Public Speaking

I think the most important thing to remember is that when speaking to a group you have to appeal to your audience. Something that I applied though, is just that in friendships and one-on-one situations you have to be aware of that person and their feelings. Therefore, in certain settings we have to appeal to the person. I have been conscientious of this fact so that I can better my communication specifically with my family members. Recently my sister told me that I haven't taken as much of an interest in her scholastic and social activities. This can be easily remedied by remembering all that we have in common and realize that I need to be less selfish and think of her more.
In public settings I can base the topic of conversation upon past experienced so that it can be personal for me and more effective and relatable for my audience. Public speaking has never been very difficult for me...I thought until recently. I can easily give talks in church and the only time I feel uncomfortable is when I am feeling the spirit strongly in a church setting and then I become vulnerable, but other than that I am usually at ease. The other day presenting my book report I only had about four minutes to do my presentation and unfortunately I was really jumpy and I just didn't feel like I did the best I could've. In the future I need to just be confident and calm and then I will feel more secure about the hard work I had put into something like that.
I am happy to have these blog posts because I feel like it's an easy way to keep notes from this class and apply them to my daily life and write my thoughts about how they are personal to me. I know that in my future it will be important for me to be a hard-working and selfless leader if I want to succeed in my future career, so I can look back on each of these posts like "public speaking" for example and remember how I can improve! Hopefully I can keep these and after this class is over I can continue to update about leadership or spiritual experiences I continue to have!

What Matters Most?

I have a little post-it note next to my mirror that says "what matters most?" reminding me to put the important thing first even when it may be hard. Being an ethical leader, all comes down to what you value and what is most important to you. It is crucial to be consistent. From group to group that a person may be involved in, consistency is key. I've had a lot of great examples in my life of ethical leaders, all of whom have created a sort of personal code of ethics and have been able to lead by following that.
I've had trouble writing this blog post for almost a week now. I keep coming to it to finish it but then I put it in drafts and try to come back to it. I think what I'm struggling with is making the perfect "Personal Code of Ethics". There are so many things that are important to me  but it's really simple. I know the things that matter MOST and I need to be loyal to those values which I truly cherish most. I don't want to write about what should matter most to me, or what I want to work harder on staying true to. I think I need to just be completely honest and write about what in my life I stand for and what I want to continue to stand for.
This Code of Ethics I promise myself to be true to. In situations where they are tested I will stand unwavering in. These are important to me in my personal life, social mannerisms, and spiritual growth. With this code of ethics I hope to become a better leader and friend to those around me.

Personal Code of Ethics
Family - I want to be first are foremost loyal to my family. Love my sisters, cherish my parents, and cling to them when I am going to trials.
Excellence - In striving for excellence I can become accomplished and valued. I hope by working toward excellence people will see me as a hard-worker and someone who can be an example and leader.
Integrity - I want to have integrity in every aspect of my life so that I can be the best I can be. I know that as a Woman of Integrity I will be a better friend, sister, daughter, and one day wife and mother. As I strive to have integrity, the more trustworthy I'll become.
Service - The more giving and selfless I am, the more I will be blessed. I want to give service my entire life. I know that it's a commandment and because I have been given much I too must give. I have every ability and ambition to give service and that is the kind of person and leader I want to be.
Happiness - Since I was young I have always been a happy person and I know that there is a silver-lining in everything. I want to help others see the beauty of situations and dwell not on their doubts and insecurities.
Obedience - Obedience, like integrity is something that is a personal decision. Other people may not have a huge say in the decision and only you can control it personally, to have the most desirable outcome.
Tenacity - In my life I face problems sometimes thinking "I'm not good enough" and it's not true. In being tenacious it will keep me persisting and continuing in determination. This is one thing that I need to be most aware of. That I am capable of so much and I can do anything through my faith and devotion to Christ, our Savior.

My analysis of SWOT

Doing the SWOT analysis really made a difference in how I've been able to see my strengths and weaknesses and how they have contributed to my successes and accomplishments. It made the reality of my procrastination-problem that much more of a reminder to me. The cards that we used in class boosted my self-confidence because they were mainly strengths that a lot of people could relate to, for example; cleanliness, ambitious, cheerful, etc. We've been given many opportunities to use our strengths. Great leaders are able to call their strengths at all the right times. “Chances are you will have many opportunities to lead during your own lifetime. As you will learn the path to great leadership starts with a deep understanding of the strengths you bring to the table.” 

