Personal Reflection on Leadership

Personal Reflection on Leadership In my brief professional career at IBM, I was part of a software development team where I was the youngest and least experienced person. I vividly remember that we had a team manager, highly experienced and professional but an ineffective leader. He would perform his tasks but did not go that extra mile. On the other hand, one of my teammates-very less experienced compared to the manager was a true leader, his duties did not ask him of any such commitments, but he always went the extra mile to help the team. He took me under his wing, motivated others in the team, and found innovative ways to solve the problem. He created an environment for high competence. He gave me so much confidence through his mentoring that I was performing at the highest level in no time. He created a synergy among the team that even the client praised. His actions reminded me of a saying from Jack Welch, former CEO of GE â€Å"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others†. In my opinion, he was the true leader because he positioned the team at the centre of everything and took the responsibility of growing everyone. This experience was one of the most influential leadership lessons I have come across till now. I am definite that I will have a clear picture in mind when I embark on future leadership roles. Before pursuing my degree at Cass, I had the opportunity to look around my brother’s nascent IT firm which is primarily focused on web-based services and providing internet marketing solutions. Though a well rounded firm, I sensed a lack of strong innovation and new products. This might jeopardize the company in the long run. Ideally, after completing my graduate studies, I am keen to join him and oversee the launch of new products, specifically, something along the lines of an automatic website builder. Furthermore, I am also keen to move the companys operations to different cities in the country where there is an opportunity of further growth. Taking charge of being the Product Head and institute such changes will require strong leadership skills. Innovative Leadership: Launching a technologically advanced product in my organization will require me to adopt innovative leadership characteristics and work seamlessly across different sets of people having varied skills. A good innovation leader is characterized by the ability to excel on  two  conflicting skills: creativity and discipline. Creativity involves skills such as idea generation and conceptualization while discipline involves the skill to implement and launch. A successful leader should measure the weight of both and take actions accordingly (Roland Bel, 2010). Furthermore, Innovative leaders are characterized by the following attributes (Jean-Philippe Deschamps, 2008) Mix of Emotion and Realism The Acceptance of Uncertainty, Risks, and Failures High Degree of Passion The Willingness to Proactively Search for External Technologies and Ideas The Courage to Stop Projects, Not Just to Start Them Talent for Attracting Innovators and Building and Steering Winning Teams According to the author if an individual needs to bring an innovative change in the organization, he or she should possess at least some of the qualities listed above so that they are successful in bringing new products or services in the market. Adaptive Leadership and change: Coming back to my tenure at IBM, what my colleague did differently with others in the team was that he forced us to think differently than other teams, bringing out the best in everyone. Each one of us was flexible in taking any type of task, further increasing the teams flexibility and productivity. According to Ronald A.Heifetz and Donald L.Laurie (1997, p132-141) Organizations today require adaptive leadership where challenges reside not in the executive suite but in the collective intelligence of employees at all levels. This is where the success of many future ideas and entrepreneurial ventures will lie. I believe bringing in such a change will be one of my biggest challenge once I take the leadership role. Moreover, Adaptive change will require people to work in new ways, new relationships and take on new roles (Ronald A.Heifetz and Donald L.Laurie, 1997). I intend to carry out such changes through the implementation of different project management techniques such as Lean and Agile (Schwaber, 2004). These techniques have been successful in recent years as they are quite adaptive in nature. These techniques forces employees to adapt quickly, learn new things constantly and learn from their mistakes. In Particular, these techniques are found to be useful in major tech companies and technologically driven