SLC 300 (601) Fall 2024 Leading with an Ethical Perspective

For the second article, I chose, “How to Live With Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership”. This was written by Anne Loehr. When I read the quote of her saying, “It’s vitally important to me to try new things, make mistakes, be creative and have a sense of personal and professional adventure every day.” I think that this is so important in life because it’s hard to go forward without going backwards. I say this because I can relate this quote back to myself rehabbing from Tommy John surgery right now. There are some days where I try new things in terms of strengthening so that I can keep going ahead. Contrast, there are also some days where there’s pain that’s very noticeable, but I just need to fight through it. There are some days, where I am not where I want to be, but those types of days are the days where I feel like I have learned the most about myself and my body in terms of what I need to do to get to where the next level or the next stage is. I believe that Anne speaks with passion, and it was very interesting to read this article of living with a purpose and improving your leadership. She emphasizes that it is important to know your own personal values so that you can use those values to find your purpose. Anne did a very nice job on this article and it inspired me to get my work done today!

Loehr, Anne. “How to Live with Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-live-with-purpose_b_5187572.

The qualities Ted Myers highlights in “Top 10 Qualities That Make a Great Leader” really connect with my own experiences working at Burgerfi. For example, the importance of delegation stood out to me because it reminded me of a time during a busy shift when we were short-staffed and had new employees. My boss initially tried to handle everything himself, but he quickly realized that trusting the team with specific tasks improved the overall quality of our work and allowed us to focus on the more important things, just like Myers talks about. This taught me that effective delegation is actually a strength, not a weakness. My favorite trait that was listed is honesty. Honesty is a cornerstone of effective leadership and is crucial for building trust within a team. When a leader upholds high ethical standards, it sets the tone for the entire organization. This article is different from anything I’ve read before for a few reasons. My favorite trait Myers listed is honesty. Honesty is so important in leadership because it helps build trust within a team. When leaders are honest and uphold high ethical standards, it sets a good example for everyone else. This was my first time reading an article on LinkedIn, and I was surprised by how interesting and informative it was. It has made me want to read more articles on the platform. Also, I feel like I actually learned something from it, which is more than I can say for most of the stuff I’ve read lately.

During Module 1, there were three different articles that were provided for us to read. The first source that stuck out to me was, “Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader”. When reading this source, it’s hard not to think of my baseball coach, Elliott Avent. I believe that I could think of at least one time that he showed all 10 of these qualities. These qualities being honesty, delegate, communication, confidence, commitment, positive attitude, creativity, intuition, inspire, and approach. I would talk about each one, but for the sake of the post I will just talk about an example of him inspiring. “Acknowledge the work that everyone has dedicated and commend the team on each of their efforts. It is your job to keep spirits up, and that begins with an appreciation for the hard work.” This exact quote from Forbes brought me back from the time when we, as a baseball team, got sent back home from the College World Series back in 2021 because of Covid-19 and had our dreams crushed away in the blink of an eye. Everyone was furious and during these hard and tough times for everyone, Coach Avent was able to inspire through it all. We got back to our home field on a bus with thousands there to join us in welcoming back. Everyone was crushed walking off the bus until Coach Avent grabbed a microphone and talked to everyone and us about how we should have our heads up. He began to also talk about all of the hard work everyone put in and it was very inspirational. This quote reminds me of this specific time in my life.

Myers, T. (2018). Forbes – Top 10 qualities that make a great leader. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/forbes-top-10-qualities-make-great-leader-tedson-myers-cpa-mba/

The second article I chose was “How to Live With Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership”. This article stood out to me when it stated “Values give us our sense of purpose. On a leadership level, when we align with our values on a daily basis, we have more energy and feel more fulfilled because we are leading from what’s important to us”. For the past 2 ½ years, I have been leading an intramural basketball team every semester at NC State. This gives me valuable leadership skills as I have had to find a good team who wants to compete with a chance to win an intramural championship. Leading this team has given me good value as it gives me happiness each time we win, and has allowed me to meet many new people while having a good time. While being on this team, you have to manage your time wisely if you have homework, or an important test the next day. I feel as if I have learned great leadership skills through this experience. If something comes up, I am the one in charge of emailing the recreation department and hoping for a response. Intramural basketball allowed me to come out of my shell as a little freshman in 2022, and has made me a better leader. Even if there is something as silly as intramural basketball raising someone’s value, and allowing you to identify their purpose, it has taught me ways to improve my leadership skills and how I can use them in any environment I may need to use them in. 
Loehr, Anne. “How to Live with Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-live-with-purpose_b_5187572.

