GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 2 Concepts

I was slightly surprised by my HBDI results. I figured I would be highest in quadrant C and my highest score was in quadrant B.

Because of my HBDI results, I will focus on attaining an equal brain dominance. I have a proven record of success within quadrants B and C, but lack experience or the work elements desired in quadrants A and D. I believe having an equal brain dominance will help in becoming an effective leader. Through practice and working with others on team projects and discussion, I should be able to focus and develop the areas I am weak in or need improvement.

My personal legacy I wish to leave to my family is to be remembered as loving and reliable. I want my family to know they have a friend in me and can come to me with whatever issue they may have. I want to help, guide, and provide an example for how to love and how to be truly there for one another. As for my country and the world, I want to continue to be an example both professionally and personally. I may not reach everyone in my country or in my world but I can have an affect on those within my reach. For those within my reach, they will see I am full of energy, integrity-based, compassionate, and driven. I desire to affect all those I encounter in a positive way. Those individuals will hopefully take this lesson and affect people within their own lives. Together we will be able to affect one another and eventually the world. It's kind of like the concept in the movie Pay it Forward. If you have not seen the movie, you should. It shows how one action can affect many. This one action can propel many more positive actions and eventually affect the world! That is a powerful concept!

The most creative thing I have been a part of was creating a new deployment process. It was creative because the regulations my base had been using were an entire decade old. They were outdated and new technologies had become available and a whole new process needed to be designed. I was picked by my leadership to be on the project and this experience changed my life! It was creative because we had to start from scratch. We relied heavily on past experience but it was clear that the regulation being used was not reliable and a new process was needed within a few months. Through weekly meetings, conferences, and several exercises, our team was able to devise a new plan and a new base-wide regulation. We practiced many facets of the plan and created several exercises to test its overall effectiveness. We went through several drafts and changes but in the end, the base was left with a plan that worked! This plan is still in place today. The fact that I was hand-picked for the process and part of such an important change in development of an Air Force base made me feel like I had achieved something great. I was really motivated and excited about both the opportunity and the outcome. We all felt like a success and that regardless of the outcome, we would be forever changed by this process. Luckily, our plan worked and is still in use; that made us feel AWESOME!! The new plan not only worked but lowered discrepancies and enhanced effectiveness of deployments for the 4th Fighter Wing. We were indeed, a success!

When I am faced with a conflict, I confront it head-on. I may need some time to figure out how I feel or how I may solve the issue but I will eventually confront the conflict. I prefer to do things this way because they have worked for me in the past. When I say "confront," I don't mean anything abrasive. In any conflict a certain amount of finesse is needed or the parties involved will feel vulnerable or like they are being attacked. In any conflict, I find it best to assess the situation, think about it, devise several solutions, and then discuss it with all parties involved. I do this in my personal and professional life. Over the years, this method has been successful and has been received well. I believe it is because it shows careful consideration and compassion for members involved.

The assignments for week 2 of GRAD 702 were valuable in the sense that I learned a lot about myself and what others have to offer. While devising my mission and vision statement, I was able to reflect on what was important to me and what goals I have for my life and the MBA program. I think it is always good to have goals and a sense of focus. This assignment helped me achieve that awareness. As for the four-lens perspective, I was able to think about my current team members and others I had worked with in the past. I thought about different ways in which they might solve problems. Reflection of how I might tackle a situation coinciding with the attributes of others was very beneficial. The "wholistic" brain viewpoint as discussed by Hermann (1996) will inevitable achieve overall success over individual efforts. This is why team projects and assignments are so beneficial. We don't just think about what we would do; we get insight into what others might do. That in itself is quite an achievement!

The readings for week 2 of GRAD 702 were personally relevant to me in that they address the legacy I want to leave behind for my family, country, and world. Through the voice of influence and trustworthiness, we can effectively change people and events (Covey, 2004). In a description of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 2004, pp. 152-153)," Covey demonstrates how to use that voice in a leadership position. The legacy I want leave is in direct correlation with his message. Through examples and words of wisdom, I was able to sharpen my tools of experience and knowledge. I think anyone in a management or leadership position should read the books by Stephen R. Covey. He is very insightful and I feel I am better for having read them!

