Capstone: Apl Prac & Princ Ldg

Respond to the two below postings (150-200 words each)

Scott

The First article that stuck with me was from our communications class, Managing Organizational Communication. That one seemed to stay with me because of how straightforward and laid out it was. I was able to take away a lot of things from it that helped improve how I communicate with people and how I look at communicating with higher-ups or even people below me. There was a section that talked about responding to employee issues and how, as a leader, if we do not properly handle that, we can and will lose the trust of our followers. I can relate to that when I was in the military police and needed simple things from my flight chief but never got them. Our working relationship was different because I knew I could not depend on him.

            The second article I found a lot of interest in was Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions in our teams and groups class. His dimension relates to countries as a whole vs. something that relates to one person. I found value in that because of all the traveling I do for work. It helped me better understand what other countries do and how they view the world. I realized quickly that things are different on the road within a few trips, and knowing more about another country beforehand will greatly help me. I also learned more about our country and how, as a whole, the way we view things. We need to know how we do things just as much as we need to know how other people do theirs because without having a firm foundation of our own beliefs and values, we will not be able to lead as effectively as we can in other parts of the world.

LaTanya

We have had so many great classes during our program that it is hard to pinpoint my top two most important. However, Developing the Self as a Leader and Communication As a Leader would be essential to me as a leader. What attracts me to these theories is that it is the beginning of understanding what motivates you and what gives you your purpose in life to be a leader. Once you accomplish your development on yourself, then you can develop yourself; you will be able to be in a position to grow others effectively, which includes ways to learn how to communicate with them as an effective leader. I  put this theory to practice every day in the classroom. I had to work on my inner self, verbal and non-verbal cues, and even when I did not feel like it staying motivated to be a leader, not just for my adult team but also for my students. 

Some essential resources I read during the program were Kotter, J "Our iceberg is melting: Changing and succeeding under any conditions" and Chapman, G "Sync or swim: A fable about improving culture and communication. I also have learned a lot by implementing Peter Drucker's five questions. These resources were helpful because they gave me tips on how to navigate throughout the organization, be able to understand what my mission and vision are when leading, as well as learn to communicate effectively with a vast culture. The books and videos have helped me build my knowledge of myself and others, promote growth, and show me ways to keep my head above water during adversity. 

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