On Monday for FHE we made cookies in the basement and I was really excited about making cookies and asked to give the spiritual thought because of the object lesson we had in our lab. I was able to convey the message the cookie-making is a lot like team work. As every person contributes their strengths to the group the overall outcome will be best. As people are able to compliment weaknesses with others strengths a team is strengthened and like a cookie will have a better product in the end. Without all the ingredients it doesn't taste as delicious, just a salt enhances the flavor it would not taste sweet and delicious standing alone. The most effective leaders surround themselves with the right people and maximize their team and understand their followers needs. Just like in missionary work it's important to understand and speak the language of the people you are teaching. Maybe not their exact tongue but at least understand where they are coming from so you can successfully reach out to them, touch their heart, and inspire them to go forth and serve.

Leaders are able to take weaknesses and join them together through their program where they can develop a higher level of learning. In our small leadership group for the project, Karina admitted to having very little patience and Madison nicely compliments her by being very calm, collected, and patient in trying situations. By knowing members of a team and knowing the strengths and weaknesses the whole team may be benefitted. One thing that really impacted me that I had never thought about in regards to weaknesses is how the path to comparing yourself is so slippery. It was mentioned that most people compare their weaknesses to other people's strengths, which is going to make no positive impact in any situation. It is never right or helpful to compare yourself to others to try and raise your own self-esteem, especially since we do not know what has made each persons strength a strength and their weakness weak. 

Dallin H. Oaks warns us that our strengths may also become weaknesses, “Those who engage in self- congratulation over a supposed strength have lost the protection of humility and are vulnerable to Satan’s using that strength to produce their downfall.” I know that by following a living prophet and listening to the counsel from parents and other leaders that we will be strengthened as we continue to follow in faith. 

Becoming Palin

Going into this leadership exercise I had planned to give a presentation on Sarah Palin, the leader I was assigned, but we just did some questions as a small group which was much easier than I was expecting it to be, so thankfully I came very over-prepared. I really enjoyed this project, learning about the leader, becoming like them, and dressing up, and I thought it was especially appropriate on Halloween! I actually learned a lot about different leaders and public figures through the discussions we had at our tables.
We had the privilege of being at the same table with Teddy Roosevelt. He was really interesting and had some similarities with Palin since they're both political leaders and had like motivations tactics. Teddy Roosevelt was talented in rallying up troops as a war hero and he was able to get thousands of men behind him and support him and that's something I found to be unique. Unlike other politicians who are concerned with the vote of the people, Roosevelt was able to actually relate to them and serve with them.
It's hard  to say that some of the motivation techniques would work for day to day leadership because many of the leaders that we learned about were extraordinary. In my daily life I don't see myself as being able to be such an influence over so many people. One thing that I know I can apply to my own leadership is working directly with the people I'm serving so leadership can become more of a service and people can therefore pass it on in a sort of "Pay-It-Forward" effect.

Motivation Through Inspiration

There are many ways to be motivated. As humans we are naturally motivated through flattery, bribery, manipulation, intimidation, power, and most importantly inspiration. I think leaders are most effective in motivating when inspiration is involved. To excite someone about a cause and seeing that person become truly passionate is amazing to watch. I know that when people motivate me and then I can look back on my growth I am proud of the things I've done. It can be simple things like, finishing my biology homework which I always dread, or bigger things like becoming involved in a service group and getting myself lost in service. I don't always willingly join every club or service activity but when I do I can always see the blessings from it.
Our speaker in class today gave examples of some very talented leaders who were able to motivate a lot of people for a particular cause. Many church leaders and prophets are especially gifted in this area. I think they are excellent people to look to in seeing how that have been inspirational for members in and outside of the church. One of the things that theses people have that I know I could definitely work on is public speaking. Next semester I want to take public speaking class because I know that could really help me in a lot of aspects. Motivating has a lot to do with the three C's -- Character, Cause, and Courage. In remembering the three C's it should be an easy reminder of the aspects of motivation that are necessary.
I've had a couple really great examples in my life of people who have made a difference because of how they motivated me. In the two examples I'm thinking of their reasons for becoming involved was because they loved me. It made such a difference because it was completely selfless, they didn't do it to get ahead in their own lives but they simply love me and want to see me happy and successful. The first one is my Mom, she's always been amazing she encouraged and motivated me to do what I wanted and assured me that she trusted me and had confidence in me. My mom always let me make my own choices but motivated me to be hard-working and a young woman of integrity and I think that has really helped me become the person I am today. Second is my high school counselor Mr. Ashton, he had hundreds of students to take care of but he always made time for me to stop by and chat with him about my life and he gave me such great counsel and advice. I appreciate the confidence he had in me and always told me that he thought I was such a capable young lady, he always motivated me to push myself and get outside of my comfort zone. He explained that there are some people in the world who need to make up the slack for people who may not be as hard-working or dedicated and that it's my job to be "one of the good ones". He motivated me to be a leader at my school, to stay humble, and be diligent in everything I do, but he was a friend to me and a familiar face that I was always comfortable with. I am so grateful for the people in my life who have helped me to become who I am, and I hope that someday I will be an inspiration to someone and be able to motivate them in a sort of pay-it-forward endeavor.

