Running head: THE ROAD TO LEADERSHIP 1

The Road to Leadership

Audrey Johnson

BUS 160-2 Leadership for Life

Wilson, Newman, Robbins

April 9, 2017
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The Road to Leadership

The Tricky First Impression

It takes only five seconds to make a first impression. As humans, we are quick to judge,

but if you make a bad impression on someone, it will take eight following encounters to

counterbalance the bad impression. Sometimes it can even be nearly impossible to be able to

recover from that bad impression. How often have you truly got to show the best you? We are all

leaders when we dont even realize it, so we need to be aware of everything around us.

According to Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr (2011), our values as a leader should be so clearly

understood (79), that any individual team member would be able to explicitly tell you what the

values and goals are of their team. So, even in our first impression we want our values to be

known. Our first impression will either makes us or breaks us, which will you allow it to do?

Leadership is a tricky thing. We all have it in us to be a great leader but we must develop

our skills to be the best leader possible. You heard me right, we all have the capabilities in us to

be a great leader. In a Ted Talk by Drew Dudley (2010) I learned that, weve made leadership

into something bigger than us; something beyond us. Yet leadership is a part of us and not

something unattainable in our day to day lives. Along my journey of developing my inner leader

I have learned a few key lessons, some of which include, we can do anything we put our minds

to, change is ok, and you need to be aware of the people around you to insure trust, respect, and

capability in your team.

As I have tried to understand how I should present myself so others would understand

who I wanted to be I have challenged myself to smile more. I have always known that people

sometimes wee me as an intimidating and hard person. I have worked hard to smile more to be
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more welcoming and loving. I truly do care for those around me but oftentimes disguise it with a

resting angry face.

The Rocky Terrain of Change

Gandhi once said that, man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on

saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end up really becoming

incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire

the capacity to do it We often set ourselves up for failure with our thoughts and sometimes all

we need is a simple reminder that we are capable of anything we put our minds to. At times, we

are put into positions that we dont believe we can succeed but when we continually believe we

are capable of anything we put our minds to we can accomplish great things. In the book called

The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox (2009) I learned that, when were tempted to give

up, we must remember [that] change is a process (p. 17). Leaders accept change as it comes and

they make the best out of it. We must work to make it through the rocky terrain of change. Its

possible with positive self-talk, courage, and discipline.

In this class I was not ready for this change in learning style. I had never been put into

such a chaotic situation and its probably the only class Ive ever dreaded attending. Anxiety

would hit every Tuesday and Thursday at around noon when I realized I didnt know what chaos

to expect from the class for the day. Eventually I just learned to accept it and roll with it. I would

try my hardest in this class and make success of something that seemed it could only fail in the

end but look, I made it, didnt I? As I learned to accept the class and gave myself positive

affirmations I began to understand that it was ok to not like it but to just do it anyways. Sister

Cheiko N. Okazaki (2009) has said, [Christ] wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in

our guilt and our grief (Lighten Up!) (p. 60). If I didnt know the Savior was on my team and
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only wanted me to become stronger I wouldnt have made it through this class. I would have

given up a long time ago but the Savior set the perfect example to persevere and endure. He also

stands by me in my hardest times to make sure I persevere and endure. Ive made it and I am

becoming a leader in my everyday day to day life.

Simply Be Aware

As a leader, we must learn to have confidence in ourselves so that we can instill

confidence in others and build them up to help us all reach new levels of achievement together.

Robert L. Millet (2009) once wrote, In a word we are incomplete, or partialTogether we are

perfect (p. 116). We help to complete each other and make it down the road to becoming a

better leader. You should never let yourself or anyone else sway you from their true dreams. Our

inner dialogue in the end will determine who we are and where we go. We sometimes dont

realize the power our thoughts have over our true outside actions and beliefs but if we just

believe we can and begin to strive for something we can do it. We are all leaders on the inside if

we are simply aware of those around us that watch us.

Great leaders are aware of the people around them and how they can help them along

the journey. M. Russel Ballard (1993) once said that, God never intended that His children

should stand alone. We are meant to stand together and make the rough journey ahead. We

need to be aware of what is going on around us so that we arent leaving anyone behind. We

also need to think about how as leaders what desires do we truly have? Wilcox (2009) reminds

us that, He who fed thousands with only a few loaves and fishes (see johns 6:10-13) will

certainly not run out of desire or ability to help us. He who rushed to the side of Lazarus (see

John 12:2) will not slowdown in His efforts to reach us. He who came to sleeping Apostles

multiple times (see Mark 14:37-40) will not rest until we have also been revived (p.16). Do we
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rush to the sides of the people who follow us when they are in need of something? Do we even

realize when they are in need? Do we care for our fellow brothers and sisters to the point of

lack of sleep? Would we do anything for these children of God? We must constantly ask

ourselves questions like these to insure we are on track to be a loving and kind leader.

Ive learned that the road to leadership isnt easy and it is a long journey. With

continuous practice and team work we can build each other up to become the best person we

can be. We must continually be aware of the people around us that are watching and be ready

to lead and guide them along their ways.

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References

Ballard, M. R. (1993, October). Strength in Counsel. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/strength-in-counsel?lang=eng

Dudley, Drew. Transcript of Everyday Leadership. Drew Dudley: Everyday Leadership |

TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript | TED.com. TED, Sept. 2010. Web. 10 Apr. 2017.

Kraemer, H. M., Jr. (2011). From Values to Actions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wilcox, B. (2009). The Continuous Atonement. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book.
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The Graphical Leadership Pattern