you experience the world. 

 

There is a unique you which continuously experiences the world throughout your whole life.

 

From the moment you formed as a tiny little cell,

you have been collecting other atoms

and utilizing a variety of forms of energy to build yourself, or to grow and develop. 

You started life taking atoms and energy from your mother and making them yours. 

Once you left your mother’s womb,

you began taking atoms and energy from your environment. 

​

All the trillions of atoms of which you are made are simply matter,

made up of smaller things called electrons, protons and neutrons. 

You bring this matter to life. 

​

When atoms enter your body they come to life,

or become a part of you, a living being. 

They have come alive with this special form of energy we call life. 

 

All your atoms and forms of energy are working together to constitute you. 

The atoms and energy which constitute you have come together and,

as long as you are alive,

they can move, think, feel, talk, act, make decisions, create, dream and so much more.    

 

You are alive. 

You are a living human being.

You are amazing! 

You are so much more than the sum of your parts.

 

A blade of grass, a flower, a tree, a jellyfish,

and so many other living things take atoms and energy

and make them theirs, build themselves.

 

You are a different kind of living being, you are a human being, a person.

 

As a person,

You have a wide variety of ideas, likes and interests, memories,

hopes, dreams and aspirations,

ups and downs, emotions, contradictions and consistencies,

social connections, cultural components,

and countless thoughts and feelings

that are yours and yours alone,

and yet many of which are shared. 

 

You are amazing.

 

 

Who are You?

Understanding Yourself – Self-reflection autobiography

 

You lead your own life.  Others follow you,

either formally, if you are in a leadership position,

or informally, such as peers observing and imitating you.

 

You cannot change the circumstances you were born into in life.  That is the past. 

However, you can change the future. 

You can become an excellent person and an ethical leader. 

 

One of the most important parts of your growth and development

is understanding yourself. 

 

A famous quote attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is that

“the unexamined life is not worth living.” 

What he is saying is that you and I should frequently reflect on our lives. 

​

Stop for a moment and ponder who you are

and how amazing you are. 

​​

​

 

 

 

This leadership course is for you. 

It is also for me and all who dwell on this planet. 

​

If you and I, and many more of us, can become better people,

more ethical, better at leading each other, the world will become a better place. 

Ethics is about happiness, yours, mine, and ours. 

It is about all of us flourishing together. 

​

Moral leadership is the most powerful tool we have to help us find happiness together.

​

If we were in a classroom setting,

or an organized online course with other students traveling the journey at the same pace,

I would have you introduce yourself to the class

and then complete an assignment by writing a short paper.

​​​You are asked to reflect on how you have become who you are

and compose a brief but well-organized autobiography.

​

This is not a chronological history of your life,

but rather an analytical and reflective review of the influences and factors

which have shaped who you are. 

Think philosophically.

​​

The foundation of what is referred to as western philosophy is rooted in Socrates,

who over 2,000 years ago wrote about reflecting on ourselves and the world around us. 

​

In eastern philosophy, the work of Confucious is considered foundation. 

He also emphasizes self-reflection:

“Every day, I examine myself on three counts: Whether I have been loyal in carrying

out my duties for others, whether I have been trustworthy in my dealings with

friends, and whether I have practiced what I have preached.”

 

I would encourage you to pause the course for a few minutes and do the following assignment. 

You can do it in your head, or better yet, on a piece of paper, or discuss it with a friend.  

It is a good exercise.

 (In the last section of this course, I will ask you to do a similar, but slightly different, exercise.)

 

Your First Exercise – Autobiography

​

Step back from yourself a little think of yourself outside of yourself.

Who are you?

Who would others say you are?

Try to be honest with yourself. You are who you are, a very unique, special person.

 

My father always used to say to me

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Knowing how you got to today can be very helpful in knowing where you are going.

​

Self-awareness is very important to leadership, knowing your strengths and weaknesses,

as well as your natural biases. 

