Reflections on: Team Delicious Leadership

So far in almost every graduate level class I have taken, except 1 or 2, we have done the majority of the work in teams.  I am not sure why this is a trend in school now, I don't remember this much emphasis on team work when I got my under-graduate degree, but it seems to be the thing to do.  I hear it said it is because that is the way we will work in jobs, but I am not sure all jobs are like that.  While I do work with others in my office and work on some projects as a team, I don't do all my activity as a team, nor are we expected to, we still have individual roles and assignments and our performance is rated separately. So it was not unexpected to be on a team for this class, just a waiting game to see what kind of team it would be. 

Over the years I have taken a number of personality assessments and most of them rated me low on the team building scale, in that I preferred to work alone rather than on a team.  I always rejected this pronouncement and insisted that I enjoyed working on teams and always considered myself to be a good team player.  After starting on my journey to my MBA and having so many team experiences thrown at me, I realized all the assessments were right...I was not a good team player.   

I know many things about myself, some are; I am a little (ok, a lot) OCD, I like for things to be done right, and I don't suffer fools or incompetence well. I realized that these things that I know about myself are the main contributors to my aversion to teams, I have a hard time following some else's plan, I have to speak up when something is wrong, and if someone can't perform, I want to do it myself to make sure the job is done right.  

Given all those considerations, I was very happy to learn that we would be able to pick our own team for this class.  Of everyone in our group, Mike was the only new member to me, I have had class or been on a previous team with everyone else.  That gave me confidence that we would be a good team from a work product perspective, but I wasn't sure how all our personalities would mesh.  After our fist meeting together and working on our team formation activities, I realized I wouldn't have anything to worry about.  While we had some friction a couple times, it wasn't usually about us, but an idea or way of going forward.  Sometimes we had a communication mis-understanding, but that too usually was able to be resolved quickly and we moved on better understanding each other. 

I love Dr. Gower's first phrase she shared with us - PAW - people are weird.  I know people are weird and I think the best way to work with someone is to embrace their weirdness, because usually that is their strength.  So we shared our weirdness and embraced each others strengths, and relied on each other in our weaknesses, and grew as people.  From my perspective, the hardest part of working on this team was figuring out the logistics of meetings, as some team members had harder work schedules to meet.  But we overcame that challenge and were all dedicated to the group and the class, so the rest came easy.  I appreciate everything my team mates taught me about themselves, how to approach a problem a different way, and even about myself.  I  know my weirdness and OCD can be off-putting, but working in teams shows me the value I can bring and I know that it is ok to embrace that as well.  

I really enjoyed this group and the work we did in this class.  I hope as I continue on my journey at UMW or in life, I get to work with these fine folks again in some way. 

Volunteering for SKILLS USA

Our third and final volunteering experience came on Saturday, April 29, through a connection with Dan.  His wife works at Germanna CC and knew of this event and the need for volunteers and asked if we would be interested.  The task was to serve as judges for various categories of competitions that high school students would be presenting skills to us.

I was a little unclear of what the actual event was, even after visiting the website for the group, but was looking forward to helping however best I could.  On the day of the event we all met early at the college to help with setup and get our assigned rooms.  Ray and I were together with some other volunteer judges in an open skills demonstration.  After discussing the objectives with the 'chair' who was the more experienced person and turned out to be someone else who worked for the college, we were ready to go.

It was fascinating to me the types of skills the kids were coming to show, from criminal justice, to computer tech, to electrician and even a budding vet tech with her dog.  We were to evaluate them on presentation, platform skills, organization, and if we understood the skill and felt they did a good job presenting an entry level description of it.

I could tell these kids were nervous, but they all did a great job of presenting to a room of 6 adults and practicing some basic hands-on and interviewing type skills.  Because we were judging them, we were not able to provide any feedback to the kids, and I found that to be the hardest part.  For some of them, I just wanted to write a comment or feedback on the scoring sheet just to tell them one or two small things they could do to improve performance.  I saw a lot of potential in many of them and hope they will succeed in their chosen field.

After we were done with judging, we helped with clean up and getting the judging boxes organized and arranged for returned to the main organization.

I truly enjoyed this volunteer experience as it was the only one we did that we got to interact with the end user we were there to help.  It was a different view for me of the next generation, past all the bad stereotypes that you usually hear.  I look forward to what this group can do, and am happy to know there is an organization like SkillsUSA that is promoting technical skills to the next generation.

Volunteering for CYT

Our volunteering activity on April 15th was a connection through Mike, as his wife works with the non-profit CYT group.  It is a theater group in the area that works with kids from all different school districts to get them involved int he many joys of theater, set design and building, makeup, costume design, and of course, acting.  I had done some theater when I was in middle and high school, so I was looking forward to working on a project that had some familiarity.

Our job on this Saturday was to help the group break down stage sets from a recent production and save all the material we could for them to reuse to save money on expensive lumber.  We started with a large pile of jumbled lumber and set pieces and after the organizer, Andy, showed us around and got us started, we each jumped into the pile.  I enjoy working with my hands and power tools, so instead of jumping on the organizing part, which would be my usual task, I just did the deconstruction of the lumber.

