The Political and Economic Effects of the Living Wage

The Final Paper

Prior to beginning my MBA studies at Mount St. Mary's University, I never would have thought that the first class that every student must take had a central focus on self-assessment and the skills necessary for growing into a well-rounded leader. Fresh out of St. Mary's College of Maryland, where I received my undergraduate degree back in May, I wanted to immediately pursue an MBA, thinking that having an MBA was necessary to get ahead in life and achieve happiness in life. Little did I know that throughout the semester, my whole perception of happiness would change. While the whole class cannot be fully encompassed, this paper will go on to highlight all the lessons learned, from the very first 20 minutes of lecture, to the very last in-class activity.

What is a leader?

The true definition of leadership varies from person to person, but almost always, you can find an underlying theme in everyone's definition: trust. No matter whom you ask, the odds are that at some point during a discussion, the word "trust" will be mentioned. During class, the very first handout was a poem entitled I am Me, which Virginia Satir composed in 1975. In her poem, Satir writes "there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know - but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solution to the puzzles and for ways to find out more about me." The most important aspect of trust for leaders is very simple: how can I expect others to trust me, if I do not and cannot love and trust myself first?

This question is a very difficult one to answer, but it is very straightforward: you must love yourself and express confidence in all aspects of your life, or else it is unreasonable to expect others to have faith in your leadership abilities. In life, leaders must be the best that they can be at all times. In one of the very first classes, Professor Robinson told us to always be present in the moment, and even though the future is undetermined as of yet, we all have the tools and resources necessary to succeed. He challenged all of us to imagine that our lives were a story, and we were the protagonists, and then asked us how would we confront the obstacles endured in life's journey - confront them and surpass them, or turn around and run the opposite direction from the problems? As leaders, we must learn to overcome our fears and learn from our mistakes. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously remarked during his first inauguration ceremony, 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Additionally, as noted in The Leadership Wheel by Kouzes & Posner, leaders must have control over themselves, while simultaneously knowing their strengths, weaknesses, and limits, in order to instill confidence in their employees.

Who is an exemplary leader?

Continuing on with the Presidential theme, most leaders have at one point or another, looked up to one particular person as the epitome of leaders: President Abraham Lincoln. Widely considered as one of the greatest presidents in American history, President Lincoln is also considered one of the greatest leaders as well. President Lincoln not only built his personal and professional career on strength of character, cooperative leadership, and innovative goal setting; he established himself as a leader through well-planned, clear, and emotionally gripping communication of his ideas as well. The four pillars of Lincoln's leadership style are the source and foundation that leaders should strive to match on a day-to-day basis.

In his book Lincoln on Leadership, Donald T. Phillips outlines the four pillars of which modern-day leadership centers upon: people, character, endeavor, and communication. Phillips nicely divides his book into these four sections, with different subsequent chapters outlining how Lincoln lived his life, while exemplifying himself as a compassionate leader. It is no secret that Lincoln became President of the United States at a very tumultuous time in this country. The South had seceded from the North and no common ground was in sight between the two. Lincoln's personal relationships and hands-on leadership style allowed his subordinates to trust him in his endeavors and decisions. Lincoln never put himself on a pedestal - meaning that nothing was ever above or below him. He constantly made himself available to those who worked for him, thereby earning their trust, which garnered him great success throughout his time in the oval office. Relating back to the South's secession from the North, one of President Lincoln's most famous quotes is "A house divided cannot stand." The fact of the matter was that the South needed the North and the North needed the South; therefore, a common ground needed to be found. Lincoln knew that conflicts were bound to happen, but the important thing to remember was that any conflict can be overcome with trust and respect for the other.

The second section of Lincoln on Leadership focuses on President Lincoln's ability to constantly let his character speak for itself. The first chapter of the second section details a story about a business that Abraham Lincoln and William Berry opened in New Salem, Illinois. At the time of the grand opening of their business, Lincoln and Berry were very popular among the town residents; however, as Phillips goes on to state, popularity and honesty do not always make a successful business. After just five years, the business had taken on significant debt, and when Berry suddenly passed away, Lincoln was forced to take on the debt of $1,100; however, Lincoln would not let this debt deter him. He could have very easily just said that Berry is responsible for the debt, and his estate should pay it; however, Lincoln vowed to pay off every last dollar and penny of that debt, no matter how long it would take.

The third section of Lincoln on Leadership focuses on Lincoln's resolve to defeat the South, thereby reuniting the Confederacy with the Union, and abolishing slavery. Although these were Lincoln's goals, he would oftentimes allow his subordinates to make a decision, after some internal guidance from Lincoln. He would then allow his cabinet to take all of the credit for the decision, which made them feel empowered rather than controlled. Obviously, this greatly helped the morale of Lincoln's cabinet and subordinates, as they would feel responsible for achieving the goals of the presidency. It is always better to guide your subordinates towards achieving a common goal, rather than to diminish the accomplishments