Be a Sibling Leader

In the latest episode of the Simpsons (S21E08), Bart is jealous that Lisa has a sibling of the same gender, he fantasizes about having a baby brother, then goes looking for one at an orphanage. The orphanage denies his requests. Charlie, a kid from the orphanage, then shows up at his house and they bond. This new brother looks up to Bart like a superhero. He follows Bart around and copies everything he does. This made me think of my own sibling. I know I am a big influence on my sister whether it be positive or negative. I encourage everyone to be a good example and leader to their younger siblings.

Time Magazine's 20 Most Influential Leader of 2009

Full List

LEADERS & REVOLUTIONARIES

1. Edward Kennedy
2. Gordon Brown
3. Christine Lagarde
4. Thomas Dart
5. Avigdor Lieberman
6. Joaquín Guzmán
7. Nouri al-Maliki
8. Hillary Clinton
9. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
10. Boris Johnson
11. Norah al-Faiz
12. Elizabeth Warren
13. Paul Kagame
14. Nicolas Sarkozy
15. Angela Merkel
16. Wang Qishan
17. Xi Jinping
18. David McKiernan
19. Ashfaq Kayani
20. Barack Obama

What do you think? I was pretty surprised by the Number 20 placement Barrack Obama.I mean Hillary Clinton was placed ahead of him.  Maybe TIME magazine was looking for a reaction. Also, I thought Ted Kennedy was a pretty fitting number 1. 

Bush v. Gore

On this day 9 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered its controversial 5–4 decision in Bush v. Gore, ordering the election recount of the ballots cast in Florida for the 2000 presidential election to stop, which effectively ended the election in favor of George W. Bush. It seems crazy to me that it has been 9 years. I think that their is an interesting disconnect between being a good leader and a good politician . . .thats all I'm going to say. Go ahead though, get political James. 

Listening

A good leader is always willing to listen. Listening shows the other person that you care. Interrupting someone is one of the best ways to show someone you really don't care. If the people want you want to lead feel like you don't have their best interest at heart they will never follow.  I have an example of a bad listener, anyone know an example of a good one??

Winston Churchill Biography

At the beginning of the semester we were asked to choose a book about leadership. I decided to choose a biography. I feel we have so much to learn from great leaders that have come before us. I then made my way down to the bookstore where I scanned rows and rows of biographies. A particular book about Winston Churchill stood out to me and my decision was made. Winston Churchill - A Life by John Keegan turned out to be a fabulous read. I highly reccomend it to anyone with an interest in history and or leadership. Keegan really does a great job of showing Churchill's leadership skills in narrative form. Churchill was a leader in times of crisis and his vision and courage helped the Great Britain and the allies pull through. I hope i can be courageous in my leadership.

Servant Leadership

I think great leaders are always greats servants of the people they lead. I encourage everyone to get involved in some sort of volunteer work. I recently helped out with Project Uplift and had a great experience. We made care packages for the soldiers who sacrifice so much for us. Effective service and leadership can be as simple as a care package.

Weekly Leadership Sept. 21st

My chosen leadership position is a BYUSA volunteer in the HR department.  My duties vary day by day and i never know exactly what to expect. This past week I was given the opportunity to volunteer at the BYUSA booth at INVOLVAPALOOZA! My job was simply to talk to as many people as I could about BYUSA. My goal was to answer any questions and ultimately to get students signed up and eager to volunteer. The experience was at times quite challenging. A lot of the BYU population passing the booth simply wanted free hot dogs and candy (who could blame them?). However, once in a while I came across a someone who was genuinely interested in serving the BYU community. Helping those people was indeed rewarding. I learned a lot about leadership that day. A smile and an outgoing personality will get your foot in the door. But to be a true leader your message needs some substance otherwise you will get nowhere!

Interview Of a Great Leader featuring Cierra Nye

On Wednesday September 9th 2009 I interviewed BYUSA HR extraordinaire, Cierra Nye. Those of you unfamiliar with Cici might wonder what makes this stunningly beautiful woman such a great leader. The answer; a great attitude and an extraordinarily friendly personality. I can say that I have witnessed first-hand just how effective her caring brand of leadership can be. 

Q: So Cici how long have you been involved in BYUSA? 

Cici: I first got involved in BYUSA the first month of my freshman year and I have been volunteering ever since. 

Q: Who are some leaders you admire and why?

Cici: I really admire Dr. Cox and Elise May. They live what they lead. They are kind and happy. They have great perspective. 

Q: Cici how did you develop your fabulous leadership skills?

Cici: I love learning first-hand from the people around me. I learn from roommates, co-workers and anyone I happen to meet. It so important to show people you love them. I try to make sure that relationships are 2 sided and that I'm always willing to listen. 

Q:What advice would you give to young inexperienced leaders?

Cici: Read your scriptures. Perform simple acts of service. Keep a schedule and use your time wisely. Make a friend everyday. 

Q:Thanks for the interview Cici. Your the best!

Cici: No Problem!

Welcome

Welcome to the Road to Leadership at BYU blog . . .

This is a blog by Austin Winfield for Leadership Development STDEV 358R