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Blog XVIII: BMW’s transition towards clean tech solutions

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A growing body of evidence points to climate change posing as one of the greatest threats to human civilization. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide will trap heat emitted by sun and impact our climate in various ways (NASA, n.d.). Some of the already observed effects include the melting of the polar ice caps which will raise sea levels to the point where coastal cities such as Miami and New Orleans will be submerged underwater in the near future (NASA, n.d.). Hurricanes will grow in intensity and frequency, precipitation patterns will increase, and heat waves are also projected to be more intense (NASA, n.d.). In 2016, the U.S. found that transportation was the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases at roughly 29% (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2017).

Both private and public organizations have since begun to prioritize curbing climate change as part of their main focus. One company that’s made great strides in this area is car manufacturer, BMW, with their introduction of their BMW i sub-brand in 2011 (BMW Group, 2012). BMW i will focus primarily on the manufacturing, developing, and designing of fully-electric plug-in vehicles, PEV or EV for short (BMW Group, 2012). Following Tesla’s lead into the electric vehicles industry, BMW was one of the first traditional car brands to foray into the EV industry by introducing their BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car and their BMW i3 all-electric vehicle (BMW Group, 2012). BMW realized that the values of their consumers were changing because of the developing environmental-friendly mindset so they designed products to meet these demands. As a result, both their EVs are powered through 100% renewable energy and reduced their carbon dioxide emission during production by 50% among a number of other benefits. The auto industry has also seen a shift in car production as a number of traditional brands such as GM and Nissan.

Hopefully the growing awareness and adoption of consumers as well as the increased sales of these electric vehicles will incentivize more companies to focus their production to electric vehicles. Governments have also played a role in this shift by providing subsidies for EV purchases and developed infrastructure for public charging. As a society, switching to more environmental-friendly vehicles sooner will be huge step towards slowing the effects of climate change.

References

BMW Group. (2012). BMW Group. Corporate Events & Dates [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/dates.html#year=2012&

BMW Group. (2012). BMW Group. Corporate Events & Dates [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://www.bmwgroup.com/en/dates.html#year=2012&

NASA. (n.d.). How climate is changing. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2017). Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/

buddha wallpaper

Light From Many Lamps III: “All that we are is a result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”

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Our minds are like a double edged sword that serves as both a blessing and a curse.  It’s responsible for our most brilliant ideas, our lens in which we see the world, or the joy we get from others.  But it can also drive us to feelings of despair and anguish, set us in complacency and hinders our inner potential.  Our mind, like everything else, can serve us in two dual, opposing manners and it’s here where we must recognize this. We must utilize it to its full capacity to do good not only to ourselves, but for others as well. Buddha says it best when he said “all that we are is a result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become” (as cited by Watson, 1988, p. 173).

Too many times do we see those around fall into a cycle of anguish, blaming everyone but themselves for their misfortunes. Attributing all their problems to “bad luck,” “fate,” “God’s will” etc. Yes, there are many things in life that are out of our control but often people don’t take into account the things they can control. One of the most liberating feelings for me personally, is when I break out this thought pattern and realize that I have more control over my destiny then I originally thought. That I have control over my environment and that I can be proactive when facing uncertainty rather than reactive.

For example, when I attended a conference sponsored by TWU last Thursday about female leaders in the tech industry, one of the panelists, Rebecca Troelstra, mentioned that in her company, they hire more so based on people’s attitude and potential fit in their work culture rather than than the job skills they possessed. She said skills were something the company can teach to an employee but having the right attitude is what will enable the employee to learn. If they person truly believes they will be a good fit for the role and for the company, they should put themselves out there regardless because they will never know what will happen if they didn’t. I found her statement very empowering because one of my biggest fears is the feeling of rejection. I’m confident in my ability to learn and provide value to others but I also feel I limit myself career-wise because I despise the feeling of rejection. I become what I ultimately believe and prior to her reminder, my self-imposed limitations become my reality.

Everyone naturally feels negatively about themselves at certain times because we’re all imperfect. Everyone is going to make mistakes. What matters, however, is whether you can learn from those mistakes and truly believe that it is in your power to make a difference. If you truly believe that you have the ability to improve or control what you can control, that belief will become your reality and you can achieve mastery of your mind dualistic nature in the process.

