Change Begins With Us

The story of Ferdinand de Lesseps was an inspiring read. The completion of the Suez canal began with his vision to literally change the world. Yet even his great passion for the project could not alone support the change he sought. First, he petitioned the government of England to back his venture. When that failed, he attempted to stir the emotions of society and foster popular support. When that failed, he struck out on his own and, with the blessing of an Egyptian official, sold shares to the public to fund the canal (Burns, 2003).

“Pulsifer shares the story of a wise monk who said:

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could have indeed changed the world (Komives, 2012, p.105).”

This monk recognized the impossibility for the average person to change the world without first

My Meyers-Briggs Type

Over the course of my leadership journey in school, I have grown in my self-awareness. This is partly due to my newfound understanding of my personality preferences according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test. According to this test, I am an ISTJ. Thinking is my dominant trait, which I prefer to in my inner world as an introvert. Sensing is my auxiliary trait, which I use when I interact with the outside world as a balance to my dominant trait.

The official MBTI website describes this Type as “quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.” I can identify with all of these descriptors. As I read through them, situations come to mind that confirm their validity.

My primary source of energy comes from my own internal world. I rejuvenate best when I am on my own or with my best friend or family. We recently had a friend stay on our living room couch for a week and it definitely proved how much I value my private space. She stayed either in the house or with me the entire time, inviting herself into every aspect of my life. As much as I love this girl, I began to get anxious for the first time in my life. By the end of the week my body would occasionally tremble involuntarily, I felt constantly nauseous, and I had difficulty falling asleep or focusing on tasks. The moment she drove away, my appetite returned and I fell on the couch to sleep. It was an uncanny, but educational experience.

I have a weak preference between sensing and intuition in the way I take in information. Like someone with intuition, I tend to see the bigger picture when I look at a scene. Yet at the same time, I observe details that speak to the bigger picture using all of my senses.

Usually, I prefer to base my decisions in logic and on principle. Growing up, I would always identify with Spock, the emotionless, logic-driven Vulcan from Star Trek. To this day, I still prefer the logic in strategic decisions, although I have lately been learning how to make more feeling-based decisions. My roommate is a very feeling person who doesn’t always agree with my decisions, even if she recognizes the logic behind them. It is a good exercise, but my preference still hasn’t changed.

I have 5, 10, and 40-year plans for my life. I make lists and plan ahead and keep journals. I am more comfortable when decisions have been made and a plan is settled upon. However, I am internally open to deviation from said plan, if a better option presents itself. This reflects my extroverted preference for judging and my introverted preference for perceiving.

“[Sensing-Thinking types] are often found in careers that require a technical approach to things, ideas, or people, and tend to be less interested in careers that require nurturing of others or attending to their growth and development,” according to the MBTI website. Currently, in school, I am studying business accounting. If I make this my profession, then I imagine it will fit my type preferences very well. Most of accounting work is individual (Introversion) and requires one to be very observant of details while keeping a bigger picture in mind (Sensing). Decisions must be made logically (Thinking). There’s not much emotion in numbers and what ever emotion does get attached to the numbers must be ignored on an ethical basis. Lastly, accountants are expected to make decisions based on their work and be organized and confident in their answers (Judging).

I think of the verse that goes something like, “a man cannot have two masters—he cannot serve both God and money. Either he will love one and hate the other, or he will hate one and love the other.” If an accountant truly loved money, then that emotion could easily cloud their judgment and lead to harmful fraud. If, on the other hand, an accountant loved God, then they could be trusted to handle the money appropriately.

This exercise has really helped me to understand my preferences and the difference between myself and my peers. Someone’s spontaneity that might previously have annoyed me can now be embraced as a wonderful difference. It doesn’t matter if it’s not my preference to be spontaneous—I can enjoy the experience with insider knowledge.

Christy as a Leader: My Strengths

Gallup StrengthsFinder

1. Connectedness
2. Discipline
3. Harmony
4. Consistency
5. Learner

VIA Characteristics

1. Kindness
2. Judgment
3. Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
4. Gratitude
5. Honesty

Keirsey: Guardian
Meyer’s Briggs: INTJ (Rational – Mastermind)

Strengths Finder Assessment
When I first read the results of my Strengths Finders test, I smiled and nodded in agreement. As I’ve gotten to know what each of them means, that smile has just gotten wider.

First and foremost, I’m a people person. But I’m relational in a very logical sort of way. Growing up, I often identified with Spock from Star Trek: pure logic mixed with human emotion. My executive strengths of consistency and discipline as well as my strategic strength, learner, represent the logical side of me while my relational strength of harmony shows the human emotional side. I view connectedness as sort of in-between logic and emotion. I feel the connection between things intuitively, but I use that strength to logically plot out a road map for the most efficient plan of action.

Connectedness
My top strength is relational, but not just with people.

United, We Stand

Over these past few months, I’ve had multiple opportunities to practice conflict resolution. Perkins discusses multiple methods for accomplishing it, but still only one really works. Jesus taught this strategy~private and personal confrontation followed by an apology and forgiveness.

“Conflict is not so much an occasional speed bump as it is the intermittent center-lane stripes that come in rapid succession” (Perkins, 2000). It does no good to ignore or avoid conflict, because it is part of life and healthy relationships. Instead, learning how to deal with it when it happens actually strengthens relationships.

My roommate has taught me a lot about conflict resolution. Because of our mutual respect and goodwill for each other, we realize how selfish it is to hold on to a grudge or to anger. We have created a pattern of apologizing and forgiving that gives us confidence in the strength of our relationship and practice in confrontation with others.

In a team environment, anger and passive-aggressiveness is terribly destructive, while open communication builds trust and integrity.

________

References

1. Perkins, B. (2000). Awaken the leader within. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.

Do What’s Right

“Right decisions are right – whether they are popular or not.”

Reading Awaken the Leader Within by Bill Perkins made it three times I’d heard this admonishment this week. The first time was during a discussion about integrity. Someone brought up the point that integrity often means going the way you know is right even when society or your peers all go the other way.

The second time happened while I was reading