Leadership Project - Marvel's The Avengers!

The Avengers

Characters:

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Information seeker/Opinion Giver)

Steve Rodgers/Captain America (Opinion Giver/Summarizer)

Bruce Banner/ The Hulk (Information seeker/Clarifier)

Thor (Mediator)

Natasha Romanov/Black Widow (Follower)

Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Follower)

Nick Fury (Encourager/Summarizer)

            The Avengers is a group of heroes, and with that comes varying leadership styles, personalities, and ways of executing their work. Tony Stark is both an information seeker and an opinion giver. He is smart, always trying to gather more details about the situation. That being said, he constantly gives his opinion, serving as one of the biggest personalities in the room at all times. His voice and viewpoint are always heard. Steve Rodgers, better known as Captain America, is a summarizer, always wanting to make sure everyone is on the same page. Additionally, Captain is an opinion giver who wants to ensure that everyone else knows all of the facts and details before proceeding. He is a reasonable person to have in the group. Bruce Banner/The Hulk is the information seeker and clarifier. A doctor by nature, the Hulk is always gathering information so he can calculate a plan of action. His natural intelligence also makes him a clarifier, elaborating on the plan of action for everyone to understand.

Thor is the mediator of the group, attempting to create harmony among all of the differing views. Despite having a strong personality, within The Avengers he takes on a mediation role in order to straighten out the issues. Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is the encourager and summarizer among his team. As the man who assembled the group, Fury is responsible for welcoming and ensuring the success of everyone. Finally, both Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye are the sole followers of the group. Although they each bring a unique personality and skillset to the group, they are both active participants in the dynamic of The Avengers. Black Widow is strong-willed as the lone female of the group, but she has conviction and will always follow through.

            The forming of The Avengers begins over a period of time in which the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. assemble the group. To “bring together a group of remarkable people and see if they can become more” was the vision of Nick Fury, who led the formation. Along with Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Fury assembles the heroes from across the globe. The members, including Tony Stark/Iron Man, Steve Rodgers/Captain America, Thor, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, and Nick Fury all come together under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s “Avengers Initiative.”

            The initial conflict and storming of the members of the group is evident due to the dominant personalities of each Avenger. Most prominently, we see Tony Stark clashing with Captain America. They both seek the greater good, but have different ideas of how to reach their goals. This conflict is followed by Stark butting heads with Thor, also due to their varying opinions. As the entire group is formed, storming occurs on a normal basis. Each member of The Avengers is used to playing by their own rules, so working together as a team is a huge adjustment.

            After the shocking and devastating loss of Agent Coulson, the members of The Avengers begin norming as a team. The death of their friend is the catalyst for normalizing them together. After working through their issues, they understand the greater purpose for their team to work together. The group’s personality is defined by the varying members’ headstrong qualities. United with the drive to succeed, The Avengers buckle down and work together as a unit.

            The Avengers clearly begin performing as a team when the Battle of New York breaks out. The group’s purpose is to answer their call to action: fight to save the world. This lofty goal can be worked towards once the Chitauri invades New York. They effectively utilize their specialized skills in a united front, working against the clock to save New York. Building upon their established foundation of forming, storming, and norming, the group works flawlessly together towards achieving their goal.

            Finally, the adjourning occurs once their mission is complete. The Avengers, despite not knowing how long their group would be together for, are proud of their accomplishments together. The end of their job doesn’t mean the end of the group, as they understand that they may need to unite again if they are needed.

            

True Colors and MBTI

True Colors
I thought this assessment was very interesting because it is the first that has ever pinned me as a "problem solver."  When taking these tests my empathy and emotion tend to stand out the most.  With that being said, I do think that this is a pretty accurate portrayal of my thinking style.  I definitely like to look at the facts of a situation and make decisions that are backed up with reason and logic.  I have a variety of interests in the fact that I love reading random articles on the internet or learning little useless tidbits.  Small facts about the world interest me in that way and I like to have a knowledge of what's around me.  I can be a perfectionist at times.  My mom has always told me that "I am my biggest enemy" and that is true.  I have always been very hard on myself to be the best I can be and I think that stems from trying to be a perfectionist.  As I have said in previous posts, I approach every problem analytically.  Whether that problem is a fight with friends or deciding what shampoo to buy, I value logic over emotion.

