Lesson. 4 My Roles in Society
We Are All Leaders
Brian: The election is coming up.
Why don't you run for class representative, Yumi?
Yumi: No way. I'm not the right person for that position.
I've never thought about running.
Brian: Why not?
Yumi: Come on, Brian. Leaders have special qualities.
I don't think a person like me can be called a leader.
Brian: What do you mean? I think you have very good leadership qualities.
You're really friendly and outgoing.
You also help people get along.
I have no doubt that you will be elected if you run.
Brian told me this afternoon that I have good leadership qualities.
No one has ever told me that before.
Why does he think so?
Maybe he was just trying to be nice.
When he said that to me, however, I started to think.
Can I really become a leader? I don't know.
I think leaders should have a vision, clear goals, and the ability to motivate others.
I don't have any of those things.
Then I suddenly started to wonder if these are the only qualities that make a good leader.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe there are other leadership qualities.
Here's what I found!
GREEN LEADERS “Team Builders”
• Ensure that the team feels valued
• Create a positive environment
• Are friendly and easy to talk to
RED LEADERS “Logical Analysts”
• Have good reasoning skills
• Analyze problems and situations
• Think of the most effective ways to achieve the team’s goals
PURPLE LEADERS “Hands-Off Managers”
• Allow others to work on their own
• Do not try to control people
• Give advice only when it is needed
ORANGE LEADERS “Strict Directors”
• Make everyone’s role clear
• Make sure everything is finished on time
• Ensure each step is done properly
YELLOW LEADERS “Quiet Supporters”
• Lead by example
• Let the team members shine instead
• Meet the team members’ needs
BLUE LEADERS “Creative Thinkers”
• Approach problems in new ways
• Come up with fresh ideas
I was surprised that there are actually many different leadership styles, but soon I realized the reason.
We belong to many different groups, and many different situations can come up in our lives.
They all call for different leadership styles.
Each group's unique situation determines the best leadership style.
“I am a part of many different groups, and I have different responsibilities in each group.”
After reading everything, I became more confident.
I discovered that I have some of the qualities of a “green leader.”
If my classmates think a green leader would make our class better, they might pick me to be class representative!
Okay, let's try it!
