A Profound Difference Between Information and Meaning
“L is for Lee Ann.” While that may a memorable moment of our leadership retreat, along with “Lennox Lewis,” “luscious,” the “O” cheer and the wonderful food, the whole point of the day was to focus on leadership. You are now the leaders of the Middle School, the ones dismissed first from chapel and assembly, the ones given special privileges like dances and NUD during Exams. What does this mean for you as the class of 2012? As individuals? As students in my English class?
We were given lots of information and were asked intriguing questions: How does a group determine a leader? What are positive and negative roles within a group? What characteristics are most important in a leader? Are leaders born or made? I encourage you to take another look at the blue leadership packet as you reflect on what you learned.
However, the real question is: “What does leadership mean to you”?
What did you take away from the day that will influence how you will think and act this year? Are you a leader? Would you like to be a leader?
Many people have voiced thoughts on leadership:
“The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born — that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” –Warren G. Bennis
“Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” –Vince Lombardi
“Leadership rests not only upon ability, not only upon capacity; having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it. His leadership is then based on truth and character. There must be truth in the purpose and will power in the character.” –Warren G. Bennis
Are there characteristics that all leaders share? Take a look at Time Magazine’s most important people of the century and learn about people who have been identified as the 20 most influential people of the century. What can you learn from them?
This was my second year attending the retreat and I was hearing most of the information a second time. However, I found myself particularly interested in the explanation of the roles people play within groups. This is primarily because I think the work we do in our small groups and as a class group is extremely important. This year, as we work in our small groups in class, I would like each of us to make an effort to think about how the group is working together, instead of just focusing on the task or problem. I will do my best to help you with this by asking you questions to steer your thoughts in this direction.
I ask each of you to reflect on what you learned at the retreat and write on your blog about what you learned and how you are going to incorporate it into your daily life-not only as a student in my class, but also as a member of the Lovett community. In short, I wish you to give meaning to the information you received at the retreat… and share it.
To guide your thoughts consider the following two questions:
What did I learn that was useful/interesting to me?
What am I going to do with that knowledge?
I look forward to reading the meaning you find behind all that we learned yesterday!
Fondly,
Mrs. E
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October 8th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
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October 9th, 2007 at 8:32 am
[...] A Profound Difference Between Information and Meaning [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 8:33 am
[...] A Profound Difference Between Information and Meaning [...]
October 9th, 2007 at 8:33 am
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