Embrace the ugliness of leading.

Calling all leaders!

I'm sorry this post is so long and coming. It's been a busy few weeks in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement, delivering great events and activities to the University of Baltimore student population and, more importantly, helping our students explore and develop their leadership potential.

That being said, I thought it might be a good time to talk about a simple fact about leadership that is often ignored. I've had the good fortune in my position to see teams throughout our campus functioning on a number of levels and accomplishing amazing things - reaching out to build community partnerships, engaging students in learning and fun, opening up our eyes to possibilities that were once beyond our imagination.

Our outcomes are often better than we could have possibly imagine. The benefits of leadership are many and often very satisfying. But nobody--nobody--wants to see how the proverbial sausage is made.

Here it is: Leading can get ugly.

We all know this to be true. We often encounter this at work, at home, or even on the weekend in that softball league or poker tournament. When people unite at a predetermined palce at a predetermined time to execute a predetermined plan, an X-factor is added into the mix that often sabotages our best laid plans.

Leading can get ugly.

The X-factor is, of course, other people. It is only natural, as you work with a team to accomplish a given goal, you are going to encounter resistence, disagreement, and yes, the dreaded conflict. But that's not so bad!

Conflict, or as the Social Change Leadership Model describes it, controversy with civility, is healthy, and in fact, imperative for teams. The last thing your team should suffer from is "groupthink" or likemindedness that leaves you closed to other, perhaps better paths to success.

Embrace the ugliness that can come from working in teams. Whatever you do, don't avoid it! Avoiding problems only makes them worse (trust me on this one!)

Have you ever been a part of a team, and worked diligently to execute a plan, when all the while you have an idea about how the plan might work better? Maybe you want to suggest the group hold an event in the evening instead of the afternoon. Maybe you think a mailing should be sent by e-mail rather than hardcopy. Don't be afraid to speak up, even if you think others may disagree with you. Often, especially in the midst of the planning phase of a project, team members can't see the forest for the trees. If you have an alternative idea, it's not only a good idea, it's your duty to share it! Good ideas that go unshared can hurt your team and lead to feelings of resentment.

On the same token, be careful about sharing alternative suggestions during the execution phase of a plan or an event. At this stage, you are putting your plan into action, and last-minute changes can lead to unnecessary confusion and oftentimes can't be implemented anyway. Ever set up an event and had someone say "you should have gotten pink tablecloths instead of blue" on the day of. How does this actually help?

Again, remember, it's O.K. if there's tension in your group, even passionate disagreement. This is a natural part of building a team. See Tuckman's Stages for more on the life cycle of a team.

Also remember the "curtain effect." So much of the planning process and execution of your project is often not seen by others who aren't "behind the curtain." Have confidence that even if the process needs work (it always does), that your team will deliver a winning result that will please all involved.

Realize that at the end of the day, leading can get ugly. But the results are well worth it.

Feel free to comment - let me know what you think and if you a have any good stories about the benefits of leadership that gets ugly!

Anthony Butler is the Assistant Director of Leadership in the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement. For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

Achieving Greatness: A Metaphorical View of Individual Differences. By Trevor Shylock

Situations and circumstances seem to take a large toll on people's feelings and thoughts. Why is it that some people persevere, while some in virtually the same circumstances fail? Like with any event, it appears to be a combination of both situation and individual differences.

Is that to say that those who "fail" could not have succeeded? Is that to say that those who have "failed" can learn from their experiences and eventually succeed?

What must happen in order to want to climb over and above the "failure" to reach success? Commitment, drive, favorable circumstances, trust, faith, openness, communication...? Also, who defines what "failure" is? One's failure may be another's learning experience. Personal reaction to seemingly unfavorable situations plays a large part in whether one has a "failure" or a "learning experience." For example, one person may get upset that they are being transferred to a different department because their performance wasn't great in their current role; while another person may see this as a much needed opportunity to show their true colors in an environment that may be of more interest to that person.

Furthermore, people can change. There is always a choice. Most people have a preference toward a given stimulus, but there is always a point in between stimulus and response where you can step in and say, "I choose to act this way, even if it'd be easier to do ____, or despite what other people think I should do." For example, you may have the idea to not pack a lunch for tomorrow and just go out to eat. It is at that point where choice comes in. You can
think to yourself, "is this going to help my goal to eat healthy?" If the answer is no, then you can choose not to perform that activity. It is easier to just get some fast food instead of preparing a meal for the following day, but you can stick with your goal and make that turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread.

In fact, if you have well set goals for all of the major areas of your life, you can ask yourself the same question before you exhibit unfavorable behaviors (e.g., will skipping the gym today help my goal of losing 10 lbs?).

Changing can be like breaking a habit. Some people will need to gradually step away from the no-longer desirable act, while others can easily make up their mind to instantly stop. Still, others may need to replace habits with other, better habits. Encouragement or a support group may even be necessary for some. Is that to say one person is better/stronger/smarter than another? No, that just goes to show that everybody is different. And in order to help that person (or yourself), introspection is a great tool to actually discover what characteristics you possess, and the best ways to deal with them. This also involves bringing to the surface one's strengths and weaknesses and figuring out ways to appropriately deal with them.

It is in first understanding these differences that will start you down the path of making better decisions, achieving greatness, and foster stronger interpersonal communication; which is like a perpetual cycle of effective leadership.

Trevor Shylock is a UB student in the Master of Applied Psychology program and working toward completing his Established Leader Certificate through Leadership UB. He may be reached at trevor.shylock@ubalt.edu.

For over eight years, Leadership UB has provided leadership training and opportunities for service and reflection to University of Baltimore and the surrounding community. To find out how you can get involved, visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership or e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu.