 

References

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

Riance's journey

Light From Many Lamps II: This, too, shall pass away

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The motto, “this, too, shall pass away,” is one that’s said to have originated from a legend about an Eastern monarch asking his wise men to construe a motto he could engrave on his ring which would help him through the worries he faced on a daily basis (Watson, 1988, pp. 74-76). This motto prevailed throughout time and has inspired countless others, from the writer Paul Hamilton Hayne to ex-American president Abraham Lincoln (Watson, 1988, p. 76).

It’s a motto I, too, tell myself although I had no idea where I picked it up from until I read this story. I’ve had to tell myself this a lot lately as I try to balance three graduate courses (an ill-advised decision I made when enrolling in my first semester of the program) with working in a near full-time capacity. It’s a motto that gives me comfort because it helps me take things into perspective that my hardship is only temporary and motivates me to wake up each morning with renewed conviction. Beyond this however, it also reminds me that the challenges I face each day is a test to my character, my spirit, and my will. Challenges and struggles are what builds perseverance and separates those who excel from those who stay mediocre. Me personally, one of my biggest fears is living through life like feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing I could be proud of. As an individual, I live to compete and challenge myself. It’s one of the reasons I took this MA Leadership program: To challenge myself to think in ways deeper than I did previously and surround myself with people who are ready, willing, and committed to transform themselves into people that can make a bigger impact in society.

Another concept that I’ve fully grasped recently is that the sense of accomplishment is not about the destination but about the journey it took to get there. Many people approach life with aspirations of attaining awards, power, titles, or money and fabricate that as part of their identity or reason for existence. In the end, some of these aspirations may prove to be too difficult to overcome and when they don’t succeed, it threatens their self-identity and propels them to a downward spiral of depression or identity-crisis. What I’ve come to realize, especially in my life, is that my identity as a person shouldn’t be defined by a single goal. Life is dynamic in that it changes frequently. Sometimes as people, we have to evolve to adapt to these changes. Many times I’ve heard people express that even if they have achieved these goals, deep inside they still feel empty and ponder why. Understanding that it’s not the goal itself that’s fulfilling, but the journey it took to get there is really what compels meaning in our action and allows us to recognize that it’s in this process where we grow as individuals.

We must learn to love the challenges we presently face and understand that we’ll come out as better people, whether or not you accomplish that set goal. You get what you put into it, whether that applies to your goal or the effort it took to work towards that goal. That’s what should define the thrill you get when you achieve that goal because you were rewarded with something materially to show for it. But remember, it’s not about the material item that should motivate you but the understanding of how far you’ve come since you set out on your mission. That’s why the motto, “this, too, shall pass away,” helps me put into perspective the temporary hardships I presently face because it reminds me that it’s a small step towards my overall journey of growth. Life is a journey. So love that journey.

 

References

Rivera, R. (2018, October 21). Riance’s Journey [Digital image].

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

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Light From Many Lamps I: The secret to happiness is something to do.

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In John Burroughs story, ‘The Secret to Happiness is Something To Do,’ he practically relays the message of the story in the title itself. John argues that ‘the best thing for a man is that which keeps the currents going – the physical, the moral, the intellectual currents going… Take away the occupation of all men, and what a wretched world it would be (Watson, 1998).’ Also earlier in Burroughs’ story he argued that men (and women) having congenial work is more important than any other common associations to happiness such as money, power, fame, or friends because those who lack either money, power, fame, or friends will constantly strive for them (Watson, 1998). A woman with money, for example, isn’t necessarily happy because wealth may have come at the cost of true friendships or love which then is something she thinks she needs to be happy whereas a poor woman with good friends may feel that money is what would make her happy. These things are all the product of people wanting what they don’t have. What many fail to realize though, is that it is in the journey of attaining these goals that produces true happiness, not necessarily the end goal itself. It also seems Watson was aware of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as he mentioned that people also need food, shelter, and clothing to feel any sort of happiness before they can find the sort of work that’s fulfilling. This is similar to Maslow’s idea in that physical and security needs take priority over any kind of happiness but people should work towards ‘self-actualization’ which partially involve finding congenial work to truly experience happiness.

I wholeheartedly agree with Burroughs’ story about finding true happiness in work that you find fulfilling. As someone personally trying to adapt the principles of transformational servant leadership in my interactions with others, one of the things I try to do is help enrich the lives of those around me by helping them find their passions. To me, pursuing passions is one of the best reasons to get up everyday as I feel it gives life purpose and direction. With each passing day, it feels like another productive step closer to achieving my dreams. For those around me who feel lost in what to do in their lives, my best advice to them is pursue the things you love to do and try to incorporate those passions either in your job, your recreational time, as a side business or with your family. And if they’re not quite sure what they identify as passions, then those are journeys that I would be happy to take with them.

