Week 8

10/8/20

Today we discussed the significance of our names. My mom always told me the significance of my name is because of the meaning “follower of christ”. My middle name is Lamarr and its significance is that my mom created a lineage of middle names that are Lamarr because me, my mom, and little brother all have the exact same initials, CLA. The one thing I did not like about my name was my last name because people would make fun of me all the time so I just stopped telling people my last name. It was not until high school where I was truly proud of my name and knew one day it would carry weight

Assignments:

A person in my life that has shown the most leadership in my life is my mom. She always has shown leadership with me and always advices me to do the right thing. She is always taking care of everyone in my family and everyone comes to her when they need help. One of the most significant times she has stepped up is when my little brother was diagnosed with diabetes last year. She did a lot to learn how to combat his diabetes and keep it under control. There were times where her faith wavered in herself but she never let it be known to either us and tried to do her best for both of us. I have never met a woman so strong and independent who works so hard for others. She is always going to try to be the best version of herself while also bringing out the best version of other people as well. She did this for years as an Elementary school teacher and she still has kept tabs on most of those kids to this day! She cares for others sometimes more than she cares for herself and we go back and forth about that all the time. I know where I get most of my leadership traits from and it is definitely her. When I was younger and my parents divorced she always made sure I never resented my dad and that I one day forgave him and even kept a tight relationship with him because she knew it was best for me.

I would have liked to have phronēsis to confront the racism problem in America. This has been a problem for decades and I feel now might be the time that if someone with the right parameters and experience can rally people together we could have a strong movement that can truly end the system that oppresses many minorities. I would cultivate phronēsis by learning from others and listening to what the people have to say because a good leader must listen to his subordinates if he is to lead efficiently. My reputation would be cultivated by how I help others and how I move the movement forward. Another thing I would like phronēsis for is with what is going on with the election currently. Recently I voted and just to vote it took 7 hours for them to then tell us the machines broke and we could not vote. I live in Georgia and honestly that one experience can turn people away so quickly to just not come back that it affects votes. Things like this are a strong form of voter suppression and for such a big election that quite frankly decide the fate of this country. If there was a leader that people could rally on the country would not be as split as it is. If you asked me I would say both candidates have shown no phronēsis.

One time I experienced Phthonos was when I first moved to high school in a new city. I felt like everyone was hostile toward me at first simply because I was a new person who no one really knew. I will also admit I definitely tried way too hard to fit in which might have bred some of that hostility. I also was really smart and when I came I let everyone know that fact so they were not the happiest with my cockiness as well.

Another time I experienced Phthonos was while I was the leader of my mock trial group I secured a spot as lead attorney my first time walking in. Lots of people chose to not respect my leadership because of that so I had to earn their trust and have them learn to follow me as well while I learned from them as well. We both got something out of the exchange which I feel a leader has to do sometimes while also holding that title of a leader.

10/13/20

Today in class we talked about how Cyrus’ education helped him develop into a leader and training his mind while learning self control. The part that stood out the most was when we talked about how true peace in life is given through giving to others. Which is our definition of leadership. I feel a leader must be someone the people can trust and lean on in times of weakness and Cyrus is that leader. Cyrus was a man who you could trust and he truly cared for his people.

When we split off into groups we talked about how a character of judgement can be a ship leader, physician, or the guide. My group chose ship captain for out topic and we talked about our responses. We agreed a ship captain must take care of those under them and show leadership qualities that deem them worthy of being captain. They must also have the experience to be a leader eligible for the crew’s trust. Finally, they must be someone who’s known for having a well maintained ship (reputation). The qualities that the ships captain would need consist of: someone who takes charge of their group from the start. Does not struggle making hard decisions and is sympathetic of the well being of their ship and crew. A captain should be able to look the part and have a distinguishing quality that makes them stand out from the crew. Being aware of all possibilities and outcomes when approaching a situation. The final question was can a good leader turn bad and we believed yes, power can go to anyone’s head. Leaders are in a position to abuse their power to gain personal pleasure and profit. Not building rapport, or upkeeping a personal relationship with a group. Everyone is capable of being influenced to the point where they can break bad.