Women Empowerment through Decision-Making

Whenever you can connect with your personal, past experience, that always makes for a better blog, because no one can write that blog but you.  Here is an example of a student sharing about her experience with a non-governmental organization (NGO):

In 2008, I worked with an NGO called WOWAP which is situated in Dodoma Region Tanzania. It is dealing with human rights and capacity building. I was assigned to a project, whereby we trained about 150 women and men from different villages in Tanzania on enhancing land ownership to pastoralists. The training based on the right of occupancy as stipulated on “land act 1999”. All participants were trained to understand their rights as citizens, to own, use, sell or acquire land, the procedure for acquiring land and the role of women in decision making. Due to customary laws, many women in Tanzania do not have the power to own land legally. The emphasis was given to women because in many parts of Tanzania we have a patriarchy system whereby men are the heads of the house and make all decision on any matters relating to a family or community.  Due to cultural beliefs, women fear to question or make any decision against men’s decision.  Read More.

via Asha Habibu.

Power of Identities

Many students are exploring career options amidst the current environment, and it is helpful to consider likely interview questions, as well as appropriate responses.  Here is an example from a student affairs perspective:

In student affairs job search processes, the “diversity question” is pretty much to be expected. In almost every interview I have participated in, the question has focused on how I plan on creating an inclusive environment for individuals of all identities within my residence hall. Since the events in Ferguson, MO brought to light racial concerns in today’s society, many of these questions are even more specific and hone in on racial justice in particular. We often focus a lot on the community as a whole, but one question in particular got me thinking about the ways privileged and marginalized identities can play into power dynamics within a group of student staff members.  Read More.

via Learning through Leading.

Social Contagion Proliferation Phenomenon

Some readings of leadership highlight terms and phrases that have a variety of connotations, but they are useful for understanding the complexity of leadership.  This post highlights a leadership term that grabs attention of society:

Contagion is one of the most feared words in mankind’s lexicon.  Contagion conjures thoughts of disease and human devastation.  Man has witnessed and documented contagions going back hundreds of years and the destructive impact that it has made.  Disease such as the bubonic plague is estimated to have killed 100 million people in the 1400s and had such an impact that it spawned the nursery rhymeRing Around the Rosie.  Contagion today is still in the forefront of people’s minds and has become main stream with the 2011 movie Contagion that shows how quickly a deadly virus can spread in today’s global society.  Read More.

via Steven Manchester- Virginia Tech.

Harriet Jacobs as a Servant Leader

Social justice issues are always a great context for consideration of leadership theories and practice.  It is especially helpful to consider historical information with current issues, and this blog does a nice job making those connections:

Harriet Jacobs is most well known as the author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. This autobiography details her life as she realized that she was a slave at the age of six, was given to a three year old at age eleven, and attempted to avoid the sexual advances of her owner’s father. To escape these advances, she started a relationship with a white lawyer by whom she had two children. Jacobs then ran away from her owner, hiding in her grandmother’s attic for seven years before using a boat to escape to the North (Jacobs, 1861).  Read More.

via Karrin’s Leadership Blog.

Leadership with a Higher Purpose

Many times, the things we learn in a class cause us to reconsider our perspectives on aspects of pop culture.  Movies are one of those reference points, and this student makes connections with a movie seen long ago:

When I think of the greatest leadership movies of all time, The Shawshank Redemption does not come to mind.  However, after understanding the theory of servant leadership, I am singing a different tune.  Red, played by the great Morgan Freeman, is the guy at Shawshank Prison that “knew how to get things” and was the inmate that everyone looked to for decisions and guidance.  Andy Dufresne was the new guy and assumed a leadership role in his own right.  Red embraced his leadership and knew he was in charge of his clique.  Andy was different, but on more than one occasion he demonstrated a level of servant leadership that was unmatched.  He had every reason to look out for himself, since we know he was wrongfully imprisoned and did not deserve to be there.  But time and time again, he did things in order to benefit his fellow inmates.  Read More.

via AZCHICKBLOG

Something bigger than yourself.

Many students find connections to course concepts in the world and culture

It’s not just because I work there.  It’s not just because I went to school there.  It’s not just because I go to school there now. Sometimes you’re a part of something bigger than yourself.  Sometimes you feel an allegiance that’s hard to explain to others.  Sometimes you just know you’re where you belong.  If you’re lucky, you’re a Hokie.

Photo credit: http://www.remembrance.vt.edu/local_assets/www.remembrance.vt.edu/flash/images/image0.jpg

Read more.

via Ben Grove – Leadership Foundations for Diverse Contexts

Connecting the Dots of a Good Education (via Shasta’s Leadership Blog)

Some students are able to see connection between concepts discussed in their leadership class and concepts address in their other classes.  That connection prompted the following blog entry.

I love when the critical thinking skills kick in.  This is particularly enjoyable when I am able to incorporate information from several classes that I have taken at Virginia Tech and apply them to real life situations.  Today it just so happens to be integrating knowledge from my Introduction to Appalachian Studies and Leadership Effectiveness for Professionals in Agricultural Organizations classes.  You’re probably thinking: “What? No way!”  But I promise you, it will all make sense in the end. Read More.

via Shasta’s Leadership Blog

Empowering Leadership (via Leadership in Ag 2011)

Many students are involved in student organizations and campus activities that allow them to observe and practice leadership concepts.  This student found a model leader to highlight in her blog.

I have been involved with the Marching Virginians since my freshman year at Virginia Tech.  My freshman year I participated in the marching band as a piccolo player, and my sophomore, junior, and senior years I have been a rank captain for the piccolo section. Being part of a leadership team within the band, I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about leadership from our band director, Dave McKee.  One of the things that has been most influential to me has been Dave’s work to empower all his student leaders, and inspire everyone to a higher level of leadership.  Read More.

via Leadership in Ag 2011

Authentic Leadership (via Adeventures in Leadership)

Current events always seem to have connections to authentic leadership.  This student identified one of those in the realm of college athletics.

Authentic leadership is a recent trend in leadership literature that merges multiple leadership theories into one synthesized theory. Ultimately, authentic leadership is about alignment between ‘theories espoused’ and ‘theories in practice.’ A person may say that they believe in something, or believe in “X” value; but if they do not act in accordance with those beliefs and values, then they are not being authentic.
In Jackson & Perry’s Book, Kernis (2003) is cited as identifying four key aspects of authenticity:
1) full awareness and acceptance of self
2) unbiased processing of self-relevant information
3) action consistent with the true self
4) relational orientation that values openness and truth in close personal relationships

Read More.

via Adventures in Leadership

Leadership and Human Relations (via Katie on leadership)

This student captures the reader’s attention with some pointed questions and then uses concepts from the unit of study to help answer those questions.

Being a younger person, sill in school I just dream of the day when I can have a job and start working a real job. Then on some occasions I can just think about how it will be so great when I can retire and just live my life doing what I want and as I please. Sounds like a great life, right? Then how come so many people, older people that have reached that stage in their lives, feel so depressed and sad? Another thing I worry about is if I will even enjoy my career? What really makes people not enjoy what they do? So many questions to be answered. Who would have thought that we could look to leadership to answer these questions?  Read More.

via Katie on leadership