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“Betheembodimentofgoodtemperandaffability.”Throughoutthecourseofmychildhoodandadolescence(andevenstillasamiddle‐agedadult),Imusthaveheardmymotherutteraboutamilliontimes,“Yougetmorewithsugarthanwithvinegar.”Trustme,Momwasnotreferringtoourfamily’ssecretbarbequesaucerecipe(thoughbothofthoseareintheformula);shewasactuallyreferringtoarecipeforlife!Tobehonest,shedidnotlivebythesewordsindiscipliningmeormybickeringsiblings;however,shedideffectivelyemploythisadageinherdealingsasaleaderatwork,inourfamilyandasamemberofourcommunity.Iwas,andstillam,amazedathowmymothercouldcommandaboardroomofcutthroatsuitsandanassociationmeetingwithdisgruntledhomeowners.Her“goodtemperandaffability”iswhatcatapultedherfromfittingroomclerktooperationsmanager,andshewentfromaregular“JoeShmoe”intheneighborhoodtotheboardofdirectorsofherhomeowner’sassociation.Whileshecommandedthese“offices,”sheledsuccessfullyandwassomewhatlikethePiedPipergatheringfaithfulfollowerstowalktohertunealongtheway.Tome(andmanyothers),sheisoneoftheall‐timegreatleaders!AndwhenIreflectonothereffectiveleaders,bothrealandfictional,theyallpossessthe“sugarysweet”quality;theyaretheoneswhoattractswarmsofbuzzingbeeswiththeirhoney!Let’stakeHonestAbeLincoln,forexample!Hedefinitelyledwithkindness!In

LincolnonLeadership,

PhillipspointsoutthatPresidentLincolnhadanopen‐doorpolicy(muchtothechagrinofthesecurityfolks),andhealsodwelledandworkedamongthetroops.Hedidn’tdothisjusttoget“intel”abouttheCivilWar;hediditbecausehetrulycaredforpeople.Lincolnbelievedthatinusinghoney,hewouldnotattractdronebees;rather,he’dbuildahiveofanarmywith“committed,collaborativeandcommunity‐oriented”folks(Phillips,pg.25).Youmaybethinking,‘What’sthebigdeal?Iknowatonofnicepeople,butthatdoesn’tmakethemgoodleaders!’However,whatmadehimspecialisheusedthissameapproachwithpeoplethatdidnotlikehim!Whenotherswouldbeinclinedtopourtheirnaysayersaheapofvinegar,Lincolnwouldgivethemthat“spoonfulofsugar”!PhillipsexplainsinhisbookthatLincoln’scabinetmemberswerequitecriticalofhiminitially,buthewouldnotgiveuponthem.Insteadofgettinghisboxersinabunch,heremained“affableandgood‐tempered”and,eventually,hewonthemover.Theybecamehismoststalwartgo‐toguys.AndhistorytellsusthatitkindofworkedoutfortheLincolnandtheUnion!

Anotherleaderthatcomestomind,whoalsopossessedthe“sugarattitude”(albeitfictional),isAtticusFinchfrom

ToKillaMockingbird.”

Talkaboutaffable!Now,maybehewasn’tthemostebullientofleaders,buthedefinitelywasaskind,forgivingandnon‐judgmentalastheycome.Indealingwithhistwochildren,ScoutandJem,hewasthetypetoexplaincalmlynotyell.Hewasn’tthespankingtypeeither;hewasthereasoning‐and‐disciplining‐through‐talkingtype(definitelynotmymother’sformofdiscipline).EveninhisdealingswithBobEwell(the“vinegary”manthatstalkedtheFinchkidsandspatinAtticus’sface),Atticusremainedcalmandcool.Iknowwhatyou’rethinking–heneverwonoverEwellorhisdaughter,MissMayella(trustme,I’mnotmockingher).However,inremainingtheclassactandinbeingofgoodtemper,Atticusgainedmuchrespectinhishome,thecourts,thecommunity…andintheheartsofreaders.Thatiswhy,whenyouaskanybibliophilethefictionalcharactertheywouldliketomeetorhaveintheirlivesmost,itisusuallyAtticusFinch.Theguywasasamiableastheycome,anditservedhimandhisfamilywell(nottomention,allofusreaders)!Next,let’sanalyzea“non‐example”ofawin‐them‐over‐with‐sugarleader:NapoleonBonaparte.Whenwesayhisnamenow,it’susuallyassociatedwithashortguy(oops,Imeanvertically‐challengedman)inmuchneedofanattitudeadjustment.Let’sfaceit‐themerementionofBonaparte’snameusuallyscreamsdisdain.Yes,hiswartacticsarelegendary,butfromtheoutcomeoftheBattleofWaterloo,weknowitdidnotgosowellforourbelovedBonaparteandhistiredtroops.Attimes,Napoleon,inhisquestformoreland,powerandmoney,wasbitterandacidictothepointhissubordinates’stomachswouldturnandburn.Histroopsbasicallycurdledunderhisrancidleadership…andhistorytellsusthat,asaresult,hiscareerendedonasournote!Perhapsifhelivedbythe“good‐tempered‐and‐affable”concept,maybehisnamewouldnotcarrysuchanegativeconnotationtwohundredyearslater!Allinall,historyandliteraturerevealsthat,inthesugar‐versus‐vinegardebate,thesweetcreamrisestothetop.Theleadersthatpossessthisstyleareaffectionatelychronicledinourannals,literaturebooks,aswellasmymemory(andyourstoo,I’msure).Mymother,LincolnandMr.Finchshowthatcongenialityandcoolnessunderfiregoalongwayinthemanyavenuesoflife,whileNapoleonrevealsthatmoodinessandmeannessleavefollowersstrandedatthecrossroads.So,whatdoesallthismean???Whetherit’sdisputingachargewithaMasterCardrepresentative,runningadepartmentofteachers,ordealingwithanoisyneighbor,Imustremainpositiveandkind.Afterall,

