Introduction to Leadership and Teamwork Created by The University of North Texas in partnership with the Texas Education Agency

Leadership Leaders are found everywhere –Business –Politics –Entertainment –Military –Science –Sports –Mathematics UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 2 Leaders are not just sports heroes, they are much more.

What Is a Good Leader? A Conductor –Never actually plays an instrument –Trusts each musician to play his/her part well –Conductor’s score shows everything (is complex) The musicians’ score only shows their individual parts A leader directs the whole while inspiring the individual UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 3

What Defines a Good Leader? Excellent leaders have certain characteristics –Self-Awareness –Conviction –Courage –Ability to Listen –Creativity –Curiosity –Ability to Reflect UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 4

Self Awareness Knowing your own strengths and limitations Understanding your own emotions Understanding the impact of your behavior on others Know Thyself….. Socrates UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 5

Self Awareness (cont.) Questions to Ask and Answer… Who am I right now? Do I really want to lead? What do I want? Am I willing to make the sacrifices leaders must make? People of the world don't look at themselves, and so they blame one another…. Mevlana Rumi, author UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 6

Conviction Personal conviction is what you (as a person) strongly believe. Leaders have –developed beliefs –communicated those beliefs to their team –taken action based on those beliefs. Beliefs are not always easy to come by or right in front of one's face. The path is often lonely, arduous, even painful….but an intellectually honest leader leads from a place where true beliefs live….Rudy Guiliani (Mayor, New York City during 9/11) UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 7

Courage Great leaders ask themselves: –Do I have the courage to lead despite the resistance? –Do I have the courage to have my beliefs questioned? Leaders need to have courage to act on their convictions because great leaders often face resistance to change UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 8

Courage (cont.) My point of view has always been that if I have an opinion, and people can’t argue me out of it…then I must be right. I have to have the strength of conviction and the courage to stick to it. … Howard Lester, Chairman & CEO, Williams- Sonoma UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 9

Ability to Listen Leaders are not just “good talkers” Great leaders are those who can –stop talking –start listening Leaders need to listen so that they can hear what –the outside world is saying –team members are saying UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 10

Ability to Listen (cont.) Leaders who don’t listen will not lead in the long run…Jerry Hultin, former Navy Under Secretary and current President of Polytechnic University (Brooklyn, NY). UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 11

Creativity Ability to make something new rather than imitate or copy something else. Creativity is used on –products –ideas –actions Innovation [creativity] distinguishes between a leader and a follower….Steve Jobs, Founder and CEO of Apple Computers UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 12

Creativity (cont.) A Soldier’s Story US Troops entered the Iraqi city of Najaf Met an enraged mob Troops had been trained to fire warning shots. Lt. Col. Chris Hughes ordered his men to point weapons to the ground Crowd went silent Troops had not learned this in training UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 13

Curiosity Great leaders are curious Great leaders ask questions Great leaders try new things – just to see what happens Leaders do not have all the answers –they ask questions and educate themselves We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths …Walt Disney UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 14

Ability to Reflect Don’t just learn by doing Learn by doing and then thinking about it –See what can be learned –What went right; what went wrong “Aha” moments only come with reflection Reflection brings about conviction UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 15

Ability to Reflect (cont.) Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action … Peter Drucker, writer and consultant UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 16

Who are some great leaders? Steve Jobs, Apple Computer Lt. Col Christopher Hughes, commander of 2nd Battalion of the 327 th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, US Army Rudy Guiliani, former New York City Mayor Walt Disney, founder and president, Disney Corp. UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 17

Student Worksheet _________________ is the ability to know and understand one’s own traits, feelings, and behaviors To have a firm belief in an idea or a course of action is called _________________ _________________ is a quality that a person possesses that enables him/her to face danger, fear, or a change in circumstances with self- possession, confidence, and resolution If you are able to make an effort to hear something, pay attention to it, and understand it, then you are showing an ability to ______________ The ability to _________________ is to have the ability to contemplate previous actions. In other words, it is to be thoughtful A _______________ person is someone who is eager to learn more. To be ______________ is to be original, expressive and imaginative. UNT in partnership with TEA, Copyright © All rights reserved 18