A500.4.3.RB_LeeDarrell

For this week's blog, we were asked to watch a video titled "The Art of Choosing" which is a speech given by Dr. Sheena Iyengar. (Click here to view the video.) This is a video on the website TED.com which has hundreds of "TED Talks". These videos all seem to be inspirational or motivating for teams and can be used in a workshop setting. I found this pretty ironic because I had never heard of the TED Talks before this week but this is actually my third time this week seeing one. We have a new battalion commander and he seems to love these videos so that that was my first introduction to them and then my pastor sent an e-mail with a link to one and now I viewed this one for class.

The video today was all about choices that we have to make. The orator, Dr. Iyengar, talks about her travels around the world and interactions with people from other cultures when dealing with choices. It is very interesting how different people view choices. For example, she is talking about a trip to Eastern Europe and offering a choice of sodas to interviewees. Though there are seven sodas from which to choose, they only view it as having one choice – soda or soda. She then was talking about some of the cultures that never had the option of choice (former Communist countries) and then choice was forced on them and they didn’t quite know how to adapt.

In the video, Dr. Iyengar points out three main assumptions.

1.       Everybody wants to make their own choices.

2.       Having more options leads to better choices.

3.       You should never say no to having a choice.

For the most part, I think that I agree with these assumptions but a lot of that is, as I previously pointed out, cultural. The world is a “shrinking” place and cultures are growing closer and closer together. However, one assumption that I will make is that we will continue to operate in a primarily capitalist society where we do have choices. It is in this society where we, the students of this class, will continue to strive to be leaders. But sometimes as leaders, we are the ones that are equipped to make the wise choices for those in our organizations. This is something that was really sticking out to me as I watched this video. I am an Army recruiter. I know that enlisting in the Army is the best choice for a lot of the young men and women that interact with me daily. When I walk into the bodega around my corner or ride the subway, I see these young adults that want to make their own choices to feel validated so talking to me can’t be forced on them. I view interacting with them as a leadership role so how can I convince them to come talk to me? The key to that is to make it feel like it is their idea. Now I am not saying that I know what is best for them to do with their lives but I know that they need something that they lose nothing by coming to talk to me. If they feel like it was their idea to come and see me, I can get them in the office every time. But that is the key. It has to be their choice. I think that may be something for leaders at all levels in any organization to bear in mind. Even if we, as the leaders, have the vision and know the right steps, we have to let those that we are leading decide for themselves to take those steps. Our role is to guide them to make that decision on their own.

The assumption that having more options leads to better choices is true to an extent I believe. However, there is a point where too many choices can become overwhelming and counterproductive. A perfect example of that is right here at home for me. I live in Manhattan. A decision as simple as what to have for dinner can become overwhelming. There are literally hundreds are food choices within walking distance of my apartment. So why are there times when I can’t figure out what I want? Because it is overwhelming. From a leadership standpoint, this is something else that we have to keep in mind. Having options is good. Having too many options overwhelms the organization. It ties up resources. Sometimes less is better. 

A500.3.4.RB_LeeDarrell

I have been a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) since
2004, I think. When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I took a
pretty even mix of on-campus and online classes. My graduate work has been
completed primarily online or through Eagle Vision (which is like a video
teleconference class).  One thing that every class that I have taken through
ERAU is that the syllabus always recommends using the Jack Hunt Library
which is located at the main school campus in Daytona, FL. In fact, I have
even taken classes that mandate the use of the library in completing
research papers for the class. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately,
depending on your point of view), most of my instructors in the past have
been very lenient with that requirement because I honestly had no idea how
to actually use that particular library. I would always just do my research
in traditional ways - looking up articles online and finding books at the
local library - and claiming that the book was contained at the Hunt
Library. I was still pretty clever with it and would verify via the online
catalog that the library did indeed contain that book in case my instructor
checked. 

Today, I finally completed the online training for the Hunt Library. You
know how us men can be. We often refuse to ask for directions or read the
instructions. (I know that I am not speaking for all men when I say that but
I do fit the humorous stereotype of being stubborn.)  Just as when I finally
read the directions on how to use Windows 8, my mind was blown at how easy
it is to actually use our library. I remember reading/hearing in the past
that it was possible to have the library send you books via mail and I knew
that they published a few magazines and articles online but I thought that
was the extent of what could be done. After completing the online training,
I started to explore the resources available. I did a little test and
researched the topic of my last research paper on the topic of EMAS
(Enhanced Materials Arresting Systems - a form of soft collapsible concrete
places at the end of runways that will stop an aircraft from running off a
runway). I wish that I would have known how to use the Hunt Library before
because it returned 72 results. I really only looked at the first four of
them but two of those were excellent .PDF documents that were already in the
system. The databases also contained the statistics that I would have needed
to write my last research paper. 