“showing[my]compassionateandcaringnaturewillaid[me]inforgingsuccessfulrelationships,”ahealthyreputationandabetterlife…and,maybe,justmaybe,aplaceamongtheangels!



OK,sowhatIdidherewasaddcomments,soyoucouldseethenuancesintheessay.It’snotmybest(notevenclose),butyougettheidea!Readtheessayagainandreadthecomments.

“Betheembodimentofgoodtemperandaffability.”Throughoutthecourseofmychildhoodandadolescence(andevenstillasamiddle‐aged

adult),Imusthaveheardmymotherutteraboutamilliontimes,“Yougetmorewithsugarthanwithvinegar.”Trustme,Momwasnotreferringtoourfamily’ssecretbarbequesaucerecipe(thoughbothofthoseareintheformula);shewasactuallyreferringtoarecipeforlife!Tobehonest,shedidnotlivebythesewordsindiscipliningmeormybickeringsiblings;however,shedideffectivelyemploythisadageinherdealingsasaleaderatwork,inourfamilyandasamemberofourcommunity.Iwas,andstillam,amazedathowmymothercouldcommandaboardroomof

cutthroat

suitsandanassociationmeetingwithdisgruntledhomeowners.Her“goodtemperandaffability”iswhatcatapultedherfromfittingroomclerktooperationsmanager,andshewentfromaregular“JoeShmoe”intheneighborhoodtotheboardofdirectorsofherhomeowner’sassociation.Whileshecommandedthese“offices,”sheledsuccessfullyandwassomewhatlikethe

PiedPipergatheringfaithfulfollowerstowalktohertunealongtheway.Tome(andmanyothers),sheisoneoftheall‐timegreatleaders!AndwhenIreflectonothereffectiveleaders,bothrealandfictional,theyall

possessthe“sugarysweet”quality;theyaretheoneswhoattractswarmsofbuzzingbeeswiththeirhoney!Let’stakeHonestAbeLincoln,forexample!Hedefinitelyledwithkindness!In

LincolnonLeadership,

Lincolnbelievedthatinusing

honey,hewouldnotattractdronebees;rather,he’dbuildahiveofanarmywith“committed,collaborativeandcommunity‐oriented”folks(Phillips,pg.25).Youmaybethinking,‘What’sthebig

Christine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:51 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:20 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:56 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:21 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:22 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:48 AMChristine Rodriguez

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7/2/11 7:23 AM

Comment:

Agoodhookusuallyincludesananecdote(asIdidhere),aquote,aninterestingconcept,orthelike.

Comment:

Ah,look,metonymy(orsynecdoche).Referringtobusinessmenas“suits”isaliterarytool.

Comment:

Lookatthestronglanguage:“cutthroat”and“disgruntled.”Thishelpstopaintapictureforthereader!

Comment:

Anotherliterarytool–allusion!Ireferredtothechildren’stale.

Comment:

Herewehaveathesisstatement.NoticeIdon’tsay“Iagreewiththequote”!Instead,Iusemywordchoicetoshowthat.

Comment:

Whencitinganovel,movie,TVseries,CD,newspaperormagazine,italicizeitifyou’regoingtotypeit;underlinethetitleifyou’rewritingitoutbyhand.Poems,shortstories,essays,speeches,andarticlesgoinquotationmarksintypeandhandwriting.

Comment:

Look,areferencetothebook!Youshoulddothatforeachofyoureightessays!Inaddition,Iusedametaphorhere!