Leadership Interview

I interviewed Juddie Rory, the head of North Dallas Shared Ministries. Juddie has a huge role making sure that everything is running smoothly within the organazation and also in outside operations because NDSM deals with a lot of other companies, churches, and fund raisers. Juddie became the head administrator by working her way up from being a volunteer. She always felt the natural tendency to lead which helped her to step up and take higher positions in the organazation. The only way she could do that though was through experience, she came to know the ropes of NDSM very well and that helped her to improve her position. Juddie is inspired by the motivation of the people who volunteer at NDSM which motivates her even more to be a better leader to them and keep the organzation growing. As a leader of mostly volunteers Juddie realizes that she cannot personally get to know every volunteer, but she makes sure that every volunteer wants to be there. She tries very hard to make the environment at NDSM fun and flexible. Also Juddie believes that it is important that every leader allows others to grow their own talents and abilities, has confidence in their organzation and is a good advocate for their company, and is competent. Juddie belives that leaders are both born and made. She says that some people have the natural desire to take control while others will take the oppurtunity when it comes to them and go from there.

Interview

I am considering interviewing the CFO of Trinity Industries or the founder of North Dallas Shared Ministries. I think that both would be excellent people to talk to, but it all comes down to who will be able to fit the interview into their schedule.

Questions:
What are some difficulties you have had to overcome while being a leader or while working your way to being a leader?
What inspired you?
Have you always felt that you were a good leader?

Leaders Born or Made?

Leadership is an observable, learnable set of practices.  Leadership is not something mystical and ethereal that cannot be understood by ordinary people.  Given the opportunity for feedback and practice, those with the desire and persistence to lead – to make a difference – can substantially improve their abilities to do so.

   - Kouzes and Posner, The Leadership Challenge

The key words that stick out to me in this quote are; observable, learnable, set of practices, understood by ordinary people, desire and persistence, make a difference, and improve their abilities. To me leadership is all of these things. Leadership is something that, with practice, anyone can be good at, but it does take a lot of effort to be a good leader and to be a good leader you must be dedicated to your cause.

I believe that leaders are made. Someone might be born with certain traits that will help them to be a good leader, but everyone must learn to be a leader through experience.

A Helping Hand

I'm not a bold leader, that's just not my nature. I find myself leading by doing little things. I consider my best "Leadership Experience" to be during a backpacking trip with a few other kids from my grade. The trip was not exactly voluntary, and there was one guy who was not physically fit for the task of carrying a big backpack up a mountain. Don't get me wrong, he never complained, in fact now that I'm thinking about it he in fact was a sort of leader himself, he persevered through something that was really difficult for him. However he was slow, and many times would stumble over on the trail. Most of the group was annoyed by the delay, but I thought, "hey, he really is trying." First I offered to take some of his weight from his backpack, then I stepped to the back of the line behind him. Carrying a smaller load helped him out some, but he would still topple over on the path occasionally. But while everyone else kept walking I stuck behind every time, reached out my hand, helped him up, and kept him going. I couldn't do anything to make the trip physically easier for him but I figured I could at least make it somewhat more enjoyable for him. To most I guess this doesn't seem much like a leadership story, I had no followers, I didn't organize a huge project,but I did briefly impact the life of one person and to me that's what counts, the little things.