Reflect upon how intellectual perseverance will be important as you progress in your studies. Consider how intellectual perseverance relates to your concept of a good leader.
Intellectual perseverance is being able to use rational insights and truths even though there will be difficulties and frustrations along the way and knowing that you will struggle with mistakes and questions along the path to a better (deeper) understanding and insight.
Honestly I didn’t realize that this was the name for the things I deal with on a daily basis. I had to really think about this and understand intellectual perseverance as it relates to me. Being honest with myself is the most important task in realizing that it will not be easy each and every day as I progress throughout my coursework. I know that I can’t give up when it becomes difficult or I become overwhelmed with school work. When things get tough it is important to step back and look at the situation from all angles to see the best way to approach the problem that may not seem to be the most logical at first glance. Here is where it is good to apply the zoom in/zoom out concept.
I am a single parent who works full time, is a full time mom and takes master level classes. I know that I cannot use this as an excuse to not succeed. In fact, it should be more of a motivation for me to really push through the struggles I will face. There are many single moms out there who aren’t as lucky as I am to have a great paying job and support of my family to help me out.
When I find myself getting frustrated or hear others tell me that I don’t need this degree I know in my heart that I must prove to myself and no one else that I can do this. A part of me is afraid of success as I was always told that I would never amount to anything because I wasn’t teachable or smart enough when I was growing up. Well I can say with confidence now that I love to prove people wrong especially when I am told that I CAN’T do something. It pushes me to do it even more. In other words, I will struggle and I may even fail at staying on top of my school work at times and want to give up but that is part of what is going to help me succeed. It will give me a deeper insight on who I am as a person, a mom, a friend and even a great leader.
For example, I am learning to have more patience as this will help with dealing with difficult situations as a leader. There will be many different personalities and knowing how to approach each person in a way that actually brings out the best in each person individually and as well as a group will make us more successful as a whole. Taking my directors approach of listening and understanding what the issue is before trying to address it or make suggestions is an important part of being a good leader.
Another example would be to deal with the frustrations and difficulties that come with being a good leader by balancing my values and maintaining a positive attitude throughout each day. There will be some sort of resistance from time to time either from within my core group or other departments who may have no basis for their hostility other than jealousy (it happens now in my department with others being jealous of us) and knowing how to deal with it in a professional manner will make a big difference.
It’s like making a mental checklist inside my head of things I want to achieve each and every day. The goal is to try not to overwhelm myself but to challenge myself to reach a deeper understanding of who I am in all aspects of my life both personally and professionally. Knowing that I will fail at times will help me to succeed and make me a better leader in the process.
Well said Annamarie!
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