You must understand yourself to understand others

and be able to lead them to what is in their best interest. 

 

There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. 

However, understanding yourself, your world view,

and how the experiences of your life affected your beliefs,

is important to developing as a leader.

​

I would encourage you to answer the questions out loud,

or even to tell someone you know about yourself in this context. 

Tell a friend or family member about yourself. 

If you are so inclined, you can write some of the answers.

​

Part 1: Introduce Yourself

​

Imagine you were going to introduce yourself to the class. 

You should reflect on things such as:

​

Where are you from originally?

            Do you know your family heritage and background?

                        If so, how do you think it affects you?

​

Where did you grow up?

            How did your upbringing affect who you are?

 

 Where do you live currently?

            What are the people and culture like in the area around you?

                        How do you feel about where you live?

             

Do you work and if so, where?

            How did you get the job?

            How do you feel about your work?

                        Is it a job, a career, a steppingstone?

            What other jobs have you had in the past?

            Is there a specific job or career which you aspire to?

                        If so, why?

 

Where did you go to school? (Grade school, middle school, high school, college.) 

            What was your experience like?

                        What did you like best?  Why?

                        What did you like least?  Why?

                        Did you have any favorite teachers?  Why?

Did you have any favorite classes?  Why?    

                        Was there any special person that you looked up to as a leader? 

A friend, coach, etc.?

​

Do you have hobbies or special things you like to do in your spare time?

(Favorite music, books, movies, TV show, etc.)

How did you develop these activities? 

            (On your own, a family tradition, a friend?)

​

Is there a particular kind of food or drink you like?

 

Do you have lots of friends, a smaller group, or are you a bit of a loner?

            Do you make friends easily or are you a little shy?

 

Are you or have you been in a relationship with someone?

​

​Part 2: You as a Leader

 

      You should reflect on things such as:

 

What is your family history? What are your family traditions and customs?

How have these factors influenced or shaped your life and perceptions of leadership?

What role do you play in your family(s)?

​

Who and what experiences outside your family have influenced or shaped

your values and philosophies about leadership (both positively and negatively)? 

 

Do you see yourself as a leader?

When was the first time you realized your leadership potential?

 

How have leaders, mentors and events in your life transformed you?

 

Discuss critical incidents that have occurred in your life and how they have transformed you.

How have these incidents shaped your ethical perspective?

 

Discuss how your history has shaped your goals in life and what you hope to become.

What are your expectations from this course? 

How do you think it will help you?

​​​

Part 3: Your Beliefs

​

The way you act, speak and create the world for yourself, and others, is based on your beliefs, 

 

your view of the world reflects the events in your life, the things that have happened to you,

how people have treated you,

and the many different aspects of your life,

as you reflected above. 

 

You see the world through the lens of your experience. 

​

You also project your world view onto others.  It is how we create the social world together.

​

Think about, and reflect for a few moments, on your beliefs.

​

What is Your View of the World?

What is good about the world?

What is bad about the world?

​

What is amazing, astonishing or incredible about life or the world?

 

What is Your View of people?

            Are people good or bad by nature?

 

Are you an optimist or pessimist?

            Do you see the glass half-full or half-empty?

​

​Reputation and Leadership

You are unique. 

There is no one quite like you, no one exactly like you in the world. 

I hope that you reflected on a few of the questions above.    

 

Very few of us are with another person constantly. 

Childhood is probably the main period in which we spend the greatest percentage of our

time with specific people, such as parents, guardians, siblings, relatives or classmates. 

Yet even in this period of our life, we are alone at times.

​

As we grow older, we become more independent and each of us develops our unique personality. 

​

How would others describe you?

 

Think of some of the people you know.  How would you describe them? 

Think of a specific person. 

How would you describe them to one of your friends?

 

Your beliefs about a person, as you would describe them to another, are their reputation. 

 

Think about an encounter with other people, whether individually or in a group setting. 

Consider when someone new came into your life,

a new teacher, work associate or member of a group you are in. 

