Dionne Smith

Reflective Essay 1
September 6, 2017

I believe the TED Talks relationship to business lies in the concept of Corporate Sustainability.
Many organizations are adding implement various levels of Corporate Sustainability into their
mission statements to drive organizational change. These changes will ultimately add value to
their products and services and increase profitability with the hopes of securing a consumer base
of future generations Companies are taking advantage of opportunities and managing risks by
getting involved in economic, environmental, moral, and social causes. This new responsibility
requires an organization to look past the standard 5-yr strategic plan to sustain a viable corporate
presence in a society where consumers expect companies to offer more than just products and
services.
I believe that Ari Wallach is asking listeners to become leaders who are not only visionaries
and who will transform the culture of the environments in which we live and work. He urged the
listeners to look further than ourselves and consider todays impact on future generations. On a
smaller scale, the Understanding Management and Leadership Styles Checklist article also refers
to the transformational leader having the most effect on the evolution of the corporate culture.
The article explains when leaders fulfill needs of their subordinates, those actions will have lasting
effects on those individuals. Leadership styles are often subconsciously passed down within a
corporate culture and it is very hard to change the behavior of an entire organization unless hat
leader has a clear sustainable vision that people can see the benefit from the company as well as
themselves.
In each company that I have worked for, the concept of fighting fires has become a badge of
honor. At the beginning of each meeting or during lunch, each person gives an account of each
crisis they resolved or mitigated. These is a transactional way of approaching business, not
strategic; A good leader always should always look at problems from a strategic viewpoint. As an
analyst, specifically as a process improvement analyst, my job is the prevent those fires, bring
awareness to issues as they arise, and put measures in place to reduce any negative impacts.
Inevitably, management always asks the same questions, Why didnt we see this coming? or
What steps could we have taken to prevent this from happening?. More than 75% of the time,
the answer lies in the fact that during the planning and development phase of that specific
process, there was a lack of planning for future changes and developments in the business process.
Changes such as new business, new sales channels, changes in our customers customer base, etc.
The system, whether it is technology, manpower, and/or machinery was specifically designed only

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 Dionne Smith
Reflective Essay 1
September 6, 2017

for the organizations current state. If more companies utilized the long path methodology, more
resources could be used to look forward instead fighting fires from yesterdays mistakes
I can utilize the TED Talks concepts to improve my leadership skills by advocating for long-term
gains over the short-term wins. Aris long path methodology provides a platform for future
leaders like myself present my views to management in a way that aligns with the corporate goals
and objections.