Leadership Term Paper 1

Leadership Term Paper

To lead means to facilitate a group of people toward a common purpose and to serve
them selflessly. It is about gathering together a group of people sharing a common goal and
pointing them in the direction that, providing motivation, they need to go in order to achieve it.
To follow means to support the leader in their decisions and to influence them when the leaders
actions lack congruency or when the leader is leading selfishly. It is about working for the
common purpose but knowing when to trust, and when not to trust, the leader. To act as a citizen
means to actively participate and volunteer for the improvement of the whole community. It is
about taking initiative to fulfill ones duties as a citizen for every single person has something
beneficial and edifying to offer. Throughout the semester, my philosophy has completely
transformed. From thinking that a leader must be an authoritative figure whose sole purpose was
to restore order and that followers and citizens simply obeyed, I discovered that leadership,
followership, and citizenship is so much more complicated than I had first assumed. But rather
than taking away my original assumption about the power of the leader, I learned that the roles of
the follower and the citizen are, instead, amplified. My philosophy about leadership,
followership, and citizen had to start somewhere I call, the Starting Point. My personal values
and beliefs are then emphasized to support my view of the world. The way in which I view
followership then describes why I view the world the way I do. Lastly, actions in certain
situations are discussed to define congruency of word and action in each position of influence.
The compilation of all these different fragments of my thinking work to fully capture the
development of my very own personal philosophy of leadership, followership, and citizenship.


Leadership Term Paper 2
A Starting Point
Imagine being thrown into a big white cube along with twenty strangers. The cube is then
picked up and dropped off in the middle of a deserted island. Complete chaos. What exactly
happens now? There is no food, no type of system, and no aid. What is the first move? Any
actions taken in this situation will be characterized into the leadership, followership, or
citizenship category. Though it is possible to be placed into multiple categories, it cannot be at
the same moment in time. The biggest task is to demonstrate what it looks like to be the model
leader, the model follower, or the model citizen.
What does it take to be a leader? It is the ability to restore order in times of chaos or to
maintain it in times of peace with little or no conflict defines the fundamentals of leadership.
Challenges that arise in any given moment are opportunities for persons to take advantage of
their leadership potentials. Though it takes quite a bit of bravery and quite a lot of hope, leaders
will step out from the mass and leap for the opportunity to practice their skills as a leader. In the
cube scenario, the leader should step up to the plate, disregarding what everyone else is doing to
keep them from doing so. The leader should begin to restore order by restoring peace through
reassurance, making sure to be the source of optimism but also of practicality. A leader might set
the ground rules and organize the crowd into specialized groups. Then they may set up a goal for
every few days, making sure to keep track of the days as they pass and that the goals are
reachable but also serve as motivation. That is leadership. They should take the opportunity and
carry it out to the best of their ability.
What does it take to be a follower? The ability to support the leaders wishes but realizing
when to speak up defines the fundamentals of followership. When the leader makes a decision,
the follower should support the decision and willingly put in the work necessary to carry out the
Leadership Term Paper 3
decision unless the leader is being unreasonable and thinking of themselves over what is the best
for the crowd or falling short. Followership is an important role, in that; the leader cannot
accomplish anything without followers. Followers must realize their ability to influence the
leaders decision making and to not let an opportunity to improve a decision to pass them by. In
the cube scenario, a follower might listen to the leader and participate in the rebuilding of
structure and community. They may also provide input on certain decisions when they feel
compelled to do so. In addition, a follower should listen to the leader but also speak out for what
they believe. Followers are just as imperative to a functioning system as the leader. Being able to
view the system for the outside is a great advantage that the leader lacks. The leader can only
view the system from the inside. A follower needs to provide the leader with support and keep
them accountable.
What does it take to be a citizen? The ability to sacrifice the every man for themselves
mentality for the bettering of chance for the survival of the community as a whole defines the
fundamentals of citizenship. A citizen serves for the purpose of the group. The entire group
benefits from the individual deeds of each and every citizen. Though small works may seem to
go unnoticed or seem pointless, the small works affect the bigger picture. A true citizen would
focus on the bigger picture and perform the works in hopes of benefitting the community. Even
though patience is tested when results are not revealed right away, a citizen should still be
fulfilled in knowing the impact they are leaving. In the cube scenario, a citizen might need to
perform the necessary, but sometimes tedious, tasks that are will impact the community as a
whole. Citizens and their participation build up the community in which the society can prosper.

