The 360° Leader – John C. Maxwell

“Maturity doesn’t come with age. It begins with the acceptance of responsibility.”

-Ed Cole

This quote by Ed Cole means that just because you’ve aged, does not mean that you’ve matured. You cannot mature by trading the experience of responsibility with age, they are two entwined things. If you can accept your responsibilities, whether at school, work, or home, you can grow and mature as a person. It may be hard but maturing can mean you will be able to look at a different perspective than others, like the big picture. I chose this quote as I like how it shows that growth is also a part of maturity, not physical growth, but experiencing things, making mistakes, and learning from mistakes. Sometimes maturing is scary but accepting it will help you throughout life, as a follower or a leader. I think this quote is related to TALONS as you are trying to learn to be a leader here. Maturity is a trait that leaders should have, and if you’re leading from the middle, it’s something to use to see the big picture. Trips, projects, and events are not just places where maturity is necessary, but it’s also a place where you can grow and mature. If I can accept my duties and responsibilities then I can gain a new skill, as well as grow as a leader. I cannot mature just by age, I must challenge myself, and face new things to mature. Maturity is a factor of seeing the big picture. Being able to see it is a valuable characteristic of a leader, I can lead with confidence, or follow with intent.

(Maxwell, 2006)

Knowing when to push and when to back off.

This concept, “knowing when to push and when to back off,” means being able to understand when you should assert yourself, or your opinions into a conversation or an environment. As well as when to back off, meaning you know when you should take a step back, and hold your thought for now. I chose this concept as it is important to know when to say or do something, because if you cannot choose the right time to do it, then the consequences may be unbearable. Knowing when to push can save an organization, relationship, or your own responsibilities. When it comes to backing off on the other hand, you should know when what you have done is not working. Assertiveness is a key communication skill as well, if you can assert yourself then you can communicate with your associates better. In TALONS, a skill you want to learn is being able to self-advocate. Knowing when to either push or back off can help you with this goal. Pushing as in persevering towards your needs and backing off when you realize that the time may not be right. If you believe what you must say is important, say it. A good leader should know when to assert themselves and when to back off. For example, if there was an emergency, you should not be standing in the back, hoping that someone else will say something. You need to. Learning and understanding these two concepts can be vital skills for the future, in your professional or personal life.


“See everyone as a “10.””

(Maxwell, 2006)

This quote means you should look at everyone as their strengths, or who they can become. Keeping in mind that “10” means many different things, as different people will have different strengths. People will learn more and put in more effort for leaders that see them as 10’s, opposed to a leader that sees them as a lower number. I chose this quote as I think it is important for leaders to appreciate and believe in their followers. In order to build your vision, you’ll need help, but if you don’t believe in the people that help you, they might leave. You cannot always have a thriving organization if your people aren’t. “Teamwork makes the dreamwork,” is a popular quote and I believe it can relate to TALONS too. During trip planning, event planning, or during activities, if my peers and I were looking at each other as if we were 7’s that would not lead to a great ending. Our progress could be hijacked by a tense and negative environment, leading to everyone losing. If we were to see each other as 10’s though, progress would be a lot steadier, and we would benefit from it. Seeing everyone as a 10 can benefit my leadership skills as well. Bonds with your peers are a big part of leadership and appreciating my peers will help strengthen those bonds. With our bonds we will develop trust and can build a sturdy foundation together. By seeing everyone as 10’s we can all work better and learn more together.

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