Think about situations which you have been in in your life,

such as starting a new school year with a new teacher. 

You probably heard something about them before you met them. 

What you think and believe about a person, before you meet them, is based on their reputation.

 

Once you encounter the new person, you begin to develop your own beliefs about them. 

Did they fit their reputation or were they different? 

After your encounter, you now have a belief about them, and their reputation,

which you would share with others. 

​

You knew your new teacher’s reputation before you met them,

before you had an encounter with them,

and then over time, during classes, you formed your own belief about them.

Then, after you no longer were with them, when the school year was over

your beliefs about what kind of person they were, are their reputation. 

In a certain sense, the teacher is their reputation,

or rather, has the character and personality that you impose on them,

based on your encounters with them. 

​

You are the same to others. 

You are your reputation or character, as others perceive you,

based on encounters others have with you,

and what others say about you. 

 

You exist physically to another person when you are with them. 

When you are not with someone, you exist in their mind and heart. 

In a certain sense, you are your reputation, in the minds and hearts of others.

 

Leadership is like reputation. 

Leadership is not something you possess per se,

or a character trait you have,

but rather it is something given to you by those who follow you.

 

A leader exists in the mind and hearts of others,

based on their reputation and character. 

A person exists as a leader in the mind and heart of a follower. 

 

A person can be placed into a leadership role,

such as a manager, supervisor, teacher, or political position. 

However, if people only do what that person in the leadership role wants them to do

out of a desire for money, fear, deceit, or the requirements of whatever system they are in,

then the person in the leadership role simply has power over others. 

The person in charge does not possess leadership. 

The person in charge does not have followers, but rather, they have subordinates.

 

Leadership is like, and part of, a person’s reputation. 

​

Leadership is projected upon a person, or given to a person, by followers. 
A person is only a leader in the hearts and minds of others. 

 

Granting leadership to another person is complex

and based on many different factors in a variety of situations. 

Just as it can be given, it can also be taken away. 

Leadership is dynamic and fluid. 

 

In some settings leadership flows through a group as the situation changes. 

​

Using the military example again, imagine a unit of soldiers on a mission. 

As the mission progresses, and things change during a battle,

different specialists may be called on to lead the unit. 

The commander might be called upon to alter the plan,

the person with knowledge of the terrain may be called on to lead a new path,

the munitions expert might need to direct part of the attack, etc. 

The unit will follow the person in the group

who will provide what they need, in each situation, as events unfold. 

 

Leaders are followed out of the self-interest of the follower. 

All humans, and living things, act out of self-interest. 

All humans do not act selfishly,

but out of what they think is best for themselves, those around them, or the greater good. 

A person is followed out of this self-interest. 

The belief is that the leader will take the follower to a place that is good for the follower. 

 

You can be a leader at any given moment in time, whether you are aware of it or not. 

When another person observes or learns of your words or actions

and chooses to follow your lead in a specific situation, or over time, you are a leader. 

You do not even need to be present. 

Someone can observe or listen to you and follow. 

However, they can read something you wrote, listen to something you said,

read or hear about something you did,

and follow your example, and you are leading them, or rather,

they have conferred leadership on you in that situation. 

It can be a sibling, friend, co-worker, or even someone who does not know you personally. 

 

Leading and following take place in a constant dance of the interplay of ideas and actions

between people throughout the whole world. 

Many ideas become built into our culture,

so that we follow the person or group who first started the action

or developed the idea, long after they are gone. 

There is a cultural ebb and flow of ideas

which shape our social groups and individual beliefs and actions.  

 

It is important to note that there is no one specific way to lead, so long as it is done ethically,

which is another way of saying it is done in the best interests of the followers. 

​

Followers do not knowingly confer leadership on individuals

whom they believe will do harm to the follower, their families or friends. 

Leadership is granted based on the self-interest, needs and desires of the follower. 

 

You have your own style of leadership which you can develop. 

