For the first paragraph of your initial post complete the following exercise and answer the question below.

Select five values from the following list that are most important to you:

• Power
• Recognition
• Helping others
• Love and affection
• Validation from others
• Money
• A sense of importance
• To live my passion
• A feeling of self-worth
• Personal freedom—self-expression
• To get married
• To have a family
• An opportunity to travel
• To socialize with famous people—glamour
• To live somewhere I truly love
• To be a part of my community
• A change
• A new career
• Adventure
• A relationship
• To be considered an expert in my field
• A sense of being needed
• A chance to express myself artistically
• To improve myself physically
• To develop myself spiritually
• A chance to improve society
• Other(s) ?

Provide reasons for your value selections and discuss how these values may influence the way you lead yourself and others.

For the second paragraph of your post, select any one of the following bullet points and address all elements of your chosen bullet point. Select a different bullet point section than what your classmates have already posted so that we can engage several discussions on relevant topics. If all of the bullet points have been addressed, then you may begin to re-use the bullet points with the expectation that varied responses continue.

• You may have heard statements such as “Do what you love, the money will follow,” “Work with passion,” and “Live your bliss.” Many believe that passion fuels motivation, drive, competence, determination, and success.

  How important is it that people feel passionate about their livelihoods? What is a leader’s responsibility in helping others find passion in their work? In terms of your career, what are you most passionate about? What drives or motivates you? Are you on a mission or do you take life one day at a time? What does living your life on purpose mean to you? Where would you like to be five or ten years from now? Defend your perspectives.

• Each of you is participating in the role of a leader or follower in various life contexts. For example, you may be a leader in your family or at school and a follower at work, church, or within your various social and civic groups. Select any of these organizations and describe your role.

  When you think about the organization you selected, do you experience happiness, pride, anger, resentment, apathy, or gratification? Does this organization encourage open discussion about feelings and emotions? What emotions do you experience as you deeply ponder this organization’s mission, people, policies, products, and services? Are these emotions mostly positive or negative? To what do you attribute your strongest feelings? What causes them? Do you believe your coworkers and the organization’s leaders share your feelings? Defend your perspectives.

• Self-esteem is the way people regard, value, and appraise themselves positively or negatively. People with high self-esteem value themselves appropriately. They are empowered to achieve their goals and take full responsibility for their lives, including their mistakes. People with low
  self-esteem often feel victimized and blame others for their defeats rather than attempting to change themselves for the better. Sometimes people who appear highly confident actually suffer from low self-esteem. When criticized, they become defensive. They can also be overly opinionated, rigid, and want to be in control.

  Do you see any similarities between self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and locus of control? Why should self-esteem be included in a discussion about leadership? How does having high self-esteem make a person a better leader? Is it possible for a leader with low self-esteem to be effective? Can a person with low self-esteem be a leader? How would you describe your own level of self-esteem? Defend your perspectives.

• Judge, Bono, Ilies, and Gerhardt , M. W(2002) identified the following personality correlations with leadership: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Extraversion was found to be the most consistent correlate in the study.

  How do the findings of this study compare with what you are learning about emotional intelligence? What are your thoughts about neuroticism being a correlate to leadership? How can the development of emotional intelligence influence these findings? Is extraversion a necessary factor in leading with emotional intelligence? Defend your perspectives.

  Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M. W. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 765–780.

The final paragraph (three or four sentences) of your initial post should summarize the one or two key points that you are making in your initial response.

Katzenbach, J.R., & Khan, Z. (2010). Leading outside the lines: How to mobilize the informal organization, energize your team, and get better results.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass: 9780470589021