MBTI
My personality description is an ENFJ.  I think this is accurate as well, but this portrays more of my leadership and relational styles.  Again, every test I have ever taken has pinned me as an extrovert although I have always seen myself as an introvert.  As a kid I always had "alone time" after playing with friends and I still do this after a long day in college.  I do enjoy being around people and tend to get more energetic when I am surrounded by friends but I do think that I have some introverted qualities as well.  I agree that I use my intuition when I am looking at an issue over sensing what is going on.  What differs from this test is that I am a feeler versus a thinker where in the True Colors test I was a thinker.  I think that the context of each test definitely made an impact on what my results were.  The MBTI was more situational, where the True Colors was only words that described me.  It makes sense that these two differ and I have to say that I can be a thinker and a feeler at times.  I had a very large percentage for judging and I think that is very accurate.  I like to have order and I like for things to be planned out.  I am very busy on a regular basis and if I have to add something in to my schedule at the last minute I will stress about it.  However, if I have a free day I am happy to just go with the flow.

Overall, I think that these are accurate representations of my personality.  I know that my friends and family would agree with the MBTI approach more because those are qualities that are more easily seen.  I show my care for others and my empathy when I sob at every sad scene in a movie.  My "green" personality is not something that can be measured as easily because it is what is going on inside my head.  Also those who are close to me do not always have the pleasure of working with me in a school environment ;).

My Personality and Mission Statement

My personality type: ENFJ

Extrovert 44%

Intuitive 12%

Feeling 12%

Judging 78%

I feel that this assessment is pretty accurate.  I am definitely an extrovert in the way that I like to keep a wide group of acquaintances, however I do enjoy my alone time every once in a while.  Ever since I was a child I liked to be alone in my room after socializing.  I still do this even in college.  

I trust my intuition when evaluating a situation.  I understand others pretty well, so my gut feeling about them tends to be correct.Ignore warning

I am more of a feeler than a thinker, however, I try to use logic whenever possible.  I try to control how much my feelings guide me but they typically prevail.  I do prefer a logical explanation to any situation.

I had a very high percentage for judging over perceiving and this is very true.  I need to have all details before I can make a decision on anything.

1. Think about your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, special abilities or disabilities, age, socioeconomic status, religion, birth order and any other influences that come to mind.  How have these factors influenced your personality and learning preferences?

The debate of whether personality is a product of one’s upbringing or genetics was very interesting to me in this chapter.  I think that a blend of nature and nurture made me the way that I am.  The most profound factor that has an influence on my personality and learning preferences is being a woman.  I tend to approach every situation with my emotions first and evaluate from there.  However, I do understand myself very well and I try my best to sort out emotions from logic so I can evaluate situations better. 
The way I was raised also has a large impact on my personality.  My parents were very easy going and allowed me to be independent.  I admire the way that they treated me as an equal and not as a subordinate so that I felt that my opinions and requests were valued.  Because of the way I was raised I am level headed and easy going as well.  It takes a LOT to get me fired up and it is hard for me to get angry at anyone because I just look at an issue from their perspective and at that point I can’t really be mad. 

Of course my age has an impact on my personality.  I am 20 years old so I am just rounding the corner of being a true adult.  I feel that I have grown exponentially in the last three years in college.  When I think back to how juvenile I was in high school, just three years ago, I shudder a little bit.  It is crazy how much one can grow in such a short amount of time.  I am beginning to understand the world around me, and acknowledging that there is a heck of a lot of things that I still do not know.  Perhaps the most liberating thing about growing older is realizing that the people around me have so much to worry about in their own lives that they do not care or pay attention to what I am doing.  As a teenager I thought that everyone was watching and judging me at all times and as I grow older I realize that no one really cares and it is a great feeling!  This realization has become another important factor in my personality because I feel that I am not ashamed to speak what I feel and do whatever makes me happy. 