Good, Better, Best

After reading Brother Merril's talk it gave me a different kind of confidence on decision-making and the simplicity of the process, and simplicity it provides in a crazy world. Brother Merril encourages people to make just 5 important decisions. Decisions that I thought were especially important are: Decide that I am important, and decide to be married in the temple. The two decisions don't really go together perfectly, but I think that by making these decisions so many other small decisions will be made easier by having two broad standards to align my life with. I know that by making the decision to be married in the temple it will help me live my life in a way that will encourage me to get there. Rather than making temple marriage a goal, by making it a decision, a personal decision, I think it will make it so much easier to make that happen. One thing that we are reminded is that once decisions are made we must persist and re-examine the decision and make it a constant thing in our lives.
Decision-making has a lot to do with time-management and ties in with control. I personally control my time, no one else maps out my day for me and equally I make personal decisions. I can not rely on my friends or family, influences, etc. to make decisions for me that impact me. True, decisions impact people all around my through the way I act, treat people, carry tasks out, but ultimately I am in control of my own decisions and time.  
I thought the decision matrix that we were shown in class was so handy! I definitely plan on using that soon in deciding what classes I need to take for next semester. It makes things set simply and I'm a very visual person so I love to see the outcome or the possibilities of things. That's why I also like to use PRO and CON charts when I am weighing my options. I loved the quote by President Faust saying A choice involves making a conscious decision. To make an intelligent decision we need to evaluate all available facts on both sides of an issue. But that isn’t enough. Making correct decisions involves prayer and inspiration.” – James E. Faust. With that in mind, it's vital that I can align my life in a way that is congruent with being close with the Spirit and our Savior. I am so blessed to have the gospel in my life and to have the gift of the Holy Ghost that can help my and comfort me when I need it, especially in times of discernment.

Rules of Physics...

The hardest part for me about decision is the fear of upsetting someone. The rules of physics teach that every action has an opposite and equal reaction.
A lot of times it's hard at first but once the decision is made it's easy to follow through. Although every decision ultimately has a consequence, some decisions are more significant than others. President Monson explains, "Decisions determine your destiny". Such a lofty claim requires serious contemplation. Certain decisions do require more thought and consideration than others do; however, it is of the utmost importance in either case to make decisions in a timely manner. Timing has everything to do with making a decision, it's important to be conscientious of making a decision in haste and on the contrary waiting too long. I think more often than not, when I ruminate over a decision for too long, I end up confusing myself and becoming extremely indecisive. However, if I simply let my intuition take over, and make decisions that feel right, as opposed to make the most logical sense, I find that I am much happier with whatever I decided. Overall, it is never easy to decide something for oneself, especially in confusing situations, yet at the end of the day it is important to make decisions that not only make sense logically, but also feel right too.
When making decisions for the group it is important to focus on what is best overall, as a leader, decision-making must be selfless. After the decision is made, I need to remember to go forward with that choice. A lot of times I'll try and un-do something that I feel uncomfortable with, but I know that it's necessary to make the best of every situation! Theodore Roosevelt said, “In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing”. I need to work on being more deliberative and I need to stop worrying about all the other elements and fears that come with decision-making. When I need to, I can always seek advice from people who love and care for me and most importantly I can pray for peace and comfort and know that through living faithfully I can always receive divine help.