I have to say, I really enjoyed seeing the big pile of lumber getting smaller with 5 of us working on various pieces and Sarah doing most of the hauling of the separate pieces to the stacks for storage.  It was tiring work and hot, but I was happy to help a group that fills a role that it sounded like the local schools didn't have any way to provide.

I think as a group we all worked well together and were able to tackle a large task efficiently in the time we had.  We also had fun, which to me, is something I don't always think of when I am working.  It is nice to be in a group that reminds me to have fun and we can find that balance of fun and work as well.

Group Dynamic

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am not a huge fan of working in groups for school.  Unlike work, there is no real common goal or incentive for the group members to pull their weight as they are not getting paid.  When it comes to working in groups for school each student takes the class seriously on different levels and their work ethic reflects that, making the work more unbalanced.  That being said, out of all the groups I've worked with I liked this one the best.  I thought we worked very well together.  Sarah was the only one in the group that I have worked with in the past.  We work very well together and she is also from NY, giving us an automatic connection.  She is more creative in her approach to problems, which brought a new approach to the work dynamic.  Although Ray is pretty quiet in class, he is not quiet in a more intimate setting such as our group meetings.  Although he is 11 years younger than me, we got along quite well, perhaps because I see a lot of myself in him.  He also consistently finished his work on time, if not early, something I appreciate.  Dan and I had the most in common as we were both in the military for about the same amount of time, were both working full time while earning our degree, and attempting to balance work, school, and family.  He also had the hardest schedule to work with as he worked nights.  This was particularly difficult when it came to finding and arranging volunteer opportunities.  Finally, Kim was the group member that is a little OCD but in a good way, her OCD makes her a detail oriented person she was incredibly helpful to work with because she made sure the group was consistently meeting the standards and expectations laid out for us.  As I am not done with my degree yet, I am sure there will be more group projects in my future.  My hope is that they are made up of a people as enjoyable as these were to work with.

SkillsUSA

The most recent volunteering experience my group and I participated in was an event held at Germanna Community College.  It was a competition called Skills USA and was for high school age students competing in trade skills, such as cosmetology or auto mechanics.  I was assigned the job of judging the skills section of the competition.  This meant that the students came and gave a presentation of their particular skill - what is was, why it was important, how it was performed, etc.  My entire group was not needed judging the same event so it was only myself and one other classmate with three other judges.  Overall it was an interesting experience and I enjoyed observing the students and how they responded throughout the competition.

However, there were a few things about the experience that I did not enjoy; particularly the complete lack of organization surrounding the event.  That may be an unfair assessment as I did not engage with the other areas at the event but it was especially true in my area.  The chair of my contest was completely disorganized and was unable to answer any of our basic questions surrounding the event, having to seek clarification from someone else.  We were given no guidance regarding what we were judging, the criteria which we should be using to judge, or even our interactions with the contestants themselves.  As a result, we were not allowed to give feedback after the presentations, something I think the students would have really benefited from and I would have liked to have been able to do.  Despite all this, I did enjoy the event and would attend and judge again if asked on the condition that I was the acting chair of my particular area in order to ensure a more structured approach to the judging and therefore a more helpful and worthwhile experience for those involved.

Skills USA

Today was our groups final volunteering day for the semester. For our third volunteering event, we decided to volunteer as judges for the high school competition SkillsUSA. This is an organization that teaches high school kids different technical skills which will allow them to succeed in the real world. Our tasks were to assist with set up, clean up, and judging various competitions. I was given the privilege of judging the job skills demonstrations. This is were the student will provide an example of an entry level job requirement in their field.

I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to judge students that demonstrated talents from multiple fields including; electrician, police officer, computer tech support, hair stylist, and veterinarian. Each student provided excellent knowledge in their respective fields and I often found myself learning new skills that I have never known.

The judging was a new experience for me but it was extremely fulfilling. Seeing high school student, some of which are under 18, be able to explain and perform job functions in their chosen fields was impressive. Being able to be apart of an organization that prepares these students for success was heartwarming and I hope that they are all able to succeed. The effort and time that the students put into their presentations did not go unnoticed and the role of SkillsUSA across the nation has given numerous students the chance of success.

This volunteering was the most internally satisfying of the three that we have done. The first two, although satisfying, did not allow me to interact with the individuals that I was volunteering for. SkillsUSA let me see first hand the purpose of my time. It was inspiring to see the knowledge of these young adults and to be apart of their success.

Michael's final summary chapter

My personal story

I grew up on a large dairy farm in upstate NY which means that from as early as 5 years old I have held a full-time job.  Having to find the balance between working on the farm and going to school was interesting but a perfect way to perfect life-work balance skills.  I did miss a lot of school growing up however with only a small fraction of it actually due to illness.  My absences were usually because I was working with a parent to get something done on the farm.  Thankfully, I was a good student and was able to make up my missing work with little difficulty.  In high school, it was a natural transition for me to get involved in the Future Farmers of America club at school or FFA.  It was there that my real leadership story began.  