It goes hand in hand with developing your moral character and understanding others. 

Understanding yourself is one of the most important parts of understanding others.   

 

We, all of us, create important parts of the world together.  We make it a good or bad place. 

 

​

Creation of the World

 

You and I create the moral world. 

Our individual words and actions, collectively, make the world good or bad. 

The leader of a group has an amplified effect on the world of their followers.

 

Think about some of your experiences as part of a group. 

 

I was a middle school teacher and use that as an example. 

If I walked into the classroom and acted respectful, kind, honest and caring,

that set the tone for the group.  I made my classroom a good place. 

If I did the opposite, was mean and nasty,

then that was what the classroom became like.  I made my classroom a bad place. 

 

Think about a time when someone was in charge of you. 

What was the experience like?

In your life, think of the good and bad experiences you have had,

which were created by someone in charge, or a group you were a part of.

What made them different? 

What could you have done to make them different. 

 

How will you lead and create the world?

 

Leadership comes in many forms, shapes and sizes.

There is no predetermined set of rules.

You learn to develop your own way of going forward, in your life,

in your situation and with the opportunities you receive. 

​

The only requirement is that you be ethical.

​

Your Second Exercise – Your Leadership Ideas

 

All humans have goals and aspirations, which they may or may not be aware of as goals. 

Often, we think of our drives or ambitions, or the things which motivate us. 

Being a leader, in leading your own life and what you do in the eyes of others,

is a reflection of what drives you in life. 

In this assignment, you should reflect on what makes you tick,

or what moves you to action,

or what you would like to be or accomplish in life. 

You can reflect on the questions,

discuss them with a friend or write them out. 

If you reflect on them, say it out loud to yourself.    

​

Goals

What do you consider your purpose in life?
What do you want to be?

Priorities

What values are important to you?
What character traits, attributes and capabilities are important to you?

Experience

Describe a time when you learned a valuable lesson from an experience.

What did you learn?

Think of a time when something you did went very well?

Why were you successful?

Think of a time when something you did NOT go well?

How did you react? 

Did you take responsibility for your actions?

Growth

How do you learn best, through experience or study?

When did you learn something you really wanted to learn?

When did you learn something upon reflection?

​Self-confidence

What kind of self-confidence do you have?

Is it different in different situations?

What do you do or say to strengthen your self-confidence?

            Do you have things you say to yourself or someone you go to?

Your Leadership Experience

When was the first time you were aware of a leadership role you played?

            Were you aware of it as it happened or upon reflection?

What critical incidents occurred in your life that have transformed you?
            How have these incidents shaped your leadership and ethical perspective?

How has your upbringing influenced or shaped your life and perceptions of leadership?

Did you play a leadership role in your family?

Who and what experiences outside your family have influenced or shaped you,

and helped you develop our values, philosophies, leadership perspective

(both positive and negative)

What leaders have you looked up to in your life?

            Think of ones you know personally and ones you only know about.

​​

​You

You are amazing. 

Believe in yourself and your ability to change the world. 

There is good inside of you.  Find it, nurture it and cultivate your strengths. 

You are unique. 

Only you have had the experiences which shaped your life. 

Be who you are and build on what you have been given. 

You can change the world

My father had some great philosophies which he lived by and passed on the me. 

He always told me that today is very special. 

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. 

We call right now the present, because it is a gift. 

It is new, fresh and can be what we make of it. 

He also said that if you try and change the world today, and fail, you fall down,

then pick up something while you are down there,

learn something while you are down

and then get up and try again. 

Tomorrow is a new day.

 

Every other human being is just like you in certain ways. 

The whole world happens to you, is experienced by you, and exists to you,

the you inside,

the you that only you know.

 

If you change the world of one person,

help make life better for just one person,

you have changed the entire world for the better

because life happens only one person at a time.

 

Great Quotes from Great Leaders

​

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

Please join me In the next section where we will discuss others.​​​​