products and hence will suit the company style. I have already had experience with such techniques at IBM and hence I will be able to use my knowledge and skills to implement it within my future organization. A lot of companies such as IBM or Google make ‘transformation of employees their top priority. They continuously invest in employee transformation and hence are able to meet the challenges of the changing environment. When I was working in IBM, I remember going through multiple trainings and workshops and these trainings did not just include technical trainings. Trainings such as communicating effectively, leading in teams, how to conduct meetings etc were equally important. According to Mike Pedler et al(1989,pp1-8) an organization which facilitates the learning of all its members and continuously transform itself is a learning company . My future goal will also be to change my organization into a learning company through employee development programs and knowledge management systems (Pedler et al, 1989) as currently there is lack of such learning. My skill model: The skills model provides a good overview of the skills which are necessary for an effective leader (M.D. Mumford et al, 2000). Appendix 1 lists my score in the three components which are described in the model Technical skills: The high score in this regard can be attributed to my experience in software engineering and working on a complex product while I was working in IBM. My daily tasks almost always included problem-solving and analyzing product requirements in detail. According to Mumford et.al (2000, p.24) the experiences required in the course of leaders careers influence their knowledge and skills to solve complex problems. My background and experience will help me tackle problems during the development stage of the product. Human Skill: Throughout my professional experience I worked with different sets of people with varied skills and experience. The entire project in IBM consisted of over a hundred people in India, and the product had multiple features that required expertise and collaboration from multiple teams. This meant communicating with various team leads and delegating responsibilities. Though I had quite a rich experience working in teams, there is still development which needs to be done in this regard. For e.g.: Participating in Toastmasters club at CASS will improve my communication and leadership skills. The experience of working with people from diff cultures and backgrounds in CASS will further improve my people skills. Conceptual skill: Since my duties at IBM were essentially technical I was largely uninvolved in the strategic decision-making process. My low score represents my lack of experience in this skill and needs the most development. Conceptual skills require working at an organization level and working with ideas (Peter G.Northouse, 2013). I plan to intern at a start-up company so that I am able to have experience at an organizational level. It will give me an overview of the challenges which are faced by new organizations when launching new products or services. Furthermore, not to forget the mentoring I will have from my brother who has been heading the company for a couple of years now. Learning form him will improve my understandings and will help me tackle issues at a higher level. Additionally, I will have to broaden my knowledge base further and enhance my entrepreneurial skills to be successful in my futures goals. Though Leadership theory and practice can greatly improve a persons leadership skills a competent business leader is one who possesses a clear vision for his or her company, is keenly aware of emerging trends and possesses the ability to capitalize on them. References: Bel, Roland. 2010, Leadership and Innovation: Learning from the Best, Wiley Periodicals-Global business and Organizational Excellence, pp 47-58 Deschamps, J. P. (2008). Innovation leaders: How senior executives stimulate, steer, and sustain innovation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Heifetz, Ronald A. Laurie, Donald L (1997), The work of Leadership, Breakthrough Leadership-Harvard business review, pp 132-141 Mumford, M.D., Zaccaro, S.J., Harding, F.D., Jacobs, T.O., Fleishman, E.A.(2000). Leadership skills for a changing world: Solving complex social problems. Leadership Quarterly, 11(1), 11-35 Northouse, Peter.G (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage publications-6th edition, p46-51 Schwaber, K (2004). Agile Project Management with Scrum, Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA, Pedler, Mike., Boydell, Tom., Burgoyne, John.(1989). Towards the learning company, Management education and development, Volume 20-part1, pp 1-8