Leadership Term Paper 4
My story of the white cube and the deserted island represents the world today. As a
whole, the people of this world seem to be trapped in this cube of chaos while the world is
transforming all around us. The deserted island seems so foreign but it is the part of the world
left untouched by those who simply focus on the circumstances that only affect themselves. I
believe the world is in a state of chaos but we have become so accustomed to it that chaos has
become the norm. In our world today, there is a great deficiency in leaders, followers, and
citizens that serve for the good of the mass. Many leaders, followers, and citizens focus on the
self-serving means of society. The idea is not to benefit individuals individually, it is to benefit
the community; the individuals as a whole. Leaders, followers, and citizens are necessary for
order to be restored.
Values and Beliefs
My values and beliefs are a reflection of my philosophy regarding leadership,
followership, and citizenship. A good leader should exhibit empathy and selflessness. A
good follower should demonstrate and value trust and trustworthiness. A good citizen
should display devotion to the cause and the improvement of the community.

Empathy: Being able to put yourself in the place of another person and being able to feel
for them. I never thought my parents understood me and therefore I never felt the need to
listen to them or what they had to say. Understanding one another develops a more
credible relationship where one trusts the person commanding you to have your best
interest in mind. The followers and citizens should be able to trust in their leaders
intentions through the leaders empathy toward his or her followers and citizens.
Leadership Term Paper 5
Selflessness: Being able to put others before your self. It is hard to have faith in those
leaders who are only thinking of themselves. I would much rather have faith in my Pastor
who always puts his students before himself than my tutor who does the bare minimum
and only cares about the pay. The works of those who are selfless are much more reliable
than that of those who only care for their own advancement.
Trust: Being able to put your faith in one another and depend of each other. There is no
relationship if there is no trust. In my past relationship, because insecurities and
jealousies grew, the special bond we shared became fragile and too soon fell apart. Trust
provides a solid foundation on which to build up a worthy relationship from both sides.
Though the relationship between a leader and follower is a little different, the basis to any
relationship is trust.
Trustworthiness: Being able to win over the trust of others by demonstrating
dependability. There is no relationship if there is no trust. But it is imperative to make
yourself a person worthy to be trusted. In a relationship, trust can only be built up if the
people involved are worthy of being trusted. I completely blamed my significant other for
all the insecurities that developed in our relationship and never bothered to realize that I
did not work to make myself a trustworthy partner either.
Devotion: Being able to show commitment and dedication for a certain cause or passion.
Devotion is the most important characteristic to have when wanting to achieve a goal.
When I wanted to make my volleyball team freshmen year, simply showing up to all the
practices like everyone else would not be enough. I went to the gym and played against
the wall for hours. I had my sister hit balls at me and I dug them till my arms were
covered in bruises. That is solely the reason I was able to make the junior varsity team
Leadership Term Paper 6
that year without having played on a volleyball team before. Devotion shows that one is
willing to run that extra mile to achieve their goal. Sometimes good is just not enough.
Citizens would not be able to make a difference in the world if they only participated in
the bare minimum. When one goes above and beyond, that makes all the difference.
This I Believe
I believe in the power of strength through faith. I believe that God gives me the strength
to overcome any trial that I may face. I believe that God offers me an everlasting joy once I find
freedom in Him. The Lord has set me free. In this freedom, God provided strength in my
weakness. He gave me the strength to let go, to hold on, and to forgive when it seemed
impossible to me.
My grandfather, the most kind-hearted man on earth, passed with little mourning. After
battling cancer for two years, we rejoiced in the Lord who brought an end to his suffering. The
Lord finally brought him home. We found comfort in knowing that he was safe in Heaven, free
of all pain and suffering forever. Trust in Him saves us from mourning because we know that His
plan is perfect. He gave us the strength to let go.
I never thought I would come out of my depression. After one and a half years of giving
up hope in myself, I started to lose sight of God. The day I wanted to let go, He grasped me in
His arms. His grip was so tight, like that of a hug between father and son who have been
distanced for years. I sensed the car coming straight for me, but I saw and heard nothing. No
impact. The next moment I remember is being curled up, bawling, pulled over at the curb. The
song Someone Worth Dying For played in the background. But my radio was not turned on.
God gave me the strength to hold on. When I see how far I have come, I know that nothing
would have been possible without the help from my Savior. Never has that title been so suitable.
Leadership Term Paper 7
An abusive relationship can really tear someone apart, making them lose all confidence in
themself. Ive been shoved down stairs, thrown against walls, strangled, slapped, and hit across
the face in the last eight months of a broken relationship. I felt like trash being thrown out,
completely worthless. I stopped having respect for myself because I was convinced that I
deserved to be treated this way. But after I prayed for the power to let go of my first love, He
gave me the strength to forgive my ex-boyfriend. After all that has taken place, I felt at peace. He
said that if someone slaps you across the face, you should offer the other cheek to him or her. In
this way, the other cannot take your dignity from you for you handed it over to them. I found the
strength to stay patient and love those who are broken in spirit.
Faith is my sole source of strength. He is my strength to carry on in this world, to get
through the trials by looking and calling out to Him. Through the darkness and in the light, I will
forever rejoice in the Lord, my God, my sole redeemer. This is what I believe.
Framing Followership
An analogy would be an effective way to communicate the relationship between leaders
and followers. An example of an analogy would be a leader is to follower as a steering wheel is
to car. Each and every part of the car is needed to make the engine run and to get to that desired
