Leaders Change™ Principle 3, By Dianne Garrett

A leader’s job is change - to lead change in your organization and in yourself. As John Maxwell says ‘the secret to success is in your daily actions.’ Are you making brain-smart decisions each and every day?

The magnificent human brain is built to spend energy wisely, and yet importantly at the same time, our executive center (the pre-frontal cortex), the part that plans ahead, organizes, and stops us from doing things we oughtn’t do tires very easily (This area of the brain evolved last). We can use more energy than is stored or perhaps think of too many thoughts at once and use up our available resources. When the brain gets tired, research proves that we make poor decisions.

As the brain tires, we lose our emotional control systems and can say or do something we wouldn’t do otherwise. It can even go as far as our behaving like a 2-year old in a temper-tantrum. Child-like lack of emotional control is not attractive in leaders. We want to follow those with emotional stability. Here are a few strategies from Dr. David Rock’s 2009 book Your Brain at Work for you to employ to not overtire your brain.

Principle 3: A Tired Brain Makes Poorer Decisions

One: Use the energy-efficient brain system, the basal ganglia (habit storage part of your brain) to your advantage. When you repeat actions, this area of our brain records the set of actions. Take advantage of this. Create intentional habits by consciously repeating what you want to be a habit.

Two: Let’s talk about multitasking. Not all multitasking is the same – some is good, some is not so good. I’ll explain. Good is our efficient system, the basal ganglia, records repeated actions thereby creating habits. Ever driven to work and not remember getting there? Well, that’s the efficient basal ganglia at work. Not so good is when we try to problem-solve too many items for the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) – that is usually 4 items. Multitasking in our executive center leads to poorer decisions.

Ever walked into a room and then not remembered what you went into that room to do or get? The event that causes that to happen is thinking of too many things at once. When we put too much in the executive center of the brain, the PFC, our brain bumps one (or more) off. Oops. Don’t over tire your brain.

Three: The pre-frontal cortex also holds our braking system. For instance, let’s say that someone was wearing something that you disliked, the more tired your PFC, the more likely you’ll not be able to stop yourself from saying something or signaling that you do not like the choice. This is socially impacting to our relationships. Be careful when you are tired.

Four: Focus uses energy. When I am working at home, I know my focus wanes after 45 minutes. My personal strategy is to do laundry while writing or working on my coursework. When the buzzer goes off I get up and move around for about 10 minutes. My mind gets a healthy break. In short, when you feel tired walk away, working harder is most often not the answer.

Five: Place visual cues all round. Don’t tax your brain by trying to remember. Use your eyes. Your brain reads and records for you – effortlessly.

Six: Set up a capture system. Save your brain for problem-solving instead of remembering. Choose a time management system that keeps you focused on your priorities. De-clutter your mind. Go to www.smartplanner.org to view the newest planner in the market; it’s a de-clutter brain system.

Seven: Chunk details instead of working to remember too much. Our brains can remember grouped information easier than lots of pieces.

Eight: Sleep. Our brains are more active at night than in the day. Our body needs this time to process information. Sleep is key to de-stress and balancing your body’s chemicals too. And, while you hear this all the time, it bears repeating – drink lots of water.

Nine: Quiet your mind. Slow down your thoughts. Most people don’t know the power of a quiet mind. We are culturally trained to think that we are smart by thinking all the time, and the opposite is true. If one’s mind is constantly busy then you don’t have room for new ideas (new mental connections and associations) to happen. A quiet mind is a powerful mind.

Author:
Dianne Garrett
Co-founder, QLEAD Intl
http://www.qleadintl.com/

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To see Dianne's Leaders Change™ Principle 2.

To see Dianne's Leaders Change™ Principle 1.

Change Your Environment, By Katelyn Chapman

Our environment effects us as a person, a leader, an organization, a family---everything. Why does it? I propose that our environment is part of the "system" we are in. It's like Dr. Beitler says in Organizational Change with the Systems Model that:

More often than not, the person is not 'the problem.' The problem is typically
embedded in the system. If we don't change the system, we will soon face the
same problem again (p.14, 2006).

Let's talk about how the environment effects us as individuals and groups.

First, as an individual... We can have wonderful goals...but are our behaviors in line with those goals? AND, do we have a SYSTEM supporting our goals? More specifically, is your environment helping you get closer to those goals or is it hindering your goals? I referenced in "CREATE and ACHIEVE Your Personal Vision" one part of your environment- people.

