Category: unit 10

My Leadership story

December 3, 2018 / georgeena alphine / 2 Comments

Hi all,

My leadership story on how I was inspired by my aunt Swapna to choose my profession and how I have developed the leadership skills are narrated shortly. I hope you will enjoy my story!!!

Below is the story to be read instead of hearing..

No one is born a leader, he or she develops the leadership skills in a course of time. Some of them might have attained the skills with thorough learning and observation. Some might have developed based on the situation. We all wish to be good in others’ perspective and we often try to do for others around, rather doing for self. This is just because we are human, and we love appreciation and motivation. Everyone thinks if I just call myself a leader, I won’t be a leader, but if the ones who are around me and observe me gives me that title, then I am. But the fact is that, if an individual has a serious urge to put his heart and mind into anything that brings out a positive or negative impact, is a leader. That is the reason why there are leaders with bad and good intentions and it’s all in the eyes of people who perceive it and gives them the title leader. And if a person is considered as a leader at least in the eyes of one or two then he/ she becomes a true leader.

Being a very active child since childhood, first born child to my parents and first-born grand child to my grand parents in a typical south Indian large family, I was pampered a lot and on the other hand everyone encouraged my curricular and extra curricular activities molding me into a strong person. As a child I wished to be a doctor or study civil service so that I can gain name and fame and bring good name to my family. I never thought I would be a nurse when I was studying grade 10 . But all those dream positions flip flopped during a train journey with my aunt Swapna who was an oncology nurse in Carithas cancer center, Kerala, India. Our trip to our home town was a planned one after I had graduated from my grade 10 in 2007. She was neither a leader in her profession, neither I considered her profession to be a great one. To make it to the point I will focus on telling the key points during our journey, where we had few passengers who were also nursing students heading back to home town for vocation. Around 10 past 11 at night, as we were waiting to use the lavatory, my aunt Swapna noticed an alcoholic person lying on the floor unconscious and bleeding from unknown injury to his foot. I was in panic and couldn’t understand what was going on. She asked me to open the suitcase and take few clothes to cover his wound.

I literally saw a critical thinking leader evolved in her, who with no worry about transmitting infection or any other factors, immediately did the first aid dressing and controlled the bleeding. She asked me to call the other nursing students in the train as they could even help her save his life. As it was a running train, emergency alarm chain had to be pulled to stop the train and move the person to nearby hospital. Meanwhile everyone put in their efforts upon her guidance and the transit security along with the emergency service team transferred the patient to the hospital. She was appreciated by everyone for her kind deed and bravery for which after few years she received the best nurse award in our town. That incident was a turning point in my career, and I saw a leader in nursing profession which was and is considered a low-grade profession in India. I asked her how she could do that, she answered me, ‘if it was one of our family members won’t we put the best of abilities to save him?”. Then why can’t we do for another person.

Later after my grade 12, without any dilemma, I chose to be a nurse and I wished to erase the stigma about nursing profession. I studied harder, wanted to prove that nursing degree is not a joke but It’s the hard-work of people who are called for this profession, who is the owner of a compassionate, caring and strong hearted people like many nurses and nurses yet to come. I always co related my profession with the bible verse that I love from Mathew 25, verse 40, ‘what so ever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me’. I have seen the value in my hero, my aunt Swapna in this wording and I do want to be a great leader where I am aught to be, spreading the seeds of love and compassion in all that I do and all that I come across. what would have happened if she didn’t react? She was not a nurse manager, nor a nursing instructor. She was just a nurse who did her duty as per the duty schedule. If she would not have responded, nothing would have happened other than the person losing his life bleeding. She should not have been held responsible for his injury either, as he was a stranger. This is where I saw a difference in her and her mind didn’t be judgmental, rather her heart was filled with compassion for him. We don’t have to choose to be leader to act as leader but if it is supposed to be, and if we have a strong motive to do it, the universe will create a space and situation for us to be a fruitful leader. Just wait for it and gain lots and lots of knowledge to solve and critically act accordingly. I have been trying to excel in my career not only as a nurse, but in church and other social activities as I really do not know what my call is. What is God the almighty wanting me to do for his children? I am just following the path He is showing me and am being a helping hand to my fellow beings as he guides me with his constant strength. Remember we all can be leaders. Plant the seed in your own house so that you can reap the fruits with confidence anywhere you travel. The seed of my skill was planted safely at my home from my very own aunt Swapna, so I will reap my fruits where I am. That’s my motto and principle. Each one should identify each other as a leader and let’s say ‘we can do it ‘to bring a change in the life of someone .