 

References

Maslow, A., & Lewis, K. J. (1987). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Salenger Incorporated, 14, 987.

McLeod, S. (2018). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs [Digital image]. Retrieved October 7, 2018, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

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

 

RE: Follow the Leader – written by Matt Squirell

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Hi Matt,

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article about the corporate activism of Rose Marcario, the CEO of Patagonia. I agree that society needs to shift it’s values of being a product-consumer to product-owner as far too many resources are wasted on producing clothing items to keep up with ever-changing fashion trends and old clothing ending up on garbage heaps. We need more business leaders like Rose Marcario out there reflecting on the overall impact her organization has on the environment. I think one of the ways we can also follow in Rose’s example is by publicly advocating for social change, especially in the clothing industry, in adopting better business practices which support the environment and end consumerist ideals. As students taking part in higher education, what better way to enrich our educational experience than to bring along others with us on our educational journey by attempting to influence those within our social circles. Actions for change start with the ideas that are influenced or planted by others which is why I challenge you, if you aren’t already doing so, to broadcast your reflections to those who are immediately in your sphere of influence. Again, I applaud you for the outstanding article you wrote and keep up the good work.

-Ruiz

 

References

Squirell, M. (2018, September 29). Follow the Leader [Blog post]. Retrieved from

Follow the Leader

what makes a great leader

Blog I: Defining Leadership

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Throughout time, the conceptual understanding of leadership has varied where in the early 20th century for example, leadership was thought to be linked to specific behavioral or personality traits that certain people possessed (Northouse, 2016). Today we will be critically examining the modern definition of leadership, as defined by Northouse, and the components which make up its definition.

Northouse defines leadership as “a process whereby an individual influences a group towards a common goal.” Northouse goes further to identify the four components of leadership that’s remained consistent over time which have been included in his operational definition: 1) that leadership is a process, 2) it involves influence, 3) it occurs in groups, 4) and it involves a common goal (Northouse, 2016).

Overall, I largely agree with the definition that Northouse has given about leadership but with the major difference occurring amongst individuals in how they influence their followers towards a common goal. I also think there’s another dimension to consider in regards to the idea of leadership being a process, and that involves time.

The estimated time it will take for a group to accomplish their goal is a factor that should be considered when leaders determine how they will lead their group from point A to point B. Generally, if a leader is tasked with leading a group or an organization to completing a large and lengthy operation, it would be advantageous for the leader to take on a transformational servant style of leadership to produce followers that’s also capable of accepting more responsibilities (particularly leadership). In doing so, a leader would accomplish lessening their workload, produce highly competent and empowered followers, and would ensure a smooth running operation if the leader were to depart.

In contrast for shorter operations, my hypothesis is that a leader should adopt a more authoritative style of leadership, assuming the leader at least has referent and expert power at their disposal. Reasons for this is because for operations where time is the enemy, ideally you’d want to accomplish the task as quick and efficiently as possible. Authoritative leaders are better suited for these types of tasks and in situations where a groups members are unfamiliar with one another because leader don’t have time to necessarily influence followers, only direct them to execute certain tasks for the sake completing the goal.

From the point I articulated in this post, it’s easy to see why the definition of leadership has differentiated over time as it’s such a fluid concept with many factors to consider. In my readings so far of Northouse’s textbook, I haven’t yet seen any discussion about the relationship between leadership styles and time but I think it’s a factor that’s certainly worth exploring when trying to understand the process of leadership. Which styles of leadership DO YOU think is best suited for a leader handling shorter operation? What about a leader handling a longer one? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

 

References

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

What Makes a Great Leader [Digital Image]. (2016). Retrieved September 29, 18, from https://www.linkstrategies.com.au/blog/15-important-leadership-qualities-for-success

 

 

Steve Nash Pass

Assignment One: Follow the Leader

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Hello everyone, welcome to my first official week as a Master’s Student here at Trinity Western University! I’m excited to share with everyone my first assignment which involves writing about a leader we each admire and how their leadership influences us. My understanding for the purpose of this assignment is to articulate what leadership means to us by describing how our chosen leader exemplifies the values that we envision in an ideal leader. As always, I’m looking to strengthen my writing skills and learn how to create a website so please leave some helpful tips or feedback about the progress of my blog below.