You can create your Dream Team by identifying people in your life who help you achieve what you want. They are the ones providing positive support and even asking difficult questions that help you grow and achieve your vision. So, we want a Dream Team...but who are the other people detracting from your goal? Why are you still keeping them in your life? Alexis Jones from i am that girl keeps it short and simple: "If they are not helping you achieve your goal, eliminate them from your life."

Another part of the environment is anything you can sense- touch, smell, see, hear, taste. What sensing things can you change in your environment to reinforce your goal? Can you add natural light to help you brighten up? Can you listen to headphones to add an afternoon energy boost? Can you light a candle that makes your working space cozier?

As a group, the environment also is important. The environment WE create sets the tone and fosters a culture. What culture do you want in your family, group, organization? Want a culture where everyone feels comfortable? Feels welcome? Feels energized? Feels motivated? How do you match the strategy of your organization with the necessary culture? Beitler explains Cameron and Quinn's "types of organizational culture" in Strategic Organizational Change:

Clan- Is like an extended family where the leader is frequently a parental figure. Loyalty or tradition holds the organization together. Success is defined in terms of sensitivity to customers and employees (Beitler, 2006). Therefore, how could the environment facilitate this? Could the company ask for employee and customer suggestions on what the decor is or what music is played?

Adhocracy- It features temporary team membership and constantly changing structure. Creativity and new ideas are seen as successful (Beitler, 2006). How could the environment promote this vibe? Bright colors on the wall? Unique decor? Innovative companies like 3M, Google and Amazon give developers about 20% of free time, or time to play.

Market- Is market-driven and highly competitive. Market share and market penetration define succesful market culture companies (Beitler, 2006). How can you promote a competitive environment. Many sales organizations do this by having individual sales numbers showcased on a wall, where the top winners will receive extra bonuses or vacations to warm destinations. You could use a simple whiteboard to increase the competitive heat in your group...

Hierarchy- Is formal and highly structured. Efficiency defines success (Beitler, 2006). How can you promote an efficient environment? How about monitoring the cost of scraps and trying to decrease that number? You could also post this in a common space where workers see their target and what they met. We saw this on a factory tour of a gas pump company that strives to decrease costs and increase efficiency.

How will you change your individual and work environment?

Recently I wanted to promote the clan culture in my work. I started something new in a central location with two objects- paper and a computer. First, I took butcher paper and added a "Quote of the day" with a positive, inspirational quote. Then I welcomed co-workers to add their own quote.

Then with the computer, I played some rockin’ tunes! Who doesn’t enjoy a little jam session mid day? It’s something small but can change the culture in a beat.

What was the result of these two simple objects and change?

It created a fun and inviting atmosphere. It has the direct ability to positively affect attitudes in our office. Fellow co-workers have been randomly breakin' it down, reminiscing as certain songs bring back vivid memories, laughing at other songs, and igniting other conversations that the song is their favorite artist. Something “small” but that creates change. The environment and culture affect us, as they are part of our system. What have you done or will do to change it?

Author:
Katelyn Chapman

Leadership Lessons from the Campaign Trail, By Michael Beitler

I have been a student of leadership must of my life. After graduating from a university business school, I entered the financial world and eventually became a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in banking. In the business world, I saw leaders who were amazingly effective, leaders who were marginally effective, and leaders who derailed completely.

While still serving as a CFO in banking, I decided to pursue graduate school studies (MA in Psychology and Ph.D. in Leadership Development) to get a better understanding of leadership effectiveness. I enjoyed the challenge of graduate school level work and the exploration of a wide range of leadership theories, but all of the theories seemed to focus on only one or two aspects of leadership. None of the leadership theorists seemed to appreciate the complexity of leadership.

After leaving the financial world I entered the academic world. The academic research I read and conducted was interesting. But, once again, it all seemed to focus on particular aspects of leadership at the expense of an understanding of the complexity of leadership.

In 2009, I was asked to serve as my party’s candidate for the U.S. Senate. Being my first political campaign, I expected a very steep learning curve. It was.

I was especially surprised by the lessons learned about leadership. A political candidate is immediately thrust into a leadership role. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to attend the Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL). IOPL prepared me for many aspects of the candidate’s role (talking to the print media, doing TV and radio interviews, crafting political strategy, fine tuning your message, etc.).

After graduating from IOPL in December 2009, I felt prepared for most of the challenges facing a political candidate. Surprisingly, I felt rather unprepared for the leadership role (no fault of IOPL).

I had served as a leader many times throughout my professional career. I had a vision for the campaign. I had a realistic view of our budget constraints. I had sufficient time and energy to devote to the campaign. But I had never worked with a small army of volunteers before.

Peter Drucker’s comments about volunteers became instantly clear. Volunteers are the ultimate in motivated workers. I recall seeing my volunteers working Facebook and other social media sites at 2am every morning. Their energy seemed limitless.

Suddenly a high-energy volunteer would disappear. And then another one would disappear. A few days later another volunteer would vanish. IOPL had predicted a volunteer turnover rate of three weeks, but I refused to accept it.

I assumed it must be about me. What did I do wrong? What did I say that was offensive?

It took a while for me to realize the complexity of my leadership role. I was only one ingredient in the mix.

In addition to my own strengths and weaknesses, I had to consider the strengths, weaknesses, needs, and preferences of the workers. I also had to consider the unique opportunities and threats of our task.

Workers (paid or volunteer) loss jobs, have family problems, go back to school, take on more responsibility in their church or civic organization, start or end a romantic relationship, or experience some philosophical angst that causes them to re-evaluate their commitment to “your” project. The best thing you can do is talk to them; do what you can do to help. But allow them to take responsibility for their own lives.

Keep in mind that leadership is complex and dynamic. Things change. You change, your followers change, and the requirements of the task change. As the leader you are always dealing with a different mix of variables. Get frequent feedback about your leadership effectiveness. Use an instrument such as the Leadership Versatility Index to make feedback dialogue part of your organization’s culture.

Leadership is more than providing an inspiring vision. You must develop the versatility to deal with the changing needs of your followers and the task itself.

Author:
Michael Beitler, Ph.D.
Professor at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)
Libertarian Canidate, US Senate http://www.beitlerforussenate.org/about
http://www.beitlerforussenate.org/about

Leading Change in the Entrepreneurially-Focused Organization, By Joseph Erba

Successfully leading an organization of any form or size must incorporate the leader’s vision with a well-grounded strategy of how the organization will move towards that vision. The premise here is that the term “entrepreneurial” refers to a mindset of thoughts and actions rather than venture creation; which can be an outcome of this mindset, but not a prerequisite of such. Those actions include allowing innovation to thrive by redefining the definition of “failure” and executing a strategy through proactive forays into existing and new market arenas.

It’s fair to say that in order to implement a strategy, the leaders must be able to effectively manage the resources at their disposal, albeit financial, operational and most importantly, the human resources of the firm. If we accept the basis that “ Management” focuses on the transformation of inputs into outputs, on maximizing the available resources at their disposal and coordinating those resources for the benefit of achieving goals and objectives, we can also contend that “Leadership” focuses on exploiting the corporate capabilities of the organization to reach their objectives, while also exploring how to challenge and change these capabilities in order for the organization to stay relevant and build some level of sustainable competitive advantages.

Yet regardless of how dynamic or charismatic a leader or leadership group is, or how compelling their value proposition may be to their internal and external audiences, a series of fundamental challenges face them at every turn.

These challenges include defining (or in some cases redefining) the direction of the company in light of an ever-changing business environment, assessing the capabilities and competencies of the teams of managers and contributors that form the core capabilities of the organization, while attempting to address the societal challenges of changing demographics and lifestyles in the environments served.

So in a rather simple way, we can say that a leader is a juggler, a balancer, an individual framed in the present, but focused on the future. As these leaders articulate their visions, their missions and goals for their organizations, their role becomes one of a communicator, one of supporting the messages presented both vertically and horizontally through their organizations.

In the context of corporate entrepreneurship, we understand that the three drivers of innovation, risk-taking and proactive behaviors create another set of compelling challenges, especially when the organization is facing some level of change (such as redefining their markets, renewing their strategic direction or looking externally for available partnerships). The premise here is that change in itself is no longer an “event” rather an integral part of the strategy of the firm.

Yet embracing change requires constant and consistent messaging. Communicating throughout the organization must be effective enough to challenge the organization to move beyond the comfort levels of their current positions to areas of potential uncertainty without disrupting the balance of the organization.