Heaps of Praise for a True Team Player

With the NFL season drawing to a close, and football fans suddenly searching for something else to do with their Sunday afternoons, I thought it would be a great time to talk about football and leadership.

For those of you who don't watch football (and I'm told you're out there somewhere), don't stop reading now. While football is the metaphor in this case, this is still a post about leadership and I promise it will come to a good point.

Todd Heap is the starting tight end for the Baltimore Ravens, a franchise that went from 5-11 and a fired coach last year to 11-5 and the conference championship this year, under the guidance of a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach.

What led the Ravens from the bottom of the proverbial Heap (I promise not to abuse that pun any more) to the upper echelon of the NFL in one year? To be sure, it wasn't the work of one player. No, the Ravens made it to the game that decided the eventual Super Bowl champion with a total team effort. Let's not discuss, for the moment, that the Pittsburgh Steelers beat them on the way to winning the Super Bowl in that game - that would only distract us from the question at hand.

How did Todd Heap contribute to the winning formula of a superb 2008 Ravens team?

A look at the stats will tell the tale. If you throw out his 2007 season, where he was limited to only 6 games due to a nagging injury, the numbers are quite favorable. For the six seasons between 2001-2006, Heap averaged 52 catches, 610 yards and 4.3 touchdowns per season.

So how did Heap do in 2008? Glad you asked. The two-time Pro Bowl receiving tight end hauled in a pedestrian 35 catches for 403 yards and 3 touchdowns. A bad year, right?

Not hardly. To understand Heap's contribution, you must understand blocking. For those who are not NFL fans, blocking is an unheralded but vital part of a football team's offense. The tight end can be used in one of two ways - to go out and try to catch the ball, or to stay in and essentially become a sixth offensive lineman, keeping the defenders off the quarterback (who throws the ball) or the running back (you can guess what he does).

Heap was wisely called upon to block for most of the year, to open up holes for a much-needed (and highly successful) running game, and to protect a rookie passer (Joe "Joe Cool" Flacco).

Did you hear Heap once complain about his lack of catches? Did you hear him criticize his coaches for the way he was utilized? No way. Granted, it's easier to keep your peace when the team is winning, but you get the feeling Heap wouldn't complain even if the team was losing.

Heap obviously knows a thing or two about leadership. He was asked to trade in a visible role on the team for one far less glamorous (and one much more likely to leave black and blue marks the day after). His reward? A trip to the championship game, one win away from the Super Bowl.

To have a successful team, you must have team members who are willing to sacrifice individual recognition for the good of the group. True leaders don't always stand out. Many are nearly invisible but vital parts of their teams.

It takes a whole team working together to accomplish key goals. Every great team (football or otherwise) has a cast of veritable unknowns working feverishly behind the scenes.

Does your team have any Todd Heaps? Unnoticed, unhearalded, "cogs" who do the dirty work but don't necessarily get recognized for it?

Do you have a story about a team member who went above and beyond to help accomplish a task, or who took on work no one else wanted to do because he or she recognized it was work that absolutely had to be done?

Comment below and tell us about the Todd Heaps you've met, and how important they are to the success of your team. And, while you're at it, consider throwing some praise their way the next time you see them.

Anthony Butler is the assistant director of leadership in the Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement at the University of Baltimore.

Visit Leadership UB online at www.ubalt.edu/leadership. For more information, e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu or call the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement at 410.837.5419. Please feel free to comment here and return often for weekly articles on leadership by scholars, presenters and participants involved in Leadership UB.

Leadership is a choice.

Welcome to Take the Lead, the new blog for Leadership UB, the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement's Leadership Certification Program.

This is a place to discuss leadership, in every facet and every way it affects our daily lives. The world needs great leaders now more than ever. Never before has it been more important to recognize that the potential for great leadership lies within each of us.

Note that I said that the potential lies within us, not necessarily great leadership itself. Great leadership requires action and determination, skill and execution, and occasionally, just a bit of wit. Potential that isn't acted upon is nothing more than a vanity exercise (and sometimes it's not even that).

Someone once said "whether you think you're a leader or not, you're right." Actually, that quote probably works for a lot of things, but it works especially well for leadership. Think about what that quote means. You are fully capable of convincing yourself that you cannot lead. You're also fully capable of convincing yourself that you can. It's all up to you.

No matter your position within an organization or group, you have the ability to influence others and create change.

That's not to say that it's easy. Anyone who tries to lead a group, organization or community, will face significant barriers. They may even face a moment of total doubt, when the situation is grim and success seems impossible. These are the times when we most need to rely on skilled leadership, along with a quality that cannot be fabricated or replicated: An internal fire. The determination to succeed.

Leadership is a choice. Whether you believe that leaders are born are made, you must recognize that they are nothing if they do not choose to lead. In fact, you might say there's a third option: Leaders make themselves.

Consider ways you can make a positive change in your group, organization or community. Realize that the first step is believing that you can. Understand that you have access to tremendous resources, a powerful network, and the support you need to get things done, if only you know where to look.

One such resource is Leadership UB, the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement's leadership certification program at the University of Baltimore. Visit www.ubalt.edu/leadership to review our Spring 2009 schedule and a full range of activities that can help you develop your leadership skills, and earn certification as an Emerging, Established and Experienced leader. Our program is primarily for students, but is also open to University of Baltimore faculty, staff and alumni, as well as the community at large.

Feel free to use this space to suggest ways you can make a difference in your group, organization or community. There has never been a better time to decide to take the lead.

For more information, e-mail leadership@ubalt.edu or call the Rosenberg Center for Student Involvement at 410.837.5419. Please feel free to comment here and return often for weekly articles on leadership by scholars, presenters and participants involved in Leadership UB.