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.