 

Leadership, as a concept, has always been difficult and ambiguous to define as there are so many ideas from different people about what leadership is. But throughout time, there’s been at least four components of the overall definition of leadership that remained consistent; as described by Northouse in his textbook Leadership: that leadership is a process, it involves influence, it occurs in groups, and involves a common goals. To me personally, influence is what really stands out as a central tenet to leadership. There’s many people from different backgrounds that I consider hugely influential such as Elon Musk, Michael Jordan, Dr. Allyson Jule, and my Dad but this time I chose to write about one of my biggest heroes growing up, Steve Nash.

Steve Nash is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to have ever come out of Canada. Although he’s won many awards that the great players before him have won, what stood out to me about his legacy are the lasting contributions he’s made on and off the court after his hall of fame career. Despite all the odds, such as coming from a little known place in the basketball world or being a below average athlete by NBA standards (he was only about 6’1 compared to the league average height of 6’6 and could not even dunk the ball), he crafted a legendary career by literally influencing the playing style of NBA teams today through the high octane, fastbreak offense he led with his former team, the Phoenix Suns. Although it’s easy to see why he was so influential as a player to the game of basketball, it’s his off the court work and interactions with others that stood him apart from many of the greatest athletes.

Steve Nash began to spread his influence more when he created his Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/stevenash/) to give fans more access into his life. Some of the ventures he shared to followers included starting a charity foundation (https://www.instagram.com/stevenashfdn/?hl=en) that serves underprivileged kids in the inner city, managing Canada’s national basketball program, holding private training lessons for kids living in the Greater Los Angeles area as well as for NBA Players, and helping to propel green initiatives and human rights movements. Given all his work and his public affairs, he’s also very private in his own respects. You can see this from his social media accounts that he greatly values just being a normal family guy. From following Nash closely, my observation is that Nash tends to lead mostly through his actions. He connects people towards initiatives mostly through his platform as a star athlete. Sports in general have the power to teach and hone the importance of work ethic, attitude, and teamwork which can translate to everything you do in life and Nash is the embodiment of this on the court as people everywhere strive to replicate his work ethic and mindset in sports and in their lives. Off the court, his activities include bringing people together for celebrity basketball and soccer games to raise proceeds for his charity foundation, attending human rights protests, voicing his thoughts on controversial political topics such as the Trump administration or the War in Iraq, or advocating for better environmental practices by being selective of the companies he partners with.

It’s clear Nash lives what he preaches and his actions have done a lot in influencing people. However, one way I think he could further promote the initiatives he’s campaigned for is by publicly speaking more in forums or conventions. Nash is in a position were he can facilitate change and rally more support through public speaking because of the platform he stands on. Even if he isn’t necessarily an expert on the topics he advocates for, people will listen simply because of who he is and the positive public opinion about him. Athletes such as Lebron James, Colin Kaepernick, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have been vocal to the public about their opinion towards human rights controversies in America which have influenced other athletes to speak out on controversies they feel strongly about. If Steve Nash somehow came across this blog post, I would empower him as well to speak more about the initiatives he believes in as he has the referent power to help advance society.

Through watching some of his interviews and his play style, I can tell that Nash uses the transformational servant style of leadership which is what I also try to model in my daily life. Many of his teammates enjoyed the most successful parts of their playing career statistically when playing with Nash as his playing style allowed teammates to impact the game more so than they would playing on other teams. In his interviews, Nash also talks about being consciously aware of empowering his teammates to feel like their impacting the game. By placing his teammates in great positions to score, he and the team got a lot more in return because his teammates were engaged in the game, gave more energy on defense, hustled, or shared the ball more amongst each other. Many of the techniques that athletes such as myself and Nash use to get the most out of their teammates can be translated into the workplace, to social groups, or even with family. How I try to implement his example in teams I play on or in my workplace is by always encouraging, trying to create an environment where my peers can openly voice their questions or concerns, sharing information as much as I can, consciously allowing others to be involved in the decision making processes, or allowing others to speak and take the lead.

As a leader, Steve Nash was successful during his playing career in leading his teams to many regular and postseason wins. His playing style allowed teammates to feel empowered in bringing out their true talent and as a result, the team collectively enjoyed successes. The way he played also inspired basketball players to play in a similar manner and hopefully translated some of the important qualities of being an athlete to their personal lives. Off the court, he’s used his platform through social media to narrate his story on youth development, political issues, and environmental concerns. Hopefully through this post, readers can look past the awards and accolades of Steve Nash the athlete and instead, begin to implement the examples of Steve Nash, the social entrepreneur, into their own lives.

 

 

References

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: theory and practice (Seventh ed.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications.