Journal #2: O Captain, My Captain!

One of the most powerful leaders I have admired, followed, and aspired to be is a previous boss of mine named Jane whom I worked for over a period of about six years as a teen. Jane owns her own catering business and has a staff of twelve who work for her part-time.

Strengths

1.      Effective Communicator

I think that one of the most important strengths every leader must have is effective communication skills. A leader may have many outstanding qualities, but if they are not able to communicate their message or vision to others, they are immobilized. To me, effective communication skills include an ability to articulate ideas clearly and concisely to others. It also involves using appropriate volume, tone, and diction as well as non-verbal cues like eye contact and posture. Jane is one of the most effective speakers I have encountered. Her ability to tell a story, express her opinions, and give instructions is captivating. She is assertive and concise, so that her message is clear. Jane speaks with eloquence and has a way of convincing people of her ideas. She does not shy away from difficult conversations with others, but also enjoys banter and casual conversations getting to know her staff.

2.      Fair

Another quality Jane demonstrates that makes her a great leader is her sense of fairness. Leaders are often tasked with problem solving and conflict resolution. As the leader, your followers look to you to help them resolve issues with others. It is important that leaders demonstrate fairness and bias towards others to develop a sense of unity, equity and inclusion among the group. Jane has demonstrated fairness many times as a boss. When approached with issues regarding scheduling conflicts or differing opinions, she always tries to listen to both sides and works with people to ensure a solution is agreed upon by all parties. Day to day, she does not give preferential treatment or unfair advantage to certain individuals. Jane treats us all fairly and therefore we feel like equally valued members of the team.

3.      Motivating

I think that great leaders have the ability to motivate others. In order to do this, leaders must get to know their followers and figure out what drives them to do better and be better, just as teachers do in the classroom every day. Jane motivates me in many ways, by reminding me of my personal and career goals, and by offering support when I need it. Despite her busy schedule, she will go out of her way to give the team a morale boost (often in the form of homemade cookies or candy!) or a pep talk. She demonstrates her trust and belief in us, encouraging us to take risks by supporting us in our failures.

4.      A Master of their Craft

While I was going to identify the last strength as “respected” or “admired”, I had to pause and think about why great leaders are respected and admired by others. Often, great leaders have many traits that others admire, but when I think about Jane as a leader, I think about my respect for her as an amazing business woman and chef. Jane single-handedly built her catering business from the ground up. The main reason for her success (besides her leadership abilities) is her phenomenal cooking abilities. I think that great leaders need to earn their positions by demonstrating excellence in their field, and that is something Jane exemplifies through her work.

The Achilles Heel

No one is perfect, and I know Jane would admit that her “Achilles heel” is her disorganization and dislike of “paperwork”. Most leaders have a jam-packed schedule and many responsibilities to fulfill each day, and so organization is an important skill required to ensure everything is done efficiently. However, Jane is more of a “creative type” and so keeping a detailed planner or comprehensive to-do list is not her style. Nor is completing the administrative duties her position must fulfill. Luckily, her ability to recognize her weaknesses and seek help in these areas has made these challenges an opportunity for others to demonstrate their leadership. Overall, Jane is someone I admire, respect, and willingly follow as she continues to inspire me to be the best version of myself.