One area where I am still just a little unclear is with scholarly articles.
When I say that I am unclear, I don't mean that I don't understand what they
are. A "scholarly article" is one that has been written by vetted experts in
a field and study and usually has been peer reviewed. These can be articles
that appear in periodical journals or technical reports. The lack of clarity
that I have really is just more of an unfamiliarity. However, now that I
have finally selected the degree plan for me (Leadership), I am anxious to
incorporate scholarly articles into my research. I have tried to use search
engines such as Google and Yahoo in the past to find scholarly articles but
have often found myself linked to a website that requires that I give my
credit card information to download the article. I was able to open a few of
them through the Hunt Library without having to pay. This actually excites
me a little. Focusing on a discipline in graduate school is not the same as
undergraduate studies. Earning a masters degree means that one has actually
mastered a field of study. Within each field, new ideas are always being
introduced. The discipline of leadership is ever evolving. Books can take
months or even years to have published resulting in "fresh" ideas being
outdated. Having access to these articles means that I can see them as soon
as they are presented. Scholarly articles that are available through the
Hunt Library have all been filtered in some way. When I think about the
difference between using the library to search for them vs. a search engine,
I think of what my mother used to ask when I would pick up something off the
ground and put it in my mouth. "Spit that out! You don't know where it's
been!" Using a search engine kind of feels the same way. How do we truly
know the source? How do we know that it can be trusted? 
Ultimately, I am a little upset with myself that it took me this long to

learn how to use the Jack Hunt Library. What an amazing resource that has
been right at my fingertips through my college education!  

A500.2.3.RB_LeeDarrell

This week we read about the 8+ elements of reasoning. The assignment is to tell "my story" as it relates to these elements. I have to admit - I am stumped. What is my story? Do I tell my professional story? Do I tell the story about my marriage and relationships? How about the story of who I want to become?

I think the best place to start here is to address the first element of reasoning - point of view. I am going to tell this story based on my own point of view. Nobody knows me better than me. Though it is possible and often highly effective to tell a life story from the point of view of an outsider (think about Sam Elliott narrating the story of The Dude in "The Big Lebowski"), I prefer to tell my own story as I see it myself. It's a story that I probably need to hear anyway.

The 8+ elements are as follows: point of view, purpose, question at issue, assumptions, implications and consequences, information, concepts, conclusions/interpretations and, though technically not an element, alternatives. Now the actual paper that I am writing this week details all of these and I don't want my blog to read like a term paper. I am therefore going to tell my story under the assumption that you already are intimately familiar with all of the elements of reasoning.

I have already addressed the point of view. I am going to tell my story through my own eyes. So, that brings me to the next issue - what is my purpose? This is really where I want to focus today. Though I am very proud of my career as a Soldier, I don't feel that defines my purpose in life. That is what I do. It isn't who I am. There is a difference. So what is my purpose? My intent here is not to push my religious or spiritual beliefs on anybody that may read this but you have to understand that I believe that I have a higher purpose than to just mature and reproduce. I truly believe that my whole life has been building to a higher purpose of being a leader. I don't mean just a leader in business or in the home. I mean I feel that my gift is one of leadership. I guess that I have maybe always had a certain hint of charisma. I think back to when I was in high school. I was a choir geek for sure. But I started with my leadership roles there. I was a section leader for the baritones (tenors before my voice really changed) and was a council member/officer for the theatre department. After I graduated from high school, I left nearly immediately. I claimed that I was enlisting so that I could get the GI Bill so I could pay my own way through college but that is probably a bunch of hooey. I had a full scholarship to be a vocal performance major. I think it was just something a little deeper. It wasn't really a sense of patriotism or pride. I am sure those had something to do with my decision to enlist but they were not the real reason. I just knew that I wanted to do something amazing in the future and I felt that military service was the best way to position myself to get there. I just didn't know where "there" was. While serving, I got married, I completed my degree, I started graduate school (three times, now!). I served five combat tours where I led other Soldiers (and followed other incredible leaders). Everything has been building to this one greater purpose of life - to be a leader. I am not really sure where that will take me. My sister and mother are both pretty much convinced that I am supposed to become a pastor. My wife used to tell me that I was supposed to become a politician. If they were telling my story from their point of view, perhaps we could understand why they thought that. I personally do not know. I think about it all the time, though. I just know that I am designed to be a leader.

