Analyzing Different People for Leadership Abilities

Leaders come in different shapes and sizes, different ideologies, religions, backgrounds, and attitudes. Much like how every lamp is different, every leader is different. Everyone is a leader in their own way. No matter what field you are in or what age you are a leader in some aspect. Some will always be better than others but it’s the understanding that everyone has the potential to be great that allows to continually better our own personal leadership style. We are going to look at two people in very different fields and see what leadership style they are most like and why.

Albert Einstein was a predominant physicist in the first half of the 20^th Century. He pioneered modern theoretical physics through his writings on relativity, the photoelectric effect and quantum theory. His findings continue to be taught in today’s physics classes and his name has become synonymous with genius.

I believe Albert Einstein is most likely a transformational leader because when he first unveiled his findings regarding the constant speed of light it was hard for scientists to accept. He had to make a change in the scientific community in order for his ideas to be considered so he created and inspiring vision by explaining the world in a different way. He motivated people to buy into and deliver the vision by explaining his findings to other scientists and other interested parties. He managed the delivery of the vision by continuing to do research on his ideas and expand his paper on the special theory of relativity to the general theory of relativity and expand his credibility by publishing more papers. And finally, he built ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with people by joining The Manhattan Project and protecting the people of the Allied forces during WWII and working with The Institute of Advanced Study later in his life.

Robin Williams was an actor/comedian from the late 70s all the way up to his tragic death this year in 2014. He performed stand-up comedy, and appeared in theatre, film,and television. He won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1997’s ‘Good Will Hunting’. Even in death he continues to be my favorite actor and comedian.

I believe that Robin Williams is most likely a servant leader because of how he built people up throughout his career. Robin started his career in improvisational theater which teaches actors to support others ideas and create a scene using every bit of information that every actor creates. Robin was one of the best improvisers and I feel it is because he didn’t just support people on stage and on screen, but because he also was extremely supportive in his off-screen life. Robin empowered everyone he came into contact with whether it was the attitude he had on set or through his charitable work, doing stand up for the troops or raising money through Comic Relief. As an actor /comedian Robin was constantly bettering himself and the community around him. He played serious roles such as in Good Will Hunting, and Dead Poets Society and funnier roles such as in Mrs. Doubtfire and as the genie in Aladdin. He was constantly trying to make himself better at his craft. I believe that Robin Williams was the epitome of Picasso’s quote “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Robin was always willing to give away his gift he made appearances everywhere the TV show Friends, Whose Line is it Anyway?, he gave and impromptu ted talk. This man had a purpose and that was to give away his gift to the world.

Miles

Shifts in Johari Window Perspective: Development of a King

The Johari Window gives leaders a very interesting perspective on who they are, there strengths, weaknesses, purpose, and even there attitudes. In the following post we will look at examples of the Johari Window in application to the Lion King and Simba’s journey. It will help us to see that as one’s window of opportunity shifts so too does the Jahari Window.

In the Disney’s the Lion King the Simba begins as a small cub and heir to the jungle’s throne. His desire to be king is known by all and shown in the musical scene “I just can’t wait to be king.” Sometimes Simba is blind to his own confidence and it hides some of his short comings as a predator and future leader. Simba himself makes an effort to hide his fears from the eyes of others, like in the scene in the Elephant Graveyard, where he hides his anxiety from Nala, before the hyenas attack. However, neither Simba or the others on the savanna knew of Scar’s intentions or how Simba would handle the loss of Mufasa.

After running away to save himself from the hyenas Simba is rescued and taken in by Timon and Pumbaa. At this point in his life Simba’s confidence is shattered and he believes he has found the perfect way to escape the loss of his father, the care free Hakuna Matata life style. Unknown to Simba fate has other plans, and eating well in the oasis and getting lots of exercise are making him fit to be a king. This however, is apparent to Nala when she stumbles across Simba in the Jungle. Therefore it is a blind spot in his window. Simba’s fears come to light at this point as he refuses to leave with Nala. This fear which had once been known only to him comes into the open. Still unknown to Simba or the pride is his how will even overcome such an adversity as Scar and his minions. The answer comes from good friends Timon and Pumbaa his loyalty and love for Simba come through in the end where they were once hidden by there own fears of neglect.