For module 1 of SLC 300, we were assigned to read three different articles. The first article that stuck out to me was the “Forbes- Top 10 Qualities That Make a Great Leader”.  The most important quality to me in this article is communication. The article states, “Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you want done is extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working towards the same goal”. This past Summer, I was a counselor at the YMCA. We have a large team of counselors that come together and make day camp as fun as possible. In order for this to run smoothly, we needed to all have great communication and be on the same page with each other. If there was any day where we were not communicating, you could tell as different age groups were intertwining within each other when they weren’t supposed to be. Having great communication at the Y I believe is the number one priority when making it a successful day. If there was anything I saw that was ever an issue, I would go communicate my concern to my head directors and talk within ourselves and figure out the best decision. Talking to kids’ parents was also a huge part of our job, so having top notch communication with them was key. We wanted to showcase our communication skills to the parents by starting conversations during rides in/rides out. Family nights had the counselors in the spotlight as communication was most important then. 

Myers, T. (2018). Forbes – Top 10 qualities that make a great leader. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/forbes-top-10-qualities-make-great-leader-tedson-myers-cpa-mba/

The article, “How to Live With Purpose,” reminded me of someone in my life named Stacey. As the article spoke about true leaders who aligned with their values, I thought of him because I think he is the “tree” as described in this article (Loehr, 2014). I look up to Stacey because he seems to be someone that can be relied upon and a good source of wisdom. Stacey is a master at his craft, but he also does not get a big head about it and is a generous and servant leader. I think that this has inspired me to use the exercise described within the article to identify my own values. Loehr states that it is important to identify your values because within organizations, it adds meaning to the work you are doing. However, on a personal level, it also gives you purpose (Loehr, 2014). For me, I think authenticity/openness is a value of mine. I want those on my team in the future to know that they can come to me with needs and I would do my best to help them or outsource to someone that can. I call this my “open book” value. Additionally, no regrets is another value of mine. I think as a leader it is important to do all I can to obtain success for those around me, if I do that, you cannot have many regrets! I think that putting these values in place with accountability properly placed would allow me to reach both my personal and professional goals.

Source:

Loehr, A. (2017, December 7). How to live with purpose, identify your values and improve your leadership. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-to-live-with-purpose_b_5187572

In the article Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader, Ted Myers discusses the essential qualities that define a great leader. He emphasizes the importance of honesty, noting that leaders must model ethical behavior to influence their team. Delegation is critical for scaling operations and trusting the team, allowing leaders to focus on high-level tasks. Effective communication ensures that team members understand the vision and goals clearly. Confidence is vital, especially during challenging times, to maintain team morale. Commitment from the leader motivates the team, as seeing a leader work hard inspires them to do the same. A positive attitude helps maintain a healthy work environment and keeps the team motivated. Creativity allows leaders to navigate complex situations by thinking outside the box. Intuition is necessary for making decisions when there is no clear roadmap. The ability to inspire the team is crucial for keeping everyone focused on long-term goals, while a personalized approach to each team member ensures that the leader can get the best out of their team by understanding their individual needs and preferences.

DEJ 2 part 2

Over the summer I was a camp counselor for an all-boys camp. I was working in the 7th-grade bunk which came with many behavioral challenges. I had to use a lot of the traits discussed in Myers’s article to try to lead the kids properly. Communication was very important to get the kids to listen. The approach was also a key trait that was used in working with these kids. The campers were all different and required different approaches to how they were talked to. This helped me develop many skills in conflict resolution and learning how to recognize the correct way to approach different people. 