Everyone has that one teacher that really influenced them and helped change the course of their life.  Mine was the high school Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor.  He really helped to steer me down my path and pushed me to enter all kinds of leadership contests.  I ended up taking FFA as far as I could, winning several national competitions and was named an All-American farmer.  This meant I earned an American FFA Degree, something given only to those members who demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA as well as made significant accomplishments in supervised agricultural experiences.  The American FFA Degree is awarded at the National FFA Convention & Expo each year to less than 1% of FFA members, making it one of the organization’s highest honors.  

After high school, my plan was to stay in dairy farming which I loved despite the constant hard work it required.  With that in mind, I enrolled in SUNY Cobleskill College of Agriculture, majoring in Agriculture Engineering and Power Machinery.  My plan was to take the knowledge I learned there and apply it to helping run the family farm.  Yet a negative realization came along with the knowledge I had learned in the FFA and college; I began to see that my father was not only a bad farmer but he was also a poor small business owner.  This began causing a lot of conflict between us as he was not open to suggestion or any criticism to the way he did things.  I was beginning to pull back from the idea of working with him on the family farm and striking out on my own when a major event changed my life forever.

I had just finished earning my Associates degree and had just begun my junior year towards a Bachelor’s degree when the terrorist attack that took place on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon happened.  Being from NY, the attack perhaps struck me harder than it may have those who lived on the West Coast but I felt compelled to do something, I just didn’t know what.  The answer to that question came in November 2011 when I enlisted in the Marine Corp.  I expected to leave right away but realized soon after that they couldn’t just send a bunch of kids and new recruits to boot camp all at the same time.  Instead, I waited and ended up going to boot camp on April 9, 2002, and began the biggest leg of my leadership journey.  

I was in the Marine Corp for 10 years and worked with a wide variety of great leaders as well as quite a few bad ones.  I first was stationed at Miramar in San Diego, CA working as a mechanic on CH-46’s.  While there I did two deployments with the 11^th MEU, both times straight to Iraq.  Later I received orders back to the East Coast to work for HMX-1, the Presidential Helicopter Squadron.  About this time, I got married and thought that being in a non-deployable unit like HMX-1 would be good for the formative years of my marriage but I was wrong.  Being a part of HMX-1 meant that I went everywhere with the President.  Where he went, I went and he traveled so much that in reality, I saw my wife maybe one weekend a month.  After 5 years of non-stop traveling around the world, I decided to get out of the Marine Corp and put down some roots here in Fredericksburg.  

Having already begun earning a Bachelor’s degree I felt that I should finish it and be the first one in my family to earn a college degree.  So, with the help of the GI bill, and the support of my wife, I finished my Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Business and Maintenance Management and got a job doing logistics for the Marine Corp.  It was during this time where I was working as a civilian Marine that both my daughter were born and I came to realize that to take care of my family I needed to move up in the business world.  This realization, along with help from the GI Bill and a ton of support from my wife, is what set me on my latest leadership journey of earning my MBA through Mary Washington University.

Who do you want to be as a leader?

Within the Marine Corp, there is no leader more revered than the Marine legend Lewis "Chesty" Burwell Puller.  Aside from the ideals that the Marine Corp instills in you, I have always found his leadership style fascinating and have strived to emulate him.  While many Marines honor Chesty Puller for his courageous combat, I tend to be drawn more towards his interactions with his men.

He was hard on his men and demanded a lot from them, but in turn, he always did everything in his power to make sure that they were taken care of.  From the historical accounts I’ve read, Chesty had an innate understanding of his men which enabled him to unite them as a unit and treat them with respect while simultaneously disciplining them.  His superiors were incredibly impressed not only with the unity of his men but also by his commanding presence on the battlefield.

In one bloody battle, Chesty was wounded and laid bleeding and crippled in a foxhole and yet continued to call in airstrikes all night.  He refused to be moved from the field to tend to his injury until all the Marines that had been killed and wounded had been picked up first. Puller truly believed that his men came first and lived out that belief no matter the circumstances.

Every day while deployed Chesty would make daily inspections and insist on clean and ready weapons, alertness while on watch, and care of the feet.  Violations of these simple tasks were promptly punished but he always made sure his men had the resources needed to complete these tasks.  He also always arranged for the comfort of his men before his own, making sure that the other officers in his charge did the same.  Chesty would always be the last to get his food and made sure there was enough for the troops before he ate his.  One of the Chesty Puller rules that I still practice today is that when it comes to eating, the most junior among the group gets to eat first.  

He practiced what he preached when it came to leadership.  Visit all of your men frequently.  Talk to them.  Be sure they know what you want them to do at all times and where you can be found if they have questions.  Never be cruel, even to the enemy because it undermines the natural courage and manliness of the perpetrator.  Be respectful to a dead friend, or foe, and bury the dead quickly.  Make sure your men get enough rest or downtime and avoid unnecessary harassment, such as "standing by," meaning don’t give people busy work for the sake of giving them something to do.

Chesty was not only a great leader himself but he was responsible for training new leaders as well.  He always stood behind his men’s attempts to lead, standing back and allowing them to lead.  If they began to falter, he would work to convince them they were capable of leading.  The key leadership traits Chesty believed in were: over the top and continual combat training and discipline, cultivating loyalty and commitment among his Marines, leading from the front and participating in training and combat even when exhausted, set a courageous example, and speak out when you see something, no matter the consequences.

Who are you as a leader and why?

Although I am not leading Marines into combat, I believe that adopting Chesty Puller’s leadership example and applying it to the civilian section is easily done. I have been able to adapt and relate almost every one of Chesty’s leadership ideas to a leadership skill I use today.  I try to be fair but firm, and try to take the time to get to know my employees, taking note of their interests, hobbies, and families.  I strive to make sure that they have the resources available to them to be successful and I always make sure that they understand that I will support them when they need it.  There are clear paths in my life that made me into the leader I am today, beginning with the leadership completion in my youth and becoming more honed and defined in my time in the Marine Corp.

What will help you get there?

I hope to reach my leadership goals by constantly growing in my experience and education.  When they say that education is continual I believe it because it has never stopped for me.  I believe that once you stop learning, you stop growing as a person and a leader.  I am also aware that the best way to grow as a leader is to make mistakes and learn from them.  Ultimately then I believe that what will help me reach my leadership goals is actually a process of trial and error.  

What parts of this class changed you, molded you, enhanced you, and challenged you?

Given the varied leadership experiences I have had, specifically during my time in the Marines, we have not covered many topics pertaining to leadership that have been new to me.  One thing I can say from my time as a leader in the civilian world that has been tested and confirmed in this class is empathy.  My time in the Marine Corp was spent in a culture and surrounded by men and women amongst whom empathy was a foreign concept.  I have a new level of understanding and respect regarding empathy and have found new ways use it in my leadership roles.  By far the greatest challenge in this class didn’t have to do with the content but the sheer time it consumed.  Balancing work, family, and school has been a huge challenge this semester and the massive amounts of reading for this class has not helped

CYT Volunteering

On Saturday, April 15, Delicious Leadership had the opportunity to help the Fredericksburg Christian Youth Theater (CYT) with the stage breakdown and cleanup in the CYT warehouse. Our team met at 8am to discuss ideas for our upcoming presentation, devise a plan of attack and get to joke around a bit as we got to know each other. At 9am, we met with Andy, who told us more about Christian Youth Theatre and shared the passion and commitment that these students and their families have for this program. Once we had learned a little bit more about why we were here and how appreciative Andy was that we were willing to spend our time helping a greater cause, he gave us our work assignments for the morning. 

When we first walked in the warehouse, there was a gigantic pile of 2x4's, plywood and green board, some of which was attached and some was not. Andy told us that our job was to disassemble the plywood and 2x4's from the green board, save as much green board as we could as the students were able to reuse almost everything in the warehouse, and this also saved the organization a quite a bit of money. 

Andy gave us the 5 of us 3 power drills to unscrew all of the screws that secured the green boards to the 2x4's. We were also asked to organize and stack the wood at the back of the warehouse once all the screws had been removed from the wood. 

I was not lucky enough to get one of the power drills, so I began organizing the green boards which had already been detached from the wood and needed to be placed like books on a bookshelf in what looked like a gigantic closet for murals. While this was not the most important task of the day, this was the task I enjoyed most because as I was putting away the backdrops and scenery, I was able to examine some of the previously used scenery for other productions. And might I just say, these students are very talented artists!! The bookshelf of artwork was a beautiful memoir of all the hard work students, families and volunteers have contributed over the years. 

Once the green boards had been put away, a pile of wood had started to accumulate. At first I began to look for a power drill so I could help my team members complete the task faster. When I did not find one, I was saddened at first, but then I realized - hey - Sarah, if you start organizing and putting away all of the wood, we'll be done faster than if you were removing the screws from the wood! This has been a leadership skill that has slowly started to develop over the past 4 years for me. Growing up a millennial and a result of extremely, and probably too helpful parents, I've become very good at doing things that I'm told to do, but realized within the last four years that I really need to work on doing things that I see a need for, taking more of an initiative and making my own expectations and rules. I was so happy that I was able to do this at the CYT warehouse. While it may not have been the most visible task, and as I examined what I was doing I couldn't help but judge myself for 'just cleaning up' but I was proud that I found a need on my own, didn't ask anyone's permission and just went about it and did it on my own. 

All the while I thought it was outstanding that we all found our little niche where we were most needed and we felt most useful. I even broke out my phone about two thirds of the way through the session and we all bonded over the Allman Brother's Pandora radio station. We all left sweaty, stinky, satisfied and starving. We took several funny pictures before we left the warehouse, which will remind us of the seemingly small but terrific things we did that day, and as a bonus our team got along exceptionally!

Afterwards, Dan had to leave to see his family, but the remaining members of Delicious Leadership sauntered over to Adventure Brewing, which was fatefully across the parking lot. We all filled our stomachs as we laughed over stories and new found friendships.

Team of Rivals Reflection

Team of Rivals, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin is all about Abraham Lincoln's rise to presidency, his presidency, and his everlasting legacy across the globe. The book, although roughly 800 pages, really caught my attention and I often times felt that I could not put it down. I would read it before and after work every day. One of the main reasons why the book was so interesting to me was how diverse all of the people were in regards to leadership styles and organizational behaviors.

Throughout the book, it astonished me on how many failures and trials Lincoln had to face both prior to becoming president and during his presidency. I feel that the trials assisted in molding him into one of the best leaders that the United States has ever seen. Since the beginning of the book, Lincoln was never as fortunate as his future cabinet members when it came to education and money. Lincoln was a self educated man who borrowed books from anyone that he could. He understood the true meaning of hard work and did not take it for granted.

During Lincoln's presidential campaign and during his presidency, he showed astonishing emotional intelligence. He was able to continuously make decisions without letting his emotions or personal desires influence him. Lincoln would often write the emotional letters but store them away for a couple days, reread them, than either keep them locked up forever or throw them away. He was on the level of self actualization and often sacrificed his personal health for the better of the country.

Lincoln was also a master negotiator and influencer of people. Although Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, was not written at the time; Lincoln possessed many of the attributes. He would also listen to anyone's personal opinion fully, even if he did not agree, and would often be seen sitting back and listening rather than trying to lead any argument. Lincoln was a master tactician and timed his comments precisely. He would often start with a story that would bring all sides together and have a meaningful purpose. This would calm the opposing sides down while slowly instilling his ideas into their heads. He would then give his points, and wait while the opposition would determine that it was their idea and agree with Lincoln.

I was also astonished with how diverse Lincoln's cabinet was. Lincoln knew that a more diverse cabinet leads to a more successful one. Having opinions from all sides of the spectrum does lead to more arguments, but it also brings about the best solutions. In the book it was said that Lincoln believed that a cabinet of like minds is the same as a single ruler. This personally touched me because in the past, I have often times found myself only wanting to be around my close group of friends. We are all similar with similar beliefs and backgrounds, which leads to similar ideas. If I want to lead a more diverse lifestyle I will need to reach out to more diverse minded individuals.

Overall, Team of Rivals improved my intelligence of Lincoln and the Civil War much more than I have ever known. Previously, I only know as much as school had taught me, which was minimal. The book also lead to a lot of self-reflection. I need to be able to have the self awareness that he had and listen and surround myself with more intelligent people. Understanding that I know little motivates me to learn more. I also need to be a better listener. Listening, for Lincoln, assisted him with maintaining friends all over the political spectrum. Lastly, I need to spread out and surround myself with more diverse minded people. In doing so, I will continue to improve my intelligence, and will learn better ways to solve problems that I would have never previously conceived.

CYT

Our most recent volunteer experience was through the Fredericksburg organization Christian Youth Theater or CYT.  CYT is an extracurricular performing organization for children ages 4-18.  Not only do they offer 10-week classes in the areas of performing (dance, theater, and music) but they put on a musical theatrical performance every 10 weeks.  This means that at the conclusion of each show a breakdown of the sets required for the previous performance needs to take place, which includes not only deconstructing set pieces but also organizing the pieces so that they can be repurposed later for future productions.

Our group will participate in three volunteer experiences overall, this being the second.  Although I do not know how I will feel about the third opportunity, a competition for high schoolers hosted by Germanna, I believe my experience with CYT will be my favorite.  While I recognize that our experience at the multicultural fair at UMW was helpful, the type of work we were doing for CYT was more enjoyable for me.  I was able to work with my hands and use my construction skills, knowledge, and experience as we broke apart set pieces from their previous production of Willy Wonka.  It also provided a sense of accomplishment because you could see the immediate results of your work.  Additionally, because my wife is a theater director and I have often worked on or designed sets for her shows, I am aware of the amount of work that goes into building and breaking down sets.  I, therefore, know how helpful the work we were doing was for the current production crew and how any amount of help given to them is immensely appreciated.  

Volunteer Work Stage Breakdown

Today our team did our second of three volunteer opportunities. We were fortunate that one of my team member's significant other works for a nonprofit that does theater productions for children of all ages. The nonprofit just finished one production and needed the equipment broken down so that their next production, Shrek, could start.

We went to a giant warehouse where the nonprofit keeps all of their stage and prop equipment. We were tasked with unscrewing all of the wood from the stage and background, save and organize wood, screws, and other prop equipment. Our team, as a very functional team, took right to the task. While two of us focused on unscrewing the wood with power drills, another person moved the wood, and another separated the styrofoam. We were very efficient and able to enjoy ourselves while doing it. As a team we also rotated the jobs to ensure that each of us were able to have an equal share in the work.

The theater breakdown was a great bonding experience for our group. We were able to organize how we wanted to get the job done, which utilized all of our strengths. All of us were able to talk and have fun which kept the work enjoyable. Being able to assist with a nonprofit was also very humbling. Although we did non see the show, the stage and props that were used were extremely well made. Doing our small part to ensure that the children are able to continue to learn all aspects of theater make it extremely worthwhile.

Reflections of Lincoln-Team of Rivals

I recently finished the Lincoln book, and while I know we are going to be talking it out and analyzing the details of the leadership qualities that Lincoln showed in his presidency, I wanted to take a minute to reflect back on some impressions I received and thoughts I had while reading the book.

I have never been a big Civil War buff, my dad and grandpa are, and when my parents lived in Fredericksburg my folks would go to battlefields and tours and dad would tell me all the interesting tidbits he picked up.  I nodded along politely, but it was too removed for me to get to invested in more than just some interesting history facts.  So when I learned we would have to read this very large book in a very short period of time, on a subject that at first glance didn't really seem to relate to the class topic, I was not thrilled.  I learned very quickly how wrong I was, on many counts.

To make efficient use of my time, I got an audio version of the book so I could listen while I commuted to work.  I quickly became so engrossed in the book that I would sit in the car a few extra minutes when I got to my destination just to finish a story or thought from the author.  I would laugh at the images that were created by the authors words, get saddened by the characters losses, and be fully outraged and aggravated on the Presidents' behalf from some slight or scheming done by his rivals. It made me laugh and depressed at the same time as I listened to the beginning of story as the author described the political climate of the day and the marches on Washington, and the outrage of the country and the radical change they felt was needed, and reflect on how 150+ years later, it resonated so deeply still with our current political climate.  With a few technology upgrades, Goodwin could have been describing the lead up and months of the 2016 election, right down to the backlash against immigrants.

I was fascinated by the description of the rivals and marveled at Goodwin's' research and depth of information on each of them.  Her descriptive style and evocative phrases painted a vivid picture in my mind of the men, the times, and the personality of each.  When the Civil War started and the Battle of Bull run was described, it made me want to drive to Manassas to walk the battlefield and contemplate the mistakes and missed opportunities.  The same was true for all the battles in places I have driven past, but never took the time to really see.

I told my dad about the book, he had already read it of course, but I shared my fascination and how the author made me feel like it just happened and my desire to see these places now so close to me. When I told him I was ready to strangle Chase and kick him back to OH he laughed and agreed. I marveled with him how Lincolns ideas were changed over time and how that made made him such a powerful leader that he was then able to change a counties collective mind.

Though I knew how the story must end, everyone knows, it was heart-wrenching to hear of Lincoln's assassination and how his once bitter rivals mourned him.  I couldn't help but think of all the good he could have done, had he lived and finished his term.  What would the present have been like, if Lincoln had been able to bring the South back into the Union in his way?  How much more progress would have been made in bringing the people together if he had been around and his genius with people and understanding and compassion been available to heal the wounds of war?

Lincolns' true genius was not his vision of what could be, but of how he made that vision a reality and why he wanted to.  He truly felt that all men were equal and deserved to be treated as such.  He felt that each person brought value and strengths and was humble enough to want the best for his nation, to include bringing all those strengths into his cabinet to be the best for everyone, though he had to work harder to manage their differences.  His self-mastery and ability to understand what motivates different people and therefore utilize that so they came around to his way of thinking was both subtle and powerful.  It was more than charisma, more than likability, Lincoln had a true fascination and caring for each person.  I wondered, as the book drew to a close, if perhaps he was a bit of an empath, for the level of emotional intelligence he was able to use is not seen in many.

While I am not sure this book will turn me into a Civil War nut like my dad, it definitely brought history alive and presented the challenges of political life and how to be a true leader.  I think we should all strive to have more leadership qualities that Lincoln showed; compassion towards everyone, restraint when in the face of anger or insult, patience and thoughtfulness before decisions, and a resolute determination to do the right thing with no wavering of your path. It made me think of the leader I want to be, where I can appreciate, value and seek those with different opinions, because it is ultimately better for the collective.  I will strive to remember compassion towards everyone, and to value and truly listen to anyone who has something to share, because of the value they feel from being listened to.  I love how Lincoln used stories to make his meaning clear and I want to develop that skill, so I don't come across as blunt but rather can convey and nudge my listener in a subtle way that they may not even realize.  So a book that I was skeptical of for a leadership class, imparted the best leadership lessons to me, all in a way that was subtle and fascinating.  :)

Volunteer work at UMW Multicultural Fair

My experience at the UMW multicultural fair was close to what I expected of these types of events; we got up early, everyone was ready to go, then we have to wait for someone in charge to tell us what to do and where.  

While we were given an initial assignment, and the folks organizing it seemed to have a good idea of what was going on, there were still periods of waiting, and looking for direction or opportunities to be useful.  For this group of highly motivated folks, in the absence of leadership, we all jumped in when needed.  Our initial assignment of setting up tables and chairs in one specific area was hampered by delays of supplies.  As a group, I think we used this time well to discuss the books we are reading for the class, upcoming assignments, and just in general getting to know each other better and bond more as a team.  Once the materials got there, we sprang into action and worked efficiently to get everything set up. 