location, the common purpose. The different parts of the car represent the role of the citizen.
Each and every citizen has a role, the same way each and every part of the car has a job, to make
the entire community, in this case a car, function correctly and efficiently. In the same way,
each and every part of the car represents the followers. Whichever way the steering wheel is
turned, the parts of the car, the followers, work to make the car move in that direction. The parts
of the car, the followers, all work together to make sure that the car is able to run smoothly with
minimal deficiencies. However, if the steering wheel is turned too quickly the followers kick in,
Leadership Term Paper 8
the engine will start heating up or the car will lose control. The steering wheel represents the
leader. As all the other parts of the car are working to make the car run, the steering wheel solely
guides the car in a certain direction. However, the steering wheel itself is just another part of the
car, just like all the other parts, but it just happens to have the job of directing the car in a certain
direction. The steering wheel is not superior in any way but is rather just placed in certain
position and has a specific job just as all the other parts do.
My philosophy and feelings about leadership derived from playing on a sports in high
school. I always had my own opinions about how faulted the system was. Those in authority did
not seem to care for the system or purpose at all, but was rather focused on the victories. Instead
of playing for the love of the game, that passion and dedication for the game, winning was all
that really mattered. My coaches began to devalue the relationships with and among teammates
as we advanced farther and farther in the tournaments. They threw away the relationships that
were to remain long after graduation from high school because they were blinded by the shiny
piece of gold metal hanging from a ribbon and that big banner announcing, We are the
champions. This selfish desire to win and gain recognition took away from the sole reason I
joined the volleyball team in the first place; to make friends and develop relationships with the
people as we took part in an activity we all enjoyed. Little did we know that this game was all
politics, behind the scenes agreements that were made to recognize certain players that had the
connections the coaches wanted. I lost all my passion for volleyball, the one passion I had in
high school, the one thing I knew that all my hard work and dedication would pay off. This
enraged me because I almost allowed my coaches to take my passion away from me, I nearly
allowed them to sneakily slip it out of my hands and into theirs. At this point, I knew something
had to change. After our loss at state quarter finals, my coachs last words stung, I still remember
Leadership Term Paper 9
them till this day, That was disappointing, go get dressed. No good job, no congratulations for
making it this far, no encouragement. Those are the last words I remember from my coach I had
been with for four years. Her words went off like a trigger, though it was too late to do anything
about her coaching at that point, her words bring me here today. In the RLC I hope to find the
means and ways to speak up and take initiative when something is not right, when something is
so unjust. A leader should be able to encourage and enable. A follower should be able to support
the leader and trust in them. A citizen should be able to participate and better the whole. The
leader, the followers, and the citizens should all be able to work together to achieve a common,
selfless goal that benefits the whole. Team isnt about winning and getting recognized, it is about
developing relationships and working to reach a goal that will benefit the entire team. Leadership
isnt about the leader. That is where my philosophy comes from. The leader should not be in
complete control, because when they are, freedoms of society are taken away. The leader must
share a common vision with their followers, a vision that is selfless and beneficial for everyone.
Dubois and Machievelli are two leaders that would most likely disagree with my own
points. Dubois emphasizes his belief that only a select group of educated and privileged people
have the ability to up lift others (Dubois, 1903). His belief is contrary to my own philosophy that
states that all people have something to contribute in the betterment of the whole. If all citizens
just waited for that select group of people to rise and lift everyone up, nothing would change
because no one would take the initiative. No matter how uneducated or unfortunate a person,
they all have something to offer. If Dubois were to argue how the uneducated could benefit the
community, I would respond by saying that anyone can help through service, new ideas, or even
positive energy. Similarly, Machiavellis ideas contrast with my philosophy, believing in
manipulation when nobility is lost. The basis of the relationship between the leader, the
Leadership Term Paper 10
followers, and the citizens is trust. How can there be a foundation of trust when manipulation is
involved? Honesty and truth, though sometimes hurtful, are two basic things that provide a solid
foundation in which a community can be built upon. If Machiavelli were to say that sometimes
manipulation is necessary for it is in the best interest of the followers, I would say that without
honesty, there is no relationship between leader, followers, and citizens. Who is to say what is in
the best interest of the followers and citizens? If a leader determines what is in the best interest
for the followers and citizens, how can one be sure that the leader is not seeking something for
themselves?
Aristotle and Lao Tzu are two great men that would support my points because I molded
my philosophy around their ideas. Aristotle emphasizes that before learning to lead, one must
learn to obey (Aristotle, 1900). I learned far more by watching a leader and understanding how
their actions impact the followers and citizens than by being a leader. Being able to observe the
faults and incongruences in the system of leadership taught me how to be an even better leader.
Because I had the ability to observe the leader, I took note about the things I would do differently
if I were to be in that leadership role. These points I would never have been able to learn if I
were viewing things from a position of leadership. Lao Tzu emphasized selfless and facilitative
leadership (Lao-Tzu). This is the exact kind of leadership the world needs. I think that Lao Tzu
would support my belief that leaders should merely guide followers in a certain direction rather
than commanding them. In addition, Lao Tzu believes that leaders should lead without the need
to take any credit, which goes hand in hand with my own philosophy supporting leadership that
serves without the need for recognition.