Studies have indicated that these efforts of communicating throughout the organization are steeped in a process of social learning involving the roles that each person (leadership, managerial or individual contributors) has assumed either formally or informally throughout the organization.

As organizational members interact and exchange information, roles and role expectations develop. As roles develop, leadership takes on the task of “architecting” these interactions. The leadership goal here is to assure that these interactions foster effective exchanges of information between the role players, so that there is a shared understanding of the strategies and goals, while creating some congruence between the organization and the follower’s self-interests.

For many of us who have experienced “managing“or being managed, we understand that the process entails a wide variety of behaviors, both formal and informal. We accept that there may be a difference in expectations of the people interacting with managers/leaders. These differences of expectations create the opportunity for conflict. These differences center around personal beliefs of what the organization needs to accomplish, how it should be accomplished and who should be accomplishing it. These differences are driven by experiences, based on someone’s primary functional position within the firm or their actual or perceived “positional” power within the company.

All these different roles and/or beliefs lead to disconnections over which roles to play and the possibility of inconsistent messaging. Here, leadership and all levels of management need alignment or uncertainly prevails, leading to tension and role conflicts. If managers themselves are in conflict with their roles, organizational dysfunction forms. People avoid challenges (the opportunities for innovation, risk-taking and proactiveness); creating stress on the organization, people decide to leave (usually the best and the brightest) and the organization is stymied.

Therefore, the concept of consensus on the dominate logic (shared understanding on the need for change) is critical to effective leadership. This leads to a shared understanding, role clarity and hopefully greater trust throughout the organization.

Last, leadership needs some mechanisms to develop this consensus and trust to support their strategic directions. This leads us to three possible measures; market controls (objective criteria for evaluating new ideas/opportunities), bureaucratic controls (standardized behaviors and performance assessment) and clan controls that rely on the corporate culture to create a feeling of belonging while reinforcing the values of the organization.

References: Morris, M., Kuratko, D. and Covin, J., Corporate Entrepreneurship & Innovation; 2e, 2008

Author:

Joseph Erba

Professor of Practice
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)

Experience is the Best Teacher…Wanna Bet?, By Preston Yarborough

“We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience.” --George Bernard Shaw

Just like many leadership educators, I believe in experiential learning. That having been said, G. B. Shaw had a point. Visit my office and I’ll prove it.

Darren is a colleague of mine. He’s sharp, witty, focused, prepared, and maintains an air of comfortable composure. I admire his work ethic and would love to emulate him. His office is the picture of organized efficiency: clean desk, file folders labeled and systematically arranged, and he effortlessly processes his work. When I’m at my best, I feel like I’m in the “Darren Zone.” Unfortunately I don’t find my way to the DZ all that often.

Like a mythical beast, clutter blocks my path to the DZ. I feed the beast daily when I’m too hurried to file documents or when I refuse to throw stuff away. I gauge where files are by how recently I last used them. If it’s been awhile, it’s probably at the bottom of a stack. More recent items are likely on top. It takes a minute or three of shuffling to locate most anything. This amuses the beast.

I’m embarrassed and ashamed. Do I know why my office looks this way? Yes. Do I know from experience this system holds me back? Absolutely. But experience can be a lousy teacher.

If experience isn’t going to teach me, how might I slay this beast? Warren Bennis offered insight in his book, On Becoming a Leader:

Your accumulated experience is the basis for the rest of your life, and that base is solid and sound to the degree that you have reflected on it, understood it, and arrived at workable solutions.

Bennis’ quote bears repeating, “Accumulated experience …. is solid and sound to the degree that you have reflected on it, understood it, and arrived at a workable solution.” Reflection and Understanding are keys to upacking insight from experience.

Reflection is different from merely remembering, recording, or reporting experience. When we reflect, we take time to consider experience from multiple perspectives. Through this process, we can enhance our understanding of self and others.

We may reflect inwardly (on ourselves) on by examining our observations, thoughts, feelings, and actions. We reflect outwardly (on others) through examining our perceptions of others' actions and our interpretation of others’ thoughts and feelings.