GRAD 702 - Reflections on Module 1 Concepts

I believe my level of professional effectiveness today is medium. I say this because of my experience and where I am at in my career. Right now, my main role is a student. This will inevitably propel my effectiveness to new levels and I will be more useful once I get back on the career path I started for myself in the military. While I was in the military, I would still rank myself as medium because I feel there is always room for improvement. I plan to improve my professional effectiveness through more education, experience, social capital, and inner convictions and discipline. I believe we should all strive to be at a high level of professional effectiveness but we really only achieve such great accomplishments through experience, time, and hard work. I am willing to set and maintain a course of high professional effectiveness and believe someday I will be able to rank myself high. I also hope and aspire to have others view me at such high levels. My success will empower both myself and those around me.

I think the interactive, team building retreat exercise was very valuable because of it's creativity and reflection focus. I have been a part of several team building retreats in the military and have not only found them fun but very beneficial as well. You get to know more about the people you work with, yourself, and how you operate and work well with others. It's a time to really excel while using our very best assets; our true and very unique talents. Doing this assignment not only helped me reflect on my experiences with such events but also helped me be more creative. I have never been on the planning side of such an event and found it very interesting. I will understandably see this sort of task in my future working in business management and am happy to have taken the time to really think through the process of planning such an event.

The roles of leadership that I most identify as described by Stephen R. Covey (2004) is that of modeling and aligning. Ever since I joined the military, I have been leading by example. I have received many awards and recognition because of my efforts in modeling. I do this not for that reason but to feel good about myself and to know that what I am doing is making a difference. Even if by modeling, all I am doing is having the best shine on my boots. As I progressed through the ranks and gained more knowledge, I found more ways to lead and set a good example. As an officer, I still continued to emulate even the small things (like having a stellar uniform), but I also started to focus on bigger projects which had more of an impact. When you are an officer, they say you are always on display. I have known this to be very true. The enlisted members and other officers are always crutinizing how you look, operate, or conduct yourself. You have to be on your toes 24/7! This is a kind of challenge I like and in the military, I accepted with open arms. I aim to lead by a good example and am proud of who I am and who I have become. I also like to align or discipline (Covey) in managerial situations. Whether it is the household I was brought up in or my over nine years of service to the military, I am a stickler for focus and management. I am very detail-oriented and have a tendency to carefully plan and organize everything. I have found this very helpful in the demanding positions I have either volunteered for or have been assigned. I have a huge sense of pride in the projects and tasks I set out to accomplish and aspire to not only "stay on course (Covey, p. 114)" but also encourage my fellow teammates.

So basically, I'm liking GRAD 702 so far! :)

Change Waves

Ah, the waves of change. As described by General Al Gray, USMC (Ret.) and Dr. Paul Otte in The Conflicted Leader and Vantage Leadership (2006), I believe I am stuck between the third and fourth wave. Through my education and experience in the military, I felt empowered and was comfortable in the third wave of change. However, because of my beliefs and values I have transitioned to the fourth wave. I am not completely comfortable in the fourth wave because I don't have the qualifications or necessary knowledge to survive here yet. I am however, hoping to be closer to comfort by the time I complete the MBA program, if not sooner. :) It is always great to feel comfortable but if we ever want to excel or break boundaries, we have to reach out past our comfort zone. Leaving the military was doing just that. I'm sure I will be comfortable soon!
The military, the organization I have been most recently linked to, is primarily in the second wave. I say this because it is an enormous corporation with predetermined results and a lot of control. The use of the chain of command is a big example of why the military is in the second wave. That is where they are comfortable and how they can maintain their goals and control of assets. It makes sense for the military to be in the second wave.
As for my work group in graduate school, we are in the third wave. We are all feeling a sense of empowerment through education while focusing on our individual talents to achieve a common goal. This is an excellent place to be while working in teams. We are able to learn and share so much with each other! I like my team and its diversity!