When our initial assignment was done, we looked to make ourselves useful by going to the next big setup and helping.  When we ran into more classmates, we definitely had a lot more personalities and leaders to work with!  I think everyone worked well together, but in my opinion, we could have used at least one UMW person who knew the plan!  But we didn't let that get in the way, and by unstructured leadership, figured out a layout of tables and chairs that would meet the needs of the intended goal. 

It was a good day, and I had fun getting out and helping at a fun community event.  I think best of all, the Delicious Leadership team got to know each other better and learn each others individual strengths so at our next volunteer event we will make an even stronger team.  

Multicultural Fair

The Multicultural set up at UMW was a huge success but it did not come without some sacrifice. It was the first time I was outdoors doing work before the sun rose in a long time. Waking up at 4:30am was a challenge but once I was on my feet it was awake and engaged.

As a group, we were tasked with assisting the set up of tables, chairs, and anything else that the student supervisors lead us to do. Setting up tables and chairs for the various student groups uses team work to organize the set up, carry and set up the tables. We were continuously engaged as a team and all of us participated fully.

After setting up the seating in front of a stage, we assisted another team from the class with setting up the main extra large tent, tables, and chairs. Both our group and the other group were being instructed by the owners of the tend who rent it out to various events. Between all of us, we had a very smooth system to the set up and eventual 24 plus tables and 250 chairs. We were all able to align them efficiently and was done in a much shorter amount of time than I initially thought.

Overall, the multicultural fair was a huge success with multiple vendors and activities set up. As a team we all took the lead at various times depending on our strengths. We all then had a perfect systematic team work to accomplish all of the tasks. It was personally humbling to see the final product of the whole fair and that our small sacrifice of waking up early was able to have a direct impact on the outcome of the fair.

Who I am as a Leader

This class as taught me a lot about self-reflection and how I am as a leader. Using the Self-Handicapping book (Decker and Mitchell, 2015) I have been able to recognize some of my strengths and opportunities as a leader. I consider myself to be strong an analytics. I have always appreciated data and trend analysis. I also consider myself strong at reading my employees and understanding their concerns which leads to a collaborative solution.

My opportunities, however, are plentiful. I must concentrate to reduce my tunnel vision as too much analysis makes me miss what is occurring directly in front of me. Also, being able to properly hold others accountable has always been an area of opportunity. I must be able to trust my employees and peer to do their jobs and when they fail I must be able to hold them appropriately accountable.

As a leader I am a collaborator. I do not believe that every scenario must follow every rule 100 percent of the time. There are always certain situations that warrant different reactions and results. I pride myself in the ability to read and understand the employees that I am in charge of. Gaining an understanding from their viewpoint is extremely important to me. It allows me to understand why they made a certain choice and it allows me to lead them to the proper solution or it may teach me a new way of doing things. Being a collaborator also gives me more employee buy-in. Showing that their opinion matters and it is directly used in the solution makes them feel self-accountable and that the goal is obtainable.

Throughout this class I have learned that I need to be more outspoken as a leader. I generally sit and listen more at meetings and brainstorming sessions and wait until it is appropriate for me to speak. At I miss my chance to be outspoken and this has developed into a quieter, less outspoken brand that I need to break. Since starting this class I understand that not just being more outspoken, but my body language will allow me to break this brand. I have begun to overcome this by first realizing what I am doing and stopping it. This can mean being too focused on a task on the computer and not realizing what is occurring throughout my section. I need to make a point to catch myself, stand up, and walk around the section to listen to my employees and see how the interact. I also need to be able to provide my opinion more frequently. I have been catching myself with this by setting goals to speak a certain amount of times in meetings. This does not mean just speak to speak, but it does mean speak if there is an intellectual engaging thought. Being more engaging and outspoken, along with my ability to analyze, will allow me to maximize my potential as a leader.

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie has been provided me with the most feedback on how to be more outspoken and to influential amongst my peers and employees. The book is an easy read and it kept me engaged by putting the practices into reality. The small things that it includes, giving compliments and continuous smiling, has already assisted me in being more approachable and engaging as long as I can catch and correct myself. There are other numerous hints in the book that I will continue to use in order to shape myself into the progressive and proactive leader. I want to become a leader that is able to develop my associates in both work and life. Providing overall development to my employees will lead them to a more overall successful and happier life.

Delicious Leadership Volunteers with Multicultural Fair

April 1, 2017 - UMW Fredericksburg Campus

On Saturday, April 1, 2017 (April Fools Day), Delicious Leadership had the opportunity to participate and volunteer with the set-up for the Multicultural Fair. While I remember the event distinctly, there was something in particular that made me reminisce today, Tuesday, as I passed Ball Circle. I was walking back across campus from a late afternoon meeting, when I noticed what a distinct transformation Ball Circle had made from Saturday to Tuesday. On Saturday, the perimeter of Ball Circle was full of food, tents, slow cookers and inflatable rentals all preparing for the fair goers. Whereas today (Tuesday), Ball Circle was chock full of students in Adirondack chairs, reading and talking while laying in the sun. On Saturday, we got to play the unsung heroes which helped contribute to the success of the 27th Annual Multicultural Fair.

