Leadership Stress

 

 In reading "Discovering the Leader in You A Guide to Realizing Your Personal Leadership Potential" Robert Lee challenges his readers to formulate a personal vision on where I want to go in life. He says, "Having a clear leadership vision allows you to make better decisions about the leadership roles you pursue." (Lee 203). I always thought about having leadership and being a great leader. I knew what I wanted to do with my life and the directions I wanted to go. However, his reading made me think that maybe having ideas is not enough. If I want to be the best leader possible I need to be 100% positive on ONLY one path so that I can lead others in that direction as I progress up it. In Stephen Covey's reading "Principle-Centered Leadership", I really connected to his section about Conscience. He says "CONSCIENCE TRANSFORMS passion into compassion. It engenders sincere caring for others, a combination of both sympathy and empathy, where one's pain is shared and received." (Covey 221). I have been struggling with my sense of conscience all semester. Covey also states that "When people strive to live by their conscience, it produces integrity and peace of mind." (221). I completely disagree with this statement and argument he is making. I always find that I am under a great deal of stress, more than anyone I usually know. I have noticed that I have started taking the pain of those I care about and I have been carying them around with me, constantly worrying about them. I feel too much of other's pain and since it is not my problem or issue, I find it very difficult to shake the stress. I enjoy being empathetic to others but I find it hard to even focus on my own issues and stresses because I am carrying so much weight on my shoulders. I become completely distracted and disconnected. I find it challenging to think that having a very strong conscience leads to great leadership qualities. I understand that to be a strong leader one must understand who he is leading. However, in my situation I feel that the people I am leading are keeping me from progressing.

 I can also relate my confusion of leadership to "The Role of Ethics in Education" article, by Eli Cox. Even though the article is specific to university professors I feel that anyone in a leadership position confronts the issue of whether to be selfish and better oneself or to be moral and better the whole. One argument "...assumes that a person commits an offense if the expected utility to him exceeds the utility he could get by using his time and other resources in other activities." (Cox 329). This can relate to any college student and I have found my self in this situation several times this school year. Should I help others because I want to even though it might put me behind in my studies or cause some stress? Should I leave someone stranded to make sure I am well prepared for me exams and don't have to deal with someone in needs issues? I come across these questions now and I feel that all leaders come across similar questions and situations too. I just have to figure out what is best personally for myself to cause the least amount of stress.