By the end of the movie Simba has become much more Self-aware, his ability to self-regulate and overcome fear has grown. These two steps of Emotional Intelligence unlock his high motivation to take back Pride Rock, and his empathetic love and devotion to his family. In his journey to Emotional Intelligence his Jahari window again shifts. Simba is able to unlock the answers to his doubts from his talks with Rafiki and an apparition of his father. Simba is no longer trapped in fear of the unknown, but encouraged by what is opened up to him about himself and his destiny. His survival is still hidden from Scar until Simba surprises him at Pride Rock in the midst of a devastating drought. The fear that was once hidden is forgotten, and strength and skill that were once unknown rise to the open before Scar, as Simba, with the help of his friends, vanquishes evil from the savanna and claims the throne.

Cam

Anatomy of an Emotionally Intelligent Leader

This is Conner the Communicator, and he has dropped by the Breakfast Blog today to help us with Emotionally Intelligent Leadership.

As you can see Conner has some special articles of clothing on today, which provide us with anatomical representations of EI in  Leadership! The five features of emotionally intelligent leadership are Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skill. On the diagram of Conner there are five arrows pointing to items corresponding to each of the features of a Leader with high EI.

1) Thinking Cap: Conner’s thinking cap is his favorite cranial attire, it comes complete with a lantern above the bill, which comes on much like the light bulb in your head when you have an idea! Emotionally intelligent leaders have lots of “aha moments.” Unlike most leaders, however this special group gets these ideas about themselves and their own behaviors. This is Self-Awareness! This is the ability to think deeply about ourselves, our deepest desires and how our behavior affects others. This ability allows a leader to better interact with their followers, understand how people make them feel, and how to make their emotions constructive.

2) The Heart: Conner has a big heart that allows him to do more than just share his emotions and passions. Conner’s heart has the ability to keep his mouth in check. This is Self Regulation. The ability to keep oneself calm in the emotional storms of life is important for a leader in times of turbulence for a group. Importantly, self-regulation is the function that bears us integrity by preventing impulse driven behavior. For a leader, the ability to hold your self back from making self promises allows you to build credibility. Integrity builds ethos. When people can trust us to do the right thing for the right reasons, they become easily convinced that we indeed have a big heart.

3) Fire in his belly: Conner like many great leaders has a blaze lit deep in his gut. That fire is what keeps him going even in the darkest of times. This fire represents his most inner motivation. Leaders who know their motivation love their work, and like to practice their trade. Truly motivated leaders live by the “practice makes perfect” concept. Although these leaders like to keep score and constantly compare themselves to others, which can cause friction, they are extremely loyal and committed to the team.

4) Someone else’s shoes: Conner has two different shoes on, and that has a lot to do with the fact that the black shoe isn’t his. See Conner is a very empathetic, and is taking the time to walk a mile in another persons shoe. Empathetic people consider other peoples emotions before making a critical decision. Empathy is perhaps the function of EI that is the most desired in the world today. Empathy can build team understanding and chemistry crucial for successful goal completion. More importantly when we understand the emotions of others we can keep up team morale in the face of external issues. Unfortunately, empathy for all its need, is by far under represented in the work place.

5) Social Skill: Lastly, Conner has a foam finger on his had to represent one of the many things the arms are capable of. Arms have the ability to hold you up when your weak, pat you on the back when you’ve done well, and point you out when your not being accountable. Arms like leaders with EI can cheer and jeer you for the betterment of the team. Social Skill encompasses all of these ideas, and is the cumulative product of the other four components of emotional intelligent leadership. It is defined as friendliness with a purpose, but perhaps could be better defined as constructive and collaborative interaction. When a leader with EI works with his followers from their level with the intention of improving the team dynamic he is exercising a level of social skill.

Conner is an emotionally intelligent leader who uses his whole self to lead the people that matter to him. Team CHARM would like to thank him for stopping by for a little show and tell.

Cam

7 Things Servant Leaders Do Differently

 

1. Has high expectations for themselves AND others. People are always looking to do things that can help them get ahead, but that is never the goal for this kind of leader. They succeed because they have high expectations for themselves and those around them. They want everyone the work with to give all they’ve got. They know that once that happens, the success will follow.
2. Take the time to get to know those around them. It’s hard to work well with people if you don’t even know the first thing about them. Servant leaders strive to understand people. They aspire to know others’ strengths, weaknesses and motivations – once they know this, they can better help the team find success.
3. Live each day like a “first date”. It’s easy to fall into the habit of just going through the motions and living life day to day as it is. But people who are really great leaders don’t let that happen. They wake up each morning as if they are about to go on a first date. They’re excited, positive, and ready to make an impact on those around them. With this kind of attitude, they’re unstoppable.
4. Motivate those around them. Servant leaders aren’t just self-motivated, they are constantly motivating others. They are always encouraging those around them to do their best and to keep pushing forward and to create the best thing they can. They do not just blindly motivate either, they take the time to find out people’s purpose, or what really empowers them. Then they take that passion use it to motivate & inspire those around them.
5. Always moving forward. Servant leaders see perfect as a process. They always know there is room for improvement and instill this frame of mind into their team.
6. Lead by example. Servant leaders don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk. They would never expect someone else to do something they wouldn’t do themselves, that would be outrageous. For them, it is an understanding that anything they want their team to do is something they embody as well.
7. Their “why” trumps their “what”. Really servant-focused leaders not only know what they’re doing, but why they’re doing it. Their goals and passion stem from their why and that is what keeps them motivated and constantly looking to improve themselves and others.