This assignment isn't just about me talking about my purpose in life. As we apply the element of "purpose" to reasoning, I understand that it is just one element of a fluid process. It really doesn't even mean to explain what I feel my purpose in life is. However, the assignment is to tell my story. How else can I do it without reasoning through my own personal purpose? And of course, there are the other elements of reason that I haven't even touched yet. There is the question at issue (I think I pretty much addressed that - I am telling my story), assumptions (based on my background and upbringing), implications, information, concepts (humor is probably the biggest driving concept in developing my personality) and conclusions. Though I do have to reason through all of these elements to truly tell my whole story, I just wanted to focus on what I feel my purpose is today. Additionally, I feel that telling my own purpose fulfilled the purpose of this assignment - to relate telling my story through the elements of reasoning.

A500.1.5.RB_LeeD

This week we received an introduction to critical thinking. We learned what it is and what it is not. To conclude the week, we have been asked to use the basic critical thinking skills that we have learned and discuss intellectual perseverance. The Foundation for Critical Thinking defines intellectual perseverance as "having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations; firm adherence to rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others; a sense of the need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight" (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/valuable-intellectual-traits/528).  To me, this means that we should not be swayed from applying the principles of rational thinking just because of outside influences.  

As a student in the Master of Leadership program, I need to continue to develop intellectual perseverance. This is a skill that, like so many other skills, in perishable. When I started working on my undergraduate degree, I started strong not due to intellectual perseverance but more due to excitement. As the excitement of a new endeavor wore off, it was easier to get distracted. Without knowing it, though, I was beginning to develop the basic intellectual perseverance skills. As distractions and outside influences started to bog me down, I was able to continue toward my goal and I graduated. However, it has been several years since I took a college course. 

This week has been particularly challenging and it is evident that I have lost some of the intellectual perseverance that I once had. For example, this class began 7 days ago. During the course of the last week, I had to pack and move the contents of my old apartment to my new apartment, prepare for and lead a class one evening, take care of setting up my new apartment, help a friend who got stranded in Jersey because he lost his wallet and coordinate with family when my father had to go to the emergency room for a heart attack earlier this week. I was encouraged by multiple people to just drop this class and start again next month. Believe me, I was very tempted to do just that. However, by that point in time, I had already started to study what critical thinking was and I used the sound principles that I had learned and thought through the situation. Logically speaking, this class is exactly what I need right now. I don't need to quit. I need to press on. Through intellectual perseverance, I was able to conclude that this isn't going to be easy but it is going to be worth it. Imagine for a moment someone that has a busy schedule but never exercises. One might offer as an excuse that they just don't have the time. However, it has been proven that adding regular exercise to a hectic schedule actually creates time. As your body becomes used to the exercise, you sleep better and become more productive throughout the day. The increased rest and productivity creates more time that exercise uses. Bearing that in mind, let me relate that to this class. I could argue that I just don't have the time for this class right now. But the truth of the matter is that learning concepts and principles that, when properly applied, will streamline the efficiency of all of my daily activities. Though I may not increase my efficiency enough to create 10 to 15 hours a week - the recommended amount of time spent on class - I will most likely see measurable results which will encourage and motivate me. 

With that being said, I am in a leadership position at work. Though I do not directly supervise anybody due to the nature of my job, as Army recruiters, we are all placed in a position of trust. I work in the Times Square Forward Engagement Center. I work generally unsupervised with nobody physically present with me to help me. One of the biggest struggles that I have is time management. I typically work 10 hours a day, often without a break. Believe me when I say that it does take an emotional toll. There are irrational demands made from our superiors, tourists trying to take pictures, policies that change daily and nobody informs us, etc. It is very easy to get bogged down. However, this is another area where, as a leader, it is critical to apply the principles of intellectual perseverance. You may be wondering - what does intellect have to do with  time management? The short answer to that - EVERYTHING. How can you set priorities without critically thinking about the tasks at hand? Not just as a recruiter but as a leader in general, it is critical to have intellectual perseverance. As leaders, we are constantly bombarded with distractions and we are often overwhelmed with doubt about the decisions that we make as we lead others. That is why it is imperative to always remember to critically think.