HIV/AIDS in the Workplace

  HIV[1] is the virus that causes AIDS[2], an epidemic that is killing working adults in their prime years with no cure in sight.   In fact, AIDS has become the second leading killer of adults in the United States today.The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately fifty percent of people infected with AIDS today are between the ages of 25 and 44 and are currently employed. In Per Austin/Travis County Health and Human Service Department, there were 4,239 documented cases of HIV/AIDS in 2005, and many were in the workforce.AIDS is sweeping across the nation and taking talent from the nations work pool at an alarming rate.   Many employees and employers are unaware of the increasing numbers of their peers that are plagued by this disease because of the lack of education in the workplace.   The effects of insufficient education are and will be costly for all employers in the future years.The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS yields discrimination in the work environment.   Idle gossip and exclusion are the most prevalent forms of discrimination and often leave those that are infected feeling ostracized from their peers (Dunlap, Mary C, 35).Other forms of discrimination include, firing, unsupported transfers, and lost promotions.   Employees that are subject to these discriminations based on their illness can suffer from a myriad of problems including, low self esteem, hopelessness, and shame.The lack of education in the workplace encourages employees and employers to continue discrimination.   Because people bring their bias and prejudices into the workplace, it has become the job and responsibility of the employer’s human resources team to educate its employees on the topic of HIV and AIDS.Media hype also feeds the beast of discrimination by stereotyping people who are infected by HIV/AIDS and by providing false information about how the disease is transmitted from person to person.Although information in the last two dec ades has come a long way to educate the public, the population is still dumb to many facts about the virus and how it affects them in their daily lives when they come in contact with a person who is infected.The media in the last two decades is redeeming itself by providing truthful information about this disease.   There are many forms of materials from pamphlets, websites, newspaper articles, and public announcements that are now available to business to educate on the epidemic.These materials squash the myths that HIV/AIDS can be contracted through drinking fountains, toilet seats, and shaking hands.   Those employees that do not have access to this type of information, however, still believe the myths and are still discriminatory against infected peers.Discrimination against employees that are infected cost employers money due to work disruption, low productivity, and potential legal problems.   â€Å"Employers need to recognize that there are talented, motivated people l iving with HIV/AIDS who can bring valuable expertise to the workplace-and that current valued employees may contract HIV/AIDS.†(Franzoi, 5)By not recognizing this, employers are setting themselves up for a potentially huge loss.   Employers need to consider the big picture and what this catastrophic illness and the discrimination that comes along with it can mean for their business; because thus far, lawsuits arising from HIV/AIDS is more than any other disease in the history of the nation.They need to consider insurance and health care cost, job accommodations, disability requirements, and confidentially and privacy laws to name a few.  Ã‚   These effects could cost employers money in the long run.There are many laws that now protect employees who are infected with HIV and AIDS, but little is known about these laws and how they affect the working community of those who are infected.The Americans with Disabilities Act â€Å"†¦prohibits employment discrimination on th e basis of disability.†    The Family Medical Leave Act allows for protected, unpaid leave from employment for persons with serious illnesses, including HIV/AIDS for up to twelve weeks in a twelve month period; and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects against discriminatory treatments.Despite the increasing number of laws set up for persons who are infected, education is still needed to reduce legal problems and management errors.â€Å"73% of working Americans surveyed feel that their employers should offer a formal workplace AIDS education initiative.† (Employee) Also, â€Å"75% of American adults view their employer as the most reliable source for unbiased, trustworthy HIV education.† (Brown, 2).The desire for education has been voiced by the working public, so why do employers continue to make policies about HIV and AIDS in the workplace but not take the initiative to develop a formal training program?The Teacher Retiremen t Systems of Texas has a policy in place mandated by the state of Texas called Human Immunodeficiency Virus Services Act (1989).The policy brings awareness that discrimination against people infected with HIV and AIDS will not be tolerated, and the laws that protect them.   This policy is disclosed at the time of hire, but is not reviewed; and a mass email is sent yearly to current employees.When it comes to formal policy most people do not take the time to review the information on their own; therefore, employees are still ignorant to the facts surrounding HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