 Hannah

What is your BEST Emotional Intelligence Quality?

http://uquiz.com/P9dFT3

Follow the link to determine your strongest quality of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership!

Angie

Football Player Motivation

This is a young high-school student who was interviewed following a big win after a football game. This athlete uses strong words of encouragement to not only motivate his team his but the mass media as well. Being able to motivate yourself is an attribute of a transformational leader and is clearly demonstrated through this clip.

This particular athlete is a transformational leader because he is a model of integrity and fairness, provides support and recognition, sirs the emotions of people, and inspires others to reach for the improbable. One major trait that this athlete demonstrated was his ability to inspire loyalty and trust to his team. Due to the loyalty and trust from his team, they were able to win. This athlete is also a transformational leader because he realizes that perfection doesn’t happen right away. In the interview he elaborates that his team was really struggling during the beginning of the game. He understands that in order to succeed as a leader, you must work on your own skills and set aside time for personal development.

Rob & Angie

Braveheart – William Wallace Transformational leader

In the movie Braveheart Mel Gibson plays the role of a transformational leader. He does this in 4 ways. The first way that he is a transformational leader is he has a vision throughout the whole entire movie. His vision is that the Scots will win their independence from the king of England. He creates a plan in his head that he wants to achieve and throughout the movie he is envisioning the plan working and never gives up on his hopes. Part of vision is that as a leader you are also working on inspiring others to share the same vision that you have. As a leader you must be enthused, confident, and be able to picture success.

Next transformational leaders must be authentic. They can not just think about personal gains and expect good things to happen. Transnational leaders must be able to work with others and not only think about themselves. If a leader only cares about what they want then it will be hard to get followers on board with what you want. Sometimes taking different viewpoints will open more options and the leader will be willing to change ideas or work off them. Part of working well with others is being able to motivate each other. Transformation leaders are always setting the bar higher and higher each step of the way while working with its followers.

Thirdly transformational leaders must have a growth mindset. What I mean is that they always have to be thinking on how they can better the group. They always want to be setting new standards for themselves as well as their followers. Once they achieve one goal they want to make another benchmark and reach that. In the movie Braveheart Mel Gibson shows this by at first his goal was to become a leader in the Scots army. Since he achieved that he set another goal; this goal was to defeat the English. Transformational leaders can also recognize individual growth as well as followers growth. A term that can be exchanged for growth is results. They don’t only care about themselves but, they also make sure the followers are achieving what they want to.

The last point is that transformational leaders are very creative. They encourage team members to create new ideas as well as embrace originality. They allow measured risks. This last part is very important in the sense of taking risk. Transformational leaders are not afraid to fail and have something not work. They take that as a new risk and try again. They never want to be doing the same thing for a longtime.

As you can see all 4 of the steps are very close, and the majority of them overlap each other. Transformational leaders must work well with their followers, share a common goal, motivate others and be authentic. The leaders can’t just worry all about themselves, they must work well with the followers.

Rob

What’s your SPACE JAM!

In this video the Kid President shares with you his vision for a better world. He wants YOU and he wants ME on the same team. He wants us to lift each to lift each other up in the bad times so we can all reach our full potential. Kid President believes we all have the potential to create something in the world that will have a positive effect on others. He calls this creation your Space Jam, after the great contribution of Michael Jordan. This Space Jam represents your Purpose in life, and Kid President wants you to find it, and more importantly share it with others. In this video he gives Encouragement to you and the rest of the viewing public. He wants you to believe in your ability to make the world dance! We can see that he really tries to motivate others, for example he dedicates the “Pep Talk” to his sick friend Gabbi! Part of being able to motivate others is motivating yourself, and being willing to go the extra mile to achieve Mastery. Kid President probably took hundreds of takes to make sure his Pep Talk was just right. In fact, he probably was willing to go to an outside source to perfect his message. This video shows that even as a young person with limited experience we can still achieve a place of leadership, but we may have to serve first.

Cam & Rob