2. Write your own personal mission statement. What is your purpose in life? What values are important to you? What do you want to be? What attributes and capabilities are important to you?

My mission is to be the best person I can be by loving those around me and accepting the qualities that make them unique.  I will strive to create happiness for the people in my life.  I will be the best I can be by challenging myself to be better than the day before.  I will help create a healthy working and living environment which encourages self-expression, questioning and perseverance.  I strive to be enthusiastic about life and create a balance between spending time with my family and being successful in the work world.

My Ideal Leader

Tony Hsien has helped shape my view of leadership.  I first found out about what he does last year in a business ethics class and his model of leadership has stuck with me.  Most of you may know him as the CEO of Zappos.  I admire his leadership style because he realizes the importance and value of the people that he leads.  He wants all of his employees to be happy and creates a work culture that supports his idea. 

Tony has been extremely successful by starting businesses of his own.  In 1996 he started an advertising network called LinkExchange, which has over 400,000 members and 5 million ads rotated daily.  Microsoft bought his company for $265 million dollars.  Most people would take that money and never work another day in their lives, not Tony.

He then was approached to work for Zappos and became CEO.  He centers his business around great customer service by providing free 24/7 shipping.  He also understands that when employees are generally happy they are more productive.  He has created a work culture that supports fun and individuality; the employees have toys, decorations and noisemakers.  Along with a fun work environment, employees also receive free food, medical benefits and even a life coach available at work. 

What I admire Tony Hsien for most is that he does not see himself as better than or “over” other employees.   He does not have an executive office, but a cubicle in the middle of the office where he can be easily reached and join in on the fun.  I think it is so important for leaders to be able to understand and appreciate what their “followers” do.  I find that a relatable and approachable leader is most effective and Tony embodies those ideas.  In the corporate world it is so easy for upper management to let their position get to their heads.  I admire how Tony can stay above that and just do what makes him, and others, happy.

 

Most of my information comes from a 20/20 documentary, here is the link if you want to learn more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfp9LHFIXfI

 

 

 

 

How am I a social entrepreneur?

"Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant?"

Henry David Thoreau

This quote from Thoreau illustrates how I strive to live my life.  I always find myself looking at every side of a situation and identifying the motives or reasons.  I believe that people are genuinely good and I try to understand why they are the way they are.  It can be hard to do because emotions or beliefs get in the way.  I have learned to set these things aside and I feel that I can see more clearly.  

We are all busy.  It is so easy to get caught up in what is going on in your own life and to quickly pass unfair judgments onto people or situations.  Whenever I make a bad decision I can rationalize it by telling myself that I had a bad day.  When someone else makes a bad decision it is easy to attribute that decision their character or label them as a bad person.  If we could look though their eyes at that moment I am positive that their questionable decision would make sense.  You never know what someone has going on behind the scenes that they aren’t showing on the outside.  Everyone has a story.

I believe that I am a social entrepreneur in the way that I view every situation from all sides.  I do my best to show this thinking to people around me.  I have more of a lead by example style of leadership.  So if conflicts arise I typically play the devil’s advocate, which can be frustrating to hear.  For example, if a friend is upset with someone for ditching them on plans they get frustrated and angry.  I bring up the other side of the situation.  Maybe they had too much going on, or they were having personal troubles and didn’t want to be around people.  I find that this often brings down tension and creates peace.  I think that thinking this way can have an effect on how we treat the people around us.  The world could become a better place if we all became more sensitive to what is going on in others' lives.

The Cleveland Clinic recently made a video that portrays this idea very well.  Check it out if you have a moment!

http://epatientdave.com/2013/03/13/empathy-new-video-from-cleveland-clinic/