In the article from module 1 “Top 10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader”, Forbes highlights essential qualities that define great leaders, emphasizing traits that can drive success and inspiration to teams. As noted in the article, vision and honesty are fundamental in earning both respect and dedication from a team. Leaders who display a well-defined vision set the standard and inspire others to follow, while honesty establishes trust and fosters effective teamwork (Myers, 2024). The Forbes article’s observations resonate with my own experiences in leadership roles. I have observed that vision and honesty are fundamental and essential to earning not only the respect but also dedication of any team. Leaders who possess a well-defined vision not only set the standard but also inspire others to follow in the same direction. Honesty, on the other side of things, establishes not only trust but a true based relationship that is crucial for effective teamwork. Empathy and communication also stand out as particularly impactful in fostering a positive team culture. Leaders who are always actively listening and show genuine care for their team’s welfare create an environment where people feel valued and understood. As a result, this enhances collaboration and morale. The focus on adaptability and fortitude resonates with the rapidly changing and fast-paced nature of today’s work environment. Leaders who can adapt to new strategies and bounce back from setbacks are in better positions to guide their teams through the challenges they may face. Overall, these qualities are integral to creating an atmosphere and successful leadership approach. Balancing vision with empathy, and decisiveness with adaptability, can substantially impact a leader’s effectiveness and the overall success of one’s team.

Source:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/forbes-top-10-qualities-make-great-leader-tedson-myers-cpa-mba/

The article “How to Live with Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership,” by Ann Loehr, presents valuable advice for leaders looking to uncover their core values and purpose. To begin, the author recommends that leaders take the time to contemplate what truly matters to them and what they care about most. This may involve reflecting on past experiences that have shaped them, the legacy they aim to leave, or the subjects that ignite or frustrate them (Loehr, 2014). Such introspection can unveil one’s priorities and passions.

The author advises leaders to carefully consider what they would be willing to sacrifice or uphold. Leaders’ non-negotiable aspects often reveal their deepest values (Loehr, 2014). For instance, leaders may recognize that they would maintain integrity and transparency in pursuing career advancement.

The author recommends that leaders reflect on what gives them meaning and motivation (Loehr, 2014). Typically, the activities and areas of work that leaders find most meaningful align with their values and purpose. For example, if leading innovation energizes a leader, it may indicate a core value related to progress.

The author advises leaders to discuss their values and purpose with people who know them well (Loehr, 2014). Seeking input from colleagues, mentors, or coaches can help leaders clarify their values and priorities and identify values they may not have realized they had.

The article suggests that leaders should use strategies such as reflection, identifying their willingness to sacrifice or stand up for certain values, determining sources of meaning, and engaging in discussions with others to ascertain their core values and greater purpose (Loehr, 2014). When leaders know what truly matters, they are better equipped to lead with conviction and intention. The article emphasizes how self-awareness and purpose are vital in inspiring principled leadership.

Loehr, A. (2014, May 6). How to live with purpose, identify your values and improve your leadership. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/anne loehr/2014/05/06/how-to-live-with-purpose-identify-your-values-and-improve-your-leadership/#3dfb7c5f4fe9

In the article “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices,” Ron Carucci posits that individuals with strong ethical principles may succumb to unethical decision-making in certain circumstances. Carucci asserts that external pressures and conditions, rather than inherent moral character, often precipitate unethical choices.

Carucci explains why good people might act unethically. First, they might face unreal expectations from their organizations, which pressure them to compromise their values to get results. For example, employees might feel forced to lie to customers or cut corners to meet unrealistic sales targets set by their companies. Second, ethical people can make bad choices in unfamiliar situations that make them uncomfortable. When people face unfamiliar problems, they are likelier to make poor decisions and less likely to recognize moral issues.

Ethical people sometimes ignore moral issues that get in the way of their goals and interests. They might overlook the unethical nature of their actions because they are focused on achieving specific outcomes. Also, people often make unethical choices when their peers do because they want to fit in or follow authority figures. They may ignore their moral values to be part of a group.

The article suggests that ethical people may sometimes make unethical choices not due to a lack of morals but because of external pressures and influences leading to compromised decision-making and “motivated blindness.” However, the author contends that people can bolster their moral courage through exercises that cultivate awareness and critical thinking. We can establish circumstances that facilitate ethical decision-making by comprehending the reasons behind occasional ethical lapses in moral individuals.

Carucci, R. (2016, December 16). Why ethical people make unethical choices. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-ethical-people-make-unethical-choices