Fine practitioners of the reflective arts are intentional and systematic. They choose a specific, personal development goal as a focal point for reflection. They will describe the experience, examine it, articulate their learning, and apply insights to improve their performance.* Consider this example:
GOAL: I want to keep a more organized office.
DESCRIBE ACTIONS: I can reflect on my day and consider the times I filed things away (constructive goal behavior) versus the times I did not (destructive goal behavior).
EXAMINE: What factors (thoughts, feelings, & conditions) helped me follow through on my goal? What factors hindered me? What decisions could I have made differently to perform better? How might I prepare myself so that I improve next time?
ARTICULATE LEARNING: I now convey what I learned from this personal inquiry. This reflective process helps me understand factors that influence my behavior, how to make proactive decisions, and to prepare myself for success. I will now set a plan according to these insights. Insights mean little if they aren’t converted into action.

Reflection is most powerful when it is objective. The point isn’t to justify one’s self—but rather to seek deeper understanding. Once we develop understanding, then we have increased our ability to develop workable solutions.

Those who learn the art of reflection turbocharge their capacity for self-growth. Reflection is at the heart of personal development, but it is not as easy as it sounds. It takes practice. Participating in group reflections (verbal), reflective journaling (written), and leadership coaching (verbal) are all excellent ways to practice reflection. Each of these processes helps you learn how to reflect on relevant issues, broaden your observational awareness, and enhance your ability to discern insights from experience. Don’t be discouraged if early efforts seem hollow, unsatisfactory, or even frustrating. It’s part of the process. Once it clicks for you, you’ll never turn back. And you will differentiate yourself from those who mistakenly believe that experience will teach them all they need to know.

* Describe, Examine, and Articulate Learning are described in the DEAL model of critical reflection by Patti Clayton, PhD
Author:
Preston Yarborough, Ph.D.
Assistant Director of Leadership
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)

Leaders Change™ Principle 2, By Dianne Garrett

A leader’s job is change - to lead change in your organization and in yourself.

Our conscious brain generates about 10% of our decisions. Surprised at the low number? Furthermore, if that is true, where do the remaining 90% of our decisions come from?* The answer is the unconscious. And one part of our unconscious is our habits – repeated actions or thoughts that become standardized into our behavior. The old adage “We are our habits” now has neuroscience research backing.

As leaders, we need to learn about habits. In order to model the way and influence others to their greatness, we need to be aware of our own habits as well as have the ability to assist others in their awareness and changeability. So, the question for this writing is ‘What can leaders do to facilitate the brain to create habits that help us be better?'

Principle 2: Habits are a Brain Efficiency System
Have you ever driven to work and not remembered driving to work? Scary, isn’t it? Well, that experience is led by the part of your brain, the basal ganglia, which governs routine behaviors. Storing our routine behaviors is our brain’s way of conserving energy. How wonderful is that…our brain helps itself by being energy efficient. How can we use this efficiency system function in our brain to help us live a great life of intended habits?

First a little background information. In his book Quiet Leadership, Dr. David Rock explains that our habits are like the Grand Canyon. Just like the years and years of Colorado River water flow cutting a pathway through the rock of the Grand Canyon, repeated thoughts form pathways in the brain. Now think about how difficult it would be to change the water flow out of its repetitive pattern; it’s the same with our habits - changing them is very difficult. Dr. Rock tells us that it’s much easier to start a new habit instead of trying to change an old one.

In order to change, here are a few thoughts on an executable process from Dr. Kevin Ochscner, one of the founding fathers of the social neuroscience field.

1. Leaders need to work BOTH the habit systems as well as our thinking
systems. In business, leaders tend to work the thinking system only.
2. Most often our leadership feedback is directed to our thought systems. In other words, goal setting. Again, we need to engage the 90% of the unconscious as well.
3. Performance feedback is most often negative and not positive. Positive is more reinforcing.

So, our question again, “What can leaders do to facilitate change?”

1. Get commitment. All change fails without full commitment. We only
make it through the tough spots through determination.
2. Identify the situations when this change-goal-item exists. Is it during a time of day, an event of the day, a particular person, etc.? Once you have identified the trigger, develop an “IF THEN” implementation strategy statement.

For example, let’s say I want to stop being late to meetings. I watch my behavior and notice that it’s most often the 2pm afternoon meetings when my energy is low. I also notice that it’s most often when I skip lunch.