On Saturday, our group met at the University Center before 6:00am to meet with the rest of the volunteers and be given our assignments for the morning. The fair was expecting between 5,000 and 6,000 fair-goers to be on campus on this day, and there were plenty of volunteers ready to help. All volunteers were given assignments at 6:30am and by daybreak, we were on our way to our first assignment. Our first assignment consisted of setting up the tables, chairs and the stage in front of Monroe. Each group of volunteers was partnered with a student employee who had carried out the assignment in a previous year. Our student coordinator, Miriam, was helpful, encouraging and appreciative of our help. Once we were finished setting up the Monroe stage, we met back at the information tent to be given new assignments.

Once at the information tent, we did not find a coordinator there who was able to tell us where we were needed, so we began to look around for a project that could benefit from our help. Across from Lee Hall, the large tent was being assembled and raised. We agreed it looked like they needed help, so we made our way across Ball Circle to help with the big tent. Like much of the tables, chairs and equipment at the fair, the tent was rented and delivered by and set up by the company, but the employees were more than happy to teach us how to set up and secure the tent posts. Once the tent was set up, our group and another group in our class assembled the tables and chairs which were placed under the tent, so as to protect lunchers from the heat or elements. There was a good deal of disorganization and confusion with regard to the tables and chairs, first as to how the tables should be set up, and secondly once the tables were set up how many chairs should be seated at each table. I felt as though a) we were not given enough information b) we were not familiar with how to best organize the tables and chairs and c) as though this was a test of our leadership and participation skills. Among the two groups, several people were clearly outspoken leaders who differed on their opinion as to how to best organize the tables and chairs, whereas others were just happy to help. In this situation, it would have been more favorable to have a diagram of how to best organize the tables and chairs as well as specifications as to how many tables and chairs were expected. After two reorganization attempts, the two groups were able to come organize the tables and chairs which proved satisfactory and mindful of space.

The great thing about volunteering as a group is that your efforts are twofold, you are contributing to and are a part of something larger, but it also gives you an opportunity to bond as a unit. I find this to be evident in all groups, whether it be young children, college-age students or working adults; there is something about working together that makes people get along. Delicious Leadership was able to discuss Carnegie, the beginnings of Lincoln as well as things that make us laugh and the things that are important to us while volunteering our efforts to set up for the 27th Annual Multicultural Fair.

UMW Multicultural Fair Volunteer Refelection

I woke up at 4:00am this past Saturday and was out the door 45 minutes later en route to UMW. I immediately thought back to my time while on active duty. I regularly woke up at this time for 5 years! I needed to arrive by 5:30am. I found parking along College Ave. a few blocks down from the meeting spot. Mike spotted me walking by and we arrived together for the event. When we walked through the door, Kim greeted us with a pleasant smile and I immediately noticed that most of the volunteers were those from my class. By 6:15am we had received our assignments. My group was to set up a stage and 75 chairs. It was an enjoyable experience working with my group. After the initial assignment was completed, we started roaming the area to see where to help next. We worked with another group helping them set up a large tent that accommodated 250 people. As I was setting up for this event, I felt like I was back on the ship setting up for a command picnic or something. Needless to say, I was experiencing many fond memories from my time aboard the USS Monterey. I felt our team worked well together and I enjoyed watching Kim and Sarah chase down Sammy D. Eagle for a group photo opportunity. They were literally running after that mascot! I have to say that was the best part of day. Those girls were on a mission and were not to be denied.

Class Reflections

Class Reflections

Thus far there has been a lot of reading in this class.  Don’t misunderstand – I enjoy reading but usually only when I am able to pick the material.  I find that I struggle to read when I am assigned the reading, even if I may enjoy the book.  Despite this fact, I found that I did enjoy the first book we read by Dale Carnegie.  He makes a lot of valid points and his lessons were presented in an interesting and thought provoking manner.  Additionally, I noticed that all the concepts he was mentioning in his book were ones that I have been taught throughout the years in various leadership and management classes and yet his book or his name were never mentioned.  This leads me to believe that, although his book was written several decades ago, the lessons he teaches are timeless.   By far the greatest thing about the book, because it was written so long ago, were the dated references and how some of the companies he mentions in the book, such as Sears, still exist today.

  

The second book, Self-Handicapping Leadership, was a much more difficult read for me.  The information might be interesting but it is presented in such a way that the reading itself is very dry and therefore difficult to get through.  While I recognized the importance of the information in the book and felt convicted regarding certain topics and how they applied to myself, I struggled to get past the delivery of the information which in turn made it harder to me to internalize the information.  Many of my classmates must have felt convicted by the topics in this book as well because during our class discussion last week, I felt as though it was less of a discussion and more of a therapy session.  Other than that, I still am enjoying the structure of the class and the discussions in particular.