Leadership and self reflection

One of the reasons I chose this trip was because of the educational aspects it offered. Some of the other study abroad trips didn't seem to offer the best solutions to my educational aspirations. Already this trip has exceded my expectations in this department and we haven't even started working yet! The work that we will be doing I am confident will teach me a lot and I'm excited to get going on it. One thing I hope to gain from the actual work we will be doig is hands on international experience. Also I am glad that it will offer some hands on experience in entrepreneurship! One thing Jan has been pushing us towards is effectual leadership. So it's at this moment that I want to take the time to talk about my goals and reflect a little bit on how I think I can become a better leader and where I'm headed in my future.

The first thing I have latched onto is love. I have always had a love for people and my career path/goals since I started in the Navy right after high school has been geared towards helping people out of my love and passion to help them. So this concept was easy to grab onto when we've talked about it and seen it in our readings. And in the context we talk about it, to think about love as being an intrigual part of how to be a good leader just makes perfect sense to me.

As I continue to grow in my leadership capabilities, the other thing I am constantly reminded of is what kind if legacy I want to leave behind. And not just in any one area of life either, but in all aspects. So as I pursue a career in international business and marketing, I want to be ever more mindful that I need to not only develop myself, but also help mentor and be mentored as well.

A very smart Senior Chief in the Navy once told me that he is always trying to work himself out of a job. And also that he relentlessly pursues to take on the type of duties that the people above him have, so that he will already be prepared for the next mission. We heard something similar in one of the presentations yesterday and this is an approach I would like to remember to use in my career. I have used it once before when I was coaching a masters swim team.

That's my thoughts for the day on leadership and the pursuit of leaving behind a legacy I can be proud of when God calls me home someday.