At this point, I craft a behavior IF-THEN statement: “If I skip lunch, I’ll eat a fruit and cracker snack in my office.” Now I have an actionable behavior and can then commit to the behavior. I write it down and place it in view as a friendly reminder. And then I prepare by bringing my snacks to work.

Successful leaders pay attention to habits. In summary, I leave you with a great poem (anonymous author) I read recently:

Watch your thoughts, for they become your words.
Watch your words, for they become your actions.
Watch your actions, for they become your habits.

* The actual numbers of conscious to unconscious thinking varies from 3% & 97% to
25% & 75%. Neuroscientists continue their study.

Author:
Dianne Garrett
Co-founder, QLEAD Intl
http://www.qleadintl.com/

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To see Dianne's Leaders Change™ Principle 1, check it out at http://leadershiplaunchingpad.blogspot.com/2010/11/leaders-change-by-dianne-garrett.html

'Tis the Season, By Mark Villacorta

I had a conversation with a student last week about her post-graduation plans. She was telling me how she was on the job market and looking to do some non-profit work. Even though some of the positions were excellent opportunities, she was resigned to the fact that she would not be making much money. This did not seem to bother her because money was not a primary value. I thought this was an interesting admonition for someone facing student loan repayments and health insurance premiums.

This got me thinking about the decisions we make about our career choices and financial well-being. As the semester winds down, it’s easier to reflect on some important fundamental questions. Given our nation’s economic woes, and a bleak employment situation it may be important for us to ask several important questions: What do I need to have a fulfilling life? And how much of it do I need? Which of my efforts are likely to have a lasting impact in society? Are they worth doing regardless of the outcome? I certainly do not have the answers to these questions, for we all responsible for finding our own paths to fulfillment and redemption. But in light of these questions, I would like to offer some thoughts for reflection as we drift into holiday mode.

Differentiating Equity and Equality

Equality is an often-loved concept, particularly in Greensboro. In light of this city’s rich history and deep connection to the Civil Rights Movement, it’s easy to think equality is always a good thing. However, blind faith in the principle of equality has the potential to create unfair and uninclusive social consequences.

Equality is the equal distribution of resources and opportunities for every member of society.  In applying this concept is becomes apparent that equal distribution is not necessarily fair for those who have been systematically prevented from participating in society to the fullest extent in the first place. Equity, on the other hand, takes into account notions of fairness in the distribution of resources in society. It recognizes that we are born into social systems where power is distributed unequally and that those inequalities are systematic and perpetuated by our institutions. Equity signifies that we all should have the opportunity to reach our full potential regardless of the social groups we are born into. Access to higher education, marriage, and religious freedom are a few of the domains in which it may help us to think in terms of equity in addition to equality. If we believe everyone has the right to freedom of religion (see Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948) it becomes important to recognize the diversity of religious practices rather than relying on gross generalizations. Juan Williams’ recent comments about fearing people at airports wearing “Muslim garb” created a frenzy in the media this past October. Most discussion centered on whether Williams should have been fired for his comments (an important discussion) as opposed to the validity of those comments. In a religion practiced by over 1.5 billion people, what exactly is “Muslim garb?” (Pew Research Center, 2009) First, are we assuming all Muslims wear the same clothes? Second, was Williams suggesting that Muslims who wear traditional or cultural attire should not be allowed in airports?  In terms of equity, we recognize that different traditions express belief in different ways but still have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. To remain inclusive we need to create spaces where there is room for different ways of being in the world and that we are able to recognize important differences within diverse groups of people.

Consider our school systems. If we want to retain the very best students on our campus, the most creative, experienced, motivated students, then we need to think of ways to help those with different needs succeed in the classroom. We want everyone to have an equitable opportunity for success. This may include the creation of mentorship programs to help historically under represented students feel like they are part of a community (Carey, 2008; Ballard et al., 2008) or developing programs to support students who are returning to school after extended leaves. Everyone has unique challenges. For those who are members of under-represented groups, or those who possess atypical learning abilities, we need to understand that giving them the same opportunities as everyone else puts them at a systematic disadvantage.. The provision of equity means recognizing and respecting specific needs, not assuming a one-size-fits-all approach.

So now that we know the difference between equity and equality, we can ask ourselves those critical questions, “What do I need to thrive? What personal development should I undertake in order to better understand the experience of others different from me? What is the role of financial prosperity in my journey?” The answers may differ markedly from the needs expressed by our friends, family, colleagues, pastor, mentor, or the many others in our lives.

