Thursday, October 18, 2012

A500.1.6.RB_WashingtonJO


When I entered this degree program and this class, I was like ok this is going to be some work and will require some serious time management on my part.  As I began to read all the required assignments, I had to step back and say hold up sir, you just finished your second masters and it pushed you to the limits.  Are you ready for this again?  I thought about it and said yes because I love the study of leadership and must admit I love it when I am pushed to learn more than what I knew when I committed to this task.  I know without a doubt I must apply intellectual perseverance with each challenge presented to me each week, and I have accepted that I will become frustrated on numerous occasions.  However, selling myself short is not an option, as I must focus on each assignment one at a time.  So I have put together a plan for success through this degree plan.  I call it my Five Commandments of using Intellectual Perseverance for my educational success as documented in my “Expedition through a Leadership Nexus” blog.

1.      Time Management is an Important Part of Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou shall understand that unexpected things will happen because I have a professional and personal life outside of school, no one is interested in you excuses or your reasons for struggling.  I must use the leadership and education I have gained throughout my life to overcome my personal obstacles, and frustrations in spite of difficulties I will encounter.  I must learn to use work-life balance to my advantage.

2.      Success depends on my actions as a leader and I must use this success to apply the concept of Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou shall understand that this is your journey to learn more about leadership and others will not share your frustrations and not understand what you are going through.  I must understand that some intellectual problems that will be presented to me, as they relate to leadership will be are complex and I will not always find it easy address them.

3.      Leadership Experience is Vital to Understanding Intellectual Perseverance.  Thou must understand the journey that you have already made you have been in numerous high profile leadership positions throughout your life; for senior positions in the military to Fortune 100 companies to the federal government.  Use that insight you have, use that experience and be honest with yourself when you face difficulties, learn from it and share this knowledge with others.

4.      Internal Struggle is Part of Understanding Intellectual Perseverance in a Graduate Educational Environment. Thou shall understand that struggle is a part of intellectual success as it relates to intellectual perseverance.  You will not always have the right answer to the questions posted by the numerous professors you will encounter.  You will disagree with many of them in many ways.  However, when faced with intellectual complexity or frustration I must not give up.  The question that will be posed is, “did I learn anything.”

5.      Questions and Problem Solving are Part of Understanding Intellectual Perseverance in a Graduate Educational Environment. Thou must understand that you will have to increase your comprehension of intellectual perseverance and sharpen my application of the skill of critical thinking.  It is imperative that I learn to challenge what I do not agree with, but I must challenge it appropriately. 

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