Course Reflection

December 2, 2018 / georgeena alphine / 0 Comments

It was a great experience to be a part of this learning module which was very new to me and most of the terminologies were unknown. However, the studies will definitely have a positive impact on my professional career as well as personal life. The lessons from ‘Northouse’ gave fare idea about the types of leadership and its characteristics whereas the stories from the book ‘light from many lamps’ gave inspiration and morals for life. As a beginner in professional career, I would like to carry forward all the learnings which will certainly help me to become a good leader.

Stone et al. (2004), puts forth the differences in leadership styles that, “a core difference between transformational leadership and other styles of leadership is the leader’s flexibility and focus on the improvement of the healthcare organization and commitment towards organizational objectives (p.6). Reading was never my hobby, but this course brought out the reader in me. I loved reading the short stories from Light from many lamps, that lightened up my transit journey. I saw myself friendlier and more talkative to random people I met amidst my short travels and developed a mind to explore more and more. Having had this trait from beginning, I developed it further during this course. Northouse (2010) describes integral leaders as “people who adhere to a strong set of principles and take responsibility for their actions. Leaders with integrity inspire confidence in others because they can be trusted to do what they say they are going to do” (p. 25). I gained lot of integrity, confidence from feeling intimidated and worried about my writing skills, moreover I have shared my strength to my friends who find doing online course challenging. The number of times I had redone my paper with support from professor, developed my integrity and strong willingness to make it to the best of my ability rather than giving up. I loved a bible verse since childhood, from Matthew 25:40 ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ I kept on singing this line whenever I was asked to sing a devotional song which began with ‘what so ever you do, to the least of my people, that you do unto me.’ I tried doing good and to be humble servant of Lord in what ever I do, likewise I wished the same from a leaders’ perspective. If I would be a leader in near future, I would be following this principle and explore the thought of a colleague or other employee on how they would perceive me as a leader. I would accomplish my goal, if I conquer the heart and minds of my colleagues with a positive impact and see myself to be a leader of how I expected my leader to be. This course gave me a structure to choose a pathway and I chose to be a follower of transformational servant leadership approach. I never knew this word, but now I am familiar with it!!!

References

Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice. (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Watson, L. E., (1988) Light from many lamps. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc.

Response to Sarah Jasmin- Light fro many lamps

December 2, 2018 / georgeena alphine / 0 Comments

All the stories in Part 9 are about contentment in later years and I do appreciate your selection because it’s about a great man who really loved the life. Sir William Mulock, his voice was firm and clear as he spoke-the voice of a man who loved life, who loved his work and his fellow man, and who looked forward with pleasure to whatever still lay ahead (Watson, 1988, p. 268). A man who lived hundred years and were very active in his last years too and inspired many people by his speech on his 95th birthday. Men of fifty, of sixty, felt the weight of the years slip from their shoulders, felt somehow young in heart again… young in spirit (Watson, 1988, p. 268). Many people look ahead the life positively, irrespective of the age and many other people get inspiration from the personalities like Sir William and acquire positive attitude towards life. How can it be more effective in the way of increasing the percentage of the people who are very positive in their later years also?

Reference

Watson, L. E. (1988) Light from many lamps New York, NY. Simon & Schuster

Light from many lamps – Part 9 &10

November 30, 2018 / georgeena alphine / 0 Comments

“Approach the twilight of life with joy and hope, preached Rabbi Ben Ezra. Approach the last of life with eagerness, not gloom. For the last of life is the best of life. Trust God and be not afraid” (LFML, pg. 272). Part 9 stories are about to tell us, how the old age shall be productive and fruitful. Third unit of Part 9 reveals the story of Robert Browning influenced by Rabbi Ben Ezra and what he could do at the age of fifty and he realized that he had done the finest poem at his later age. Everyone has a role model to follow in life and many of the great personalities influence the people in their life.

Life is a throughout learning process and everyday there would be something to learn which can help us to become the perfectionist. Moreover, each day is fluctuating these days due to new findings and advancement of technologies. If we step back at any stage, then we would definitely be pulled out of the race of life. There are no any limitations in the perspective of age to show and develop the skills or to think about new innovations. Here I recall the founder story of KFC (Kentucky fried chicken) a well-established chain restaurant accepted globally which was introduced by the result of the thought of Colonel Sanders that what he could do after the retirement. Examples are many, to inspire the people that age is not a limit to do something and we really grow up with age in all dimensions. One thing which really drives the people to success is passion and passion can break the rules set by ages. While writing and reading this, shall we think about the real fact? I feel like majority of the people want to have relaxed life at the old age and some of the people are demotivated at later stages of their life. How effectively it can be changed worldwide?

Reference

Watson, L.E. (1951). Light from Many Lamps. New York: Simon and Schuster, pg.no, 272-274