Self-knowledge, Power and Privilege

Many models of identity development emphasize the importance of self-knowledge (Bennet, 1998; Cross, 1995). This includes knowing our values, motivations, learning styles and cultural lenses. In addition, as we learn about ourselves we learn about the different privileges and disadvantages we have based on aspects of our identity. If I am truly honest with myself I will also see the privilege I have as a heterosexual person, such as going through life without being labeled as “sick” or “immoral,” talking about my partner without being worried about losing my job, and using a public restroom without the threat of violence due to my sexual orientation.

Recognizing these privileges gives me deeper insight into my personal experience in society, and importantly, how I relate to others (Johnson, 1997). Power impacts the relationships we have with each other. It is essential that we attune ourselves to those dynamics so we may connect with others as authentically as possible. For example, if I ignore the fact that heterosexual privilege has opened doors for me throughout my life, then I immediately alienate a large group of people who do not have those same privileges (an estimated 14% of UNCG students identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer, Questioning or Intersex).

If I don’t authentically connect with my experiences, I even alienate myself from myself. For example, I may try to hold on to my privilege, constantly trying to prove my worth as “a real man.” I may prevent myself from being vulnerable, or being physically or emotionally close to otherpeople. Eventually Imay lose touch and perspective with myself as well as with others. As a leader I must strive to practice empathy and humility, which helps me to have genuine, authentic interactions with people that I have power over.

As a continuation of our refection exercise then, let us ask ourselves: what is my power relationship with the different people in my life? What is my power relationship with those that I am trying to help? If I never received recognition from those communities, would I still do the work?

Our Role in the Global Economic Landscape

I recently led an experiential exercise and discussion on global citizenship at Ashbury Residential College. Students struggled with the concept of wealth redistribution; in particular, redistributing wealth in a society that had economic classes artificially placed upon it. One important point of our discussion was the fact that the different classes did not reach out to each other when determining a solution. I should note that the rules I provided did not prohibit such collaboration. Rather than engaging one another and listening to multiple perspectives, each group tried to determine what was best for the others by relying solely on their frame of reference. On a global scale, certain countries exhibit this tendency more than others.

As a nation, we must be informed about the effects of our country’s economic, political and military policies on the history of other countries. Our knowledge of such history and impact should not be colored by whether or not we voted for the extant leadership, or, whether we were alive when these events occurred. The country’s legacy of colonization and Western domination has set the stage for our prosperity. In today’s world, the transglobal institutions created by western nations establish a context for U.S. relationships in the international community. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have created conditions where developing nations have become impossibly indebted. The World Trade Organization has had a similar impact, regulating trade policies of indebted nations in order to increase markets for Western goods, often at the expense of these countries’ local farms and industries. The increasing monopoly of fewer and fewer companies over the world economy reinforces these effects, leading some to refer to the current economic dynamic as the new colonialism (for an overview see Stiglitz, 2002; Wallerstein, I, 2003; and especially Sorrells, in press).

Whether we want this or not, we must recognize that our policies have spearheaded these developments and that we benefit from these policies at the expense of the world’s poor and disenfranchised. The global effects include increased inequality, poverty, family division, exploitation, feelings of inferiority and self-hatred, militarism, violence and death.

Yes, we all have our own problems in the U.S.; but it is worth acknowledging that many in the world would kill (sometimes literally) for our problems.

So, for reflection, consider: how do my actions impact the international community?

Final Thoughts and Leadership Implications

This article was more academic than I initially intended. Special thanks to Preston for editing the language to be more conversational. I also extend apologies to those looking to recover from final exams, papers and presentations. Yet despite the theorizing that happens in higher education, ultimately all of this reflection must lead to action. All of the educational degrees in the world, all of the debates we have with friends and teachers, all of the books we read are all for naught if at the end of the day we all juss do what we was gon’ do anyway. Leadership is not a product of thought—it is the result of action. Therefore, it is important that we do something: to stifle oppressive speech and behavior, to educate our fellow brothers and sisters, to give back to those from which we have taken much. This is the ultimate aim of leadership.

Happy holidays!

Author:
Mark Villacorta, Ph.D.
Assistant Director
Office of Multicultural Affairs
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)

Edited by Preton Yarborough

Office of Leadership and Service-Learning
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