Week Five Writing Assignment

I read chapter 6 'Core Team Values', and I agreed with it  a lot.
It said that "Shackleton made sure that he, as the leader, got no special privileges." This seems to be a natural thing, but when I recall my club activity, it is very hard thing to do so.

In my club, AIESEC, the role of the members are strictly divided according to the position. For example, a team leader must manage team members and it is the first priority for him. For team members, the role is to do basic activity such as searching for the company and make a proposition to accept international internship in that company. This kind of tasks meeds to make steady efforts. So if a team leader does not do that tasks and only manages members, they will get angry that the leader is just doing easy tasks. Actually, to manage members is not easy, because the leader must know all the activity that the members are doing. However, in my club, the leaders work hard and they do both managing members and usual tasks same as they do. So in that meaning, leaders are not equal with members, but they have more than twice as much tasks. Then leaders have a lot of things to do, and chores sometimes become members' role. However, I thought that all leaders and members should share the chore and the very leaders should be aware of it.

Also, this chapter taught me the importance to admit when I was wrong. When I became a leader, I felt the pressure that I must not say wrong thing so as to acquire a trust. However, the important thing is not to make a mistake but to admit it. It eased of my pressure. I think to admit my wrongness needs courage and also, good relationship with others.

Therefore, I learned that why the equality and the courage to admit my mistake is needed in a team through this chapter.

Week Four Writing Assignment

Before reading, I thought that the chapter four 'Stamina' taught us that how important physical strength was. However, I found that self control is more important.

In my case, I sometimes cut off my sleeping time so as to meet deadlines of report or homework, and the day before tests. Sometimes the situation become very bad, because I have a lot of things I must do in the limited time. For example, during the period of the final examination, I must study hard, but I have to do my club activity, and I must do my part time jobs. In this time, I can sleep less time than usual, but I think this can be solved by planning earlier. However, since there are a lot of homework not only before tests but also almost every day, I am worried about them every time. This become not so serious problem when it is just mine, but when I need to write a report with group members, it may cause trouble. 

Then, I need the ability of self management and self control. They don't mean just time management or planning, but they need to control my feeling. So, as the chapter four said, I think talk to friends is important. When I am busy, both body and mind are tired, and friends is the best medicine to them. When I lived in dormitory, I got a lot of power from friends, especially in the times I was so busy and disappointed. I remembered that the balance to be work hard and to be relax is important from chapter four.

 

Week Three Writing Assignment

After I read the 'Optimism and Reality', I found how I should think when I am in a sever condition.
Of course optimism is better than pessimist, because if I took a pessimistic view, the situation would not change. But I thought 'optimism' means not to see bad things and imagine just a good situation. This chapter taught me that was wrong. It says;

Leaders at The Edge need to engage in "Janusian thinking". Janus, the Roman god of gates, was able to look in two directions at the same time. Effective leadership in demanding situation means being able to see the optimistic view and, at the same time, deal with stark reality (54).

Therefore, it needs to be realistic at the same time being optimistic. I think it is very difficult, because being optimistic is hard when the situation is bad, and also see the real one is hard too. I understood how Shackleton was a great leader. But this chapter said that the ability to be optimistic is not natural ability, so I try to keep optimistic when I faced difficult situation.

Also, this chapter says how important the self-talk is.

The reality is that this "self-talk" is part of human nature, and the first step in cultivating optimism is to pay close attention to what you say to yourself (42).

When I talk to myself, I always says, 'I should keep trying', or 'I should work hard'. After I do so, I felt obligations and tired. I found that it is not good and I should say more positive words such as 'I can do it'. It will be a good step to be optimistic.