In response to Achsah’s Springs Post on Light From Many Lamps Assignment
Quote from Mother Teresa that was discussed in her post: Lasting change is created by the actions of one person as proposed in this quote credited to Mother Teresa: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Question posed in her post was: “How do you find happiness outside of yourself?”
My response: Your post is beautifully written and so articulate! It sums up the purpose of leadership and why we choose to serve others. I love the Mother Teresa quote that you shared about the importance of creating a ripple. The purpose of your trip to Kenya is inspiring and I am so happy that those students have someone that genuinely cares about them and their success in life.
To answer your question about finding happiness outside of ourselves, I can genuinely say that this revolves around my love for what I do. Working with at risk students, despite it’s challenges, is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.
Do you think that a lot of leaders within your organization are ‘happy’ with themselves and the job that they are doing?
In response to Charlie Mable’s Post on the Survey Questionnaire
Link: https://create.twu.ca/charliemable/2018/05/11/leadership-questionnaires/
Question that was posed by Charlie was: Is this (my traits and leadership style) what the position needs, or what I bring to the table?”
My Response: I loved your question of “Is this what the position needs, or what I bring to the table?” It caused me to do some deep reflecting myself on whether what I bring to the table is what my position actually needs.
I also wonder how many of us will find that we scored lower on self-confidence and self-assurance, and what steps we could take to build that up. If we are fully capable of doing our jobs and we do them well, then why does it appear to others that we don’t come across as believing enough in ourselves? What is that we do or say that gives this impression?
In response to Charlie Mable’s Post on Light From Many Lamps
Link: https://create.twu.ca/charliemable/2018/05/12/light-from-many-lamps-section-1-and-2/#comment-5
Question that was posed by Charlie was “Do you agree that rest is rust?”
My Response: I absolutely loved your post! It really hit home as I can totally relate to being at the same stage in life with my kids, my career and wanting to keep moving, to not grow stagnate. I definitely agree that rest can become rust. A lot of my fellow teachers who retired, found that they suddenly went from being extremely busy to having too much idle time that they didn’t know how to fill. They felt restless and unfulfilled. Retirement wasn’t what they had thought it would be. Many of them now, teach on call, volunteer and have taken up part time jobs. I also loved your point about instead of asking why to ask why not. It was a great reminder for me to not shrink away from trying new things and to say ‘yes’ more to opportunities that arise. Thanks for the inspiration!
What would you ask why not about within your organization?
In Response to Shaaz Post on Light From Many Lamps – Abraham Lincoln
Link: https://create.twu.ca/shaaz/2018/05/12/assignment-light-from-many-lamps/
Discussion: Abraham Lincoln, servant leadership and the importance of being sensitive towards others
My Response: I liked and appreciated your point about the importance of remembering to be sensitive towards others. As a teacher, this is something that I work on and try to practice each day. There are many things going on in my student’s lives that affect their ability to learn. It is also a life lesson that I try and share with my students as well. A quote (whose origins I am unsure of as it has been attributed to Maya Angelou, Carl W. Buehner and Carol Buchner) comes to mind, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Thank you for reminding me of the importance of being sensitive.
Do you think that a lot of leaders rate sensitivity as a desirable trait or something that can be a detriment to doing business?
In Response to Achsah’s Springs Leadership Traits Questionnaire
Link: https://create.twu.ca/achsahs-springs/2018/05/10/leadership-traits-questionnaire-results/
Discussion: Interpretation of questionnaire results
I’m sorry you had a rotten day and I hope that this coming week is better for you! I really appreciated your vulnerability and courage in sharing your experience and how it affected you. Definitely something that we all can relate to! I also really admired your attitude towards your interpretation of your questionnaire scores and how you were going to take the discrepancies in the scores and use them as a starting place to grow. I found your approach to be really inspiring!
Brene Brown is a great read on courage and vulnerability if you haven’t delved into her books or TED talks yet!
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