A642.3.3.RB – Lessons Learned
No doubt
that leadership is an endless learning process in a positive way. Not only do
we have much to learn from individuals we come in contact with on a daily
basis, but we also can learn lessons from history. Doing so will allow us to
ensure history does not repeat itself, though some believe history is doomed to
repeat itself regardless of the actions we take, but I digress. However, I did
not always believe this; I could easily blame it on being young. Although, I am
rather young at twenty-seven, it took time to open my eyes to the fact that I
can learn from someone regardless of how long they have been in my life.
Through these lessons, I have been able to develop my own approach to life and
leadership. This module has once again given me new insight into things I have previously
learned.
While
some of the ideas we learned in this program are relatively new to me, there
are a few, which I have been using for years. By no means this mean I know
everything; instead, it is complementary to receive affirmation about the
effectiveness of some of my concepts and how to better develop them. The first
of these ideas is to keep your eye on the big picture. Too often, we get caught
up on minute details, which cause us to become nitpicky when in reality that
detail does not matter in reference to the big picture. As a leader, you need
to be able to not only deliver the big picture, but also allow those around you
to be able to zoom in and out of the process. When zooming in, they can focus
on the smaller details of the task. But when they zoom out they can see the
bigger picture. While having a bigger overall plan is great, a leader must also
be able to adjust with the times. In some instances, while working on the
smaller tasks, you will see some adjustments need to be made in order to reach
that bigger picture. As long as this does not affect your overall mission,
there should be no problem.
The next
lesson, I was able to learn from Robert Safian (2014). One of the most
important elements of this lesson teaches individuals that remaining true to
the mission is everything. As mentioned in Find Your Mission (2014),
Chipotle is an organization that remains true to its mission while also doing
business with purpose. This purpose is to better affect the greater good of
society. By remaining true to their mission, Chipotle does not make a decision
without its impact in mind. This is a great ideal to live by. In a world where
profit is more important than the customer, it is nice to see an organization that
completely strives to help the customer. Everyone within that organization
understands the underlying mission and purpose. That is to deliver a wholesome
product to the customer. While there have been some problems lately, I believe
Chipotle will eventually recover and continue to deliver that quality product
to the masses.
As I
mentioned in the previous paragraph, understanding the power of purpose is also
extremely important. Purpose is everything. If you do not have a purpose or do
not understand the purpose, your efforts will be wasted. Leadership needs to
focus on how to effectively communicate the big picture, mission, and purpose
in one clear, concise message. By effectively communicating these ideas, you
will be able to ensure all resources are used and time is not wasted focusing
on unnecessary tasks.
It is
said that each day counts, and for me that has always been my motto. I truly
believe that everything you do needs to have a purpose, while keeping yourself
happy. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice on 2013; and who
would of thought I would be changing majors a year later. Everything I ever did
was to get into Law School. Every class and every step I made reflected my
commitment to becoming a lawyer. However, thankfully, I was exposed to the medical
world by pure destiny and that is when I fell in love it. Now seeing the bigger
picture is this change, I have to accept that I have to start from the
beginning in order to reach my goal. Everyday, although I come from work tired,
I take two online classes to speed my way into Medical School. Additionally, I
do my own research about different universities and their requirements. I watch
and follow YouTube bloggers that talk about their experiences and their
recommendations. And I also study the body’s anatomy on a white board and
memorize as much as I can to keep myself current. Everyday, I get to
incorporate my learning process to my work and that makes me feel accomplish.
It is a one-step at a time process, but one that I am excited to do.
While I
have not figured out a way to develop a system like this in my organization, I
can see its merits and downfalls. Through this week’s readings I have found
more information lending weight to my approach, but I need to find a way to
develop this for a professional organization. This course has helped me see
that most of my innovative ideas come from my desire of learning. I can take
ideas I have learned through my years of studying and adapted it to fit into a
workplace.
At this
point, I am still in a learning curve, but that does not mean I cannot make a
positive impact in my organization. I find myself trying to innovate old
fashioned believes into newer ones. These ideas, whether good or bad, seem to
help with our innovativeness. Another way I can make a great contribution by
listening to others. I love to listen to other people’s stories on how
innovation changed the phase of organizations. As I mentioned in the beginning,
we all have something to learn from one another. By listening I do not only
gain valuable life information, but I am also fostering trust, which will pay
off down the road.
The last
contribution I can make is the research I have made in order to factually
present my innovative ideas. Completing the MSLD program, has allowed me to present
new ideas about organizational innovation, present facts through research, and hear
feedback from my coworkers. In the end, the contributions my team or I can make
are only going to make our process better. Most important of all, this program
will prepare in becoming a better leader in the medicine field, which is very
well need it.
References
Favaro, K., Meer, D., & Sharma, S. (2012). Creating an
Organic Growth Machine. Harvard Business Review, 90(5), 96-106.
Safian, R. (2014). Find your mission. (cover story). Fast
Company, (190), 66-110.
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