Deadly Unna Essay

Deadly Unna by Phillip Gwyn is a story about the friendship between two boys set up in a small country town in the 1980’s South Australia. Gary Black (or Blacky) is the protagonist, a fifteen year old boy with many siblings, who develops and matures. He becomes highly aware of racism in the small country town against aboriginal people, as well as many other issues through out the course of the novel. Through out the story he meets a girl named Cathy that he gets smitten by, he looses his friend Dumby because he died in a shoot out down by the bar, so he drastically matures as the novel progress. Some of the other significant themes dealt with by Deadly Unna are the issues related to life in a small country town and the idea of loss of childhood innocence. Let’s begin when Blacky’s ALF team gets trophies for a specific category e. g. : scored most goals ECT. Dumby was the ‘best man on field’ so he obviously deserved and earned the ‘Best Man on Field’ Trophy. But instead the trophy was awarded to Mark-Arks. Remember when Dumby tried to mug Macca’s bar, he died because he shoot him with a shotgun and the police didn’t even try to solve the case. Basically nobody cared just because Dumby was just another Aborigines kid. Speaking of Maccas’s bar, all the gonyas sits in the front of the bar. But the Nungas is in the back. Except for one person called Tommy who always says Chug-A-Lug. But he’s only there because he is always drunk and it’s funny for the Gonyas. When the Slogs wrote BOONGS PISS OFF. This really affected Blacky because he became so aware of racism ever since Dumby’s death. Blacky’s loss of childhood innocence begun when Dumby died, one of his best friends that he has ever had just disappeared and now his childhood has basically vanished because everything he knew as a child is now gone. When Gary wanted to grab some paint and a brush his dad busted him and told Blacky to put the brush and the paint down. But Gary has matured because he as gone through so much that he has lost his childhood. All the Sad stuff that has been going on in his life made him realise that he is not a little kid anymore, especially when Darcy said ‘I dare say they should Blacky, I dare say they should†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He now sees what racism people have against the Aboriginal population, and now his childhood has passed away. Another example is when Gary gets smitten by Cathy, this is a prime example that he has now matured and moved on to his teenage life.

Evolution of Eye Color in Humans

The earliest human ancestors are believed to have come from the continent of Africa. As primates adapted and then branched off into many different species on the tree of life, the lineage that eventually became our modern day human beings appeared. Since the equator cuts directly through the continent of Africa, the countries there receive almost direct sunlight all year long. This direct sunlight, with ultraviolet rays, and the warm temperatures it brings pressure for the natural selection of dark skin color. Pigments, like melanin in the skin, protect against these harmful rays of the sun. This kept individuals with darker skin alive longer and they would reproduce and pass down the dark-skinned genes to their offspring. Genetic Basis of Eye Color The main gene that controls eye color is relatively closely linked to the genes that cause skin color. It is believed that the ancient human ancestors all had dark brown or nearly black colored eyes and very dark hair (which is also controlled by linked genes to eye color and skin color). Even though brown eyes are still considered mostly dominant overall eye colors, there are several different eye colors readily seen now in the global population of human beings. So where did all of these eye colors come from? While evidence is still being collected, most scientists agree that the natural selection for the lighter eye colors is linked to the relaxation of selection for the darker skin tones. As human ancestors began to migrate to various places around the world, the pressure for selection of dark skin color was not as intense. Particularly unnecessary to human ancestors that settled in what are now the Western European nations, selection for dark skin and dark eyes was no longer necessary for survival. These much higher latitudes afforded different seasons and no direct sunlight like near the equator on the continent of Africa. Since the selection pressure was no longer as intense, genes were more likely to mutate. Eye color is a bit complex when talking about genetics. The color of human eyes is not dictated by a single gene like many of the other traits. It is instead considered a polygenic trait, meaning there are several different genes on various chromosomes that carry information about what eye color an individual should possess. These genes, when expressed, then blend together to make various shades of different colors. Relaxed selection for dark eye color also allowed more mutations to take hold. This created even more alleles available to combine together in the gene pool to create different eye colors. Individuals who can trace their ancestors to Western European countries generally have a lighter skin color and lighter eye color than those from other parts of the world. Some of these individuals also have shown parts of their DNA that were very similar to those of the long-extinct Neanderthal lineage. Neanderthals were thought to have lighter hair and eye colors than their Homo sapien cousins. The Continuing of Evolution New eye colors could possibly continue to evolve as mutations build up over time. Also, as individuals of various shades of eye colors breed with one another, the blending of those polygenic traits may also result in the emergence of new shades of eye color. Sexual selection may also explain some of the different eye colors that have popped up over time. Mating, in humans, tends to be non-random and as a species, we are able to choose our mates based on desirable characteristics. Some individuals may find one eye color much more appealing over another and choose a mate with that color of eyes. Then, those genes are passed down to their offspring and continue to be available in the gene pool.