Leadership Term Paper 11
Final Reflection
Though people talk a lot about leadership, followership, and citizenship and write about
their own personal beliefs, the best way to emphasize ones ideas is through action. In action,
there is more truth and practicality to every idealized perspective. Over the course of the
semester, themes seem to reappear, captured through brief reflections on the forever changing
nature of personal beliefs. Some of these themes include servant and facilitative leadership and
the importance of followership and citizenship. This idea of facilitative leadership does not take
away from the power of the leader, but rather shifts the course of the influence of the leader. As
the leader merely guides followers in the direction of their common goals rather than order them
around, the traditional view of leaders being authoritative is transformed. The best way to
evaluate these transformations and perspectives is to put them into practice, usually toward
something that draws ones interest and passion.
An organization that needs attention is Little Lights, a nonprofit Christian urban ministry
that takes place in D.C. Little Lights works to serve the youth and their families to share the love
of Christ with those that have not experienced it yet. Taking part in this organization and helping
out would definitely be an amazing experience. In order to actively participate, I would start out
as a visitor and volunteer for one of the week long urban mission trips led by leaders at my home
church. I would simply just learn to adjust, learn how to teach these kids and families I would be
working with, making me a mere citizen taking part in their community. After a few week long
trips, I would then begin to volunteer on a regular basis where I can return for the long breaks
during the academic year. After learning the fundamentals, I would take part in more activities
and really learn to fall in love with the kids who, hopefully, are falling in love with Christ. By
trailing the leaders of the Little Lights organization and absorbing as much information possible,
Leadership Term Paper 12
my position as a citizen would shift to that of a follower. Finally, I would work to apply for a
leadership position in the organization. Organizing week long, month long trips to D.C. from my
home church or the Christian fellowship I am a part of here at Virginia Tech., Cornerstone
Christian Fellowship. Then passing down the knowledge I had collected by observing other
leaders and volunteers, I would become a leader. These actions taken in each step of the process
of becoming a leader reflect my philosophy on leadership, followership, and citizenship.
Investing my blood, sweat, and tears, I would work for this organization, passionately dedicated,
whether as a citizen, follower, or leader. That is the point of my philosophy, each position is
imperative to making the whole system work, and therefore, demands genuine effort.
Leaders lead, followers follow, and citizens act, but all in all, they must all work together
for the improvement of the community. Leaders lead by guiding the followers and citizens to a
common purpose. Followers follow by supporting the leaders guidance toward that common
goal. Citizens act by taking initiative and participating in the community to improve it as a
whole. Leading, following, and acting as a citizen should all be selfless acts that are all working
to reach that common goal, to better the community. The common goal must be beneficial to all
parts of the system in order for the leaders to be influential and for the followers and the citizens
to effectively pursue that accomplishment.






Leadership Term Paper 13
References
Aristotle (1900). Politics. In J.T. Wren, The Leaders Companion (pp. 65-66). Newyork, NY:
The Free Press.
Dubois, W. E. B. (1903). The talented tenth. In J.T. Wren, The Leaders Companion (pp. 78-80).
Newyork, NY: The Free Press.
Lao-Tzu. Tao te ching. In J.T. Wren, The Leaders Companion (pp. 69-71). Newyork, NY: The
Free Press.
Machiavelli, N. (1954). How princes should keep faith. In J.T. Wren, The Leaders Companion
(pp. 67-68). Newyork, NY: The Free Press.