Leaders are action-oriented and live with passion for richer fuller life..

    

      I am taking this online course entitled "Better Leader, Richer Life" offered by Coursera and Dr. Stewart Friedman, the professor, gave us some leadership experiments to do that will enable us to pursue our leadership goals and put into practice the four-way win method of leadership.  I realized my potential as a leader when I saw the nine generic leadership experiments that have been listed for us to choose from. By combining the methods based on our circumstances and what suits best our interest we will be able to apply these experiments to gain actual experiences on how to integrate the four important domains of our life and become an effective leader at home,work,and community. One of these experiments is tracking and reflecting.  

It describes "keeping record of activity, thoughts and feelings to assess progress on goals,increasing self-awareness and maintaining priorities"(Dr. Friedman,Total Leadership).  I found out I was doing this kind of activity ever since, when I compelled to track my progress especially with keeping fit and healthy.  Although on and off with tracking and reflecting method,somehow my online course gives me a chance to start over again by confirming that I am in the right direction.

     By writing in a calendar my physical exercise routine to see what day I skipped and which period of time I am more or less motivated, I can monitor the positive and negative effects of continuing and of neglecting my activity. I wanted to see the progress of how exercise can change my physical appearance by comparing my pictures which I do look good, with those which I feel and believed I look fat and bad. Likewise,I am also writing a journal about my feelings especially when I feel down,angry,disappointed,or whatever negative feelings I have which I do not want to keep in my mind and heart . Moreover, I started to take videos of myself,discussing any kind of topics I want from motivating others,sharing my success,or inspiring others to do the same by telling my stories and struggles.

Sharing it with some group of people like my high school batch mates allow me to push myself knowing that they are somehow following whether I "walk the talk"or just someone who blabbers too much but soon to give up and fail.

     I think being a full-time Mom is more of an advantage since I can manage my time very well. I believed I have more time to "spare" for personal development compared to those who needs to report to work daily. For most people, attending to body,mind and spirit undertakings to restore vitality and vigor takes so much effort and struggle. Their job outside home becomes their excuse for not doing tasks that will help them rejuvenate and restore their strength and power to serve others and most especially their personal well-being. However, when I tried to recall my past experiences, it is not only when I become a full time Mom that I started to put exercise my priority.  But it started since I was in college. I felt refreshed,relaxed,and invigorating when I reaped the result of exercise through my physical appearance,emotional health and even my spiritual life. Exercise is a part of my daily routine. Whatever the circumstances I am in, I will continue doing it. Doing physical exercise like insanity workout,yoga,mediation,hip hop abs,belly dancing,or anything that I find myself interested in is my best example of "rejuvenating and restoring" leadership experiment that Dr. Friedman has been suggesting to the class. I am so inspired to do this knowing that what I am doing in my life has been a very effective tool and highly recommended activity by scholars in the university.

     These leadership experiments that Dr. Friedman enumerated are designed to improve satisfaction in all of our life's four important domains - home/family, work/school, self and community. Other leadership experiments are: planning and organizing,appreciating and caring,focusing and concentrating,revealing and engaging,time-shifting and replacing,delegating and developing,and exploring and venturing. I guess I am doing most of these experiments already( revealing and engaging,rejuvenating and restoring,focusing and concentrating,etc).For more information about these activities,you can buy Dr. Friedman's "Total Leadership" book or enroll on his class at Coursera "Better Leader,Richer Life".

In my next blog, I will share with you my big time leadership experiment which I will accomplish to help position myself as a leader in our community and at the same time integrate the three important domains of my life. Little by little I will live a richer,fuller life and make a difference in my community.Watch out , see you in my next blog.Fighting!!!