The Beginnings of Understanding Leadership

It all started on Tuesday, August 25th during class. We discussed knowledge, reputation, decisions, behavior, and relationships.

I explored chapter one of the course on the Ideas in Antiquity on Wednesday, August 26th in the evening with a bowl of chocolate double fudge brownie ice cream for approximately two hours. We focused on looking for leadership slowly. The exercise was to google a portrait of someone we did not know. We had to form an initial impression of the person and write down characteristics we think they exuded. After, we were to project what goals we think they have onto them. Then, we had to ponder potential conflicts they have the capability to solve. Finally, we were instructed to compare and contrast ourselves to the person we examined.

This is a photo of a Black woman in black and white. She is wearing a protective covering over her hair. It may be related to her religion or ethnicity. Her lips shimmer in gloss and her lashes protrude naturally from the bands on her eyelids. Her skin is smooth and clear. Her head appears to be tilted up directly at the camera exhibiting her confidence. She seems as if she is not shy and owns any room she walks into. She has a soft look, yet a fierce aura. No one can lower her self-esteem because she holds herself in high regards similar to how she holds her head angled up. As I closely examine this picture, the bones in her neck become noticeable showing that she has purposely extended her head upwards. She seems as if she tries to rise above every occasion she is presented with. I could see her in a leadership role representing women who face oppression in societies where they are forced to be inferior to men. I think she was able to defy the societal standards and wants to show other women that look like her that they can do the same. I could see her helping women gain more rights. She would be one of the women in the crowd back in the early 20th century demanding the right to vote in America. She could also be a possible protester marching for the LGBTQ or the Black Lives Matter Movement. I can also see her speaking out against the human traffickers. I think she could teach others how to be confident within themselves as she is.

I have the ability to teach others how to be confident within themselves because I am confident. I could help others hold their head up high despite their circumstances. I would find it challenging to find a solution to big problems that are institutional or systemic such as the oppression of women in certain places or human trafficking. My character is similar because I try to keep my head up and be a light in this dark world. I refuse to let the external environment dim my light internally. I can take this leadership in the next couple of weeks by doing well for my first semester in college. I can be an inspiration to those who feel as though they cannot do it, or the younger children in my family that refer to me as an example. I am also doing it for the women that can’t or do not have the chance. Nothing is stopping me but myself. I have to be dedicated to my goals even when I am faced with temptations or distractions.

This exercise helped me reflect on qualities I believe are important in leaders such as confidence. It made me realize the type of leader I strive to be. I feel as though we are here for a purpose on Earth and I would like to live a meaningful life. I take pride in my identity as a Jamaican first-generation American Black young woman. I am proud of my nationality and culture because it has shaped the person I am today. I am inspired by leaders ranging from public figures to family members that motivate me to the best version of myself. I want to be motivational to others in a similar aspect. Confidence is something I struggled with growing up with embracing the melanin of my skin, kinky curl pattern of my hair, and facial features. In a society where European standards of beauty are glorified, I was lost growing up trying to assimilate. I learned over time that I am beautiful and that we are all different. It took me a while to actually understand that instead of just telling myself that. Confidence is an important characteristic of leadership because I used to be insecure. The leaders that I admire all have this quality in common.

I believe that explains my fascination with the woman in the portrait with her head angled up. I view that as such a powerful pose. If I were to ever be on a cover of a magazine or do a professional photoshoot, that is a headshot I would like to mimic. This exercise taught me the fact that leadership can be found within anyone or anywhere. Even if one isn’t born a leader, he or she can develop into one with the right qualities.

On Thursday August 27th, we discussed chapter one in class. We talked about faces depicting attributions of people. We googled examples of trustworthy faces and Corey Booker was one of them. He does not seem like a trustworthy person to me, but Professor Sandridge reminded us that we are probably biased, clarifying the reason some of my classmates and I could not view him that way.

On Friday August 28th, I reviewed chapter two based on finding potential in others. We were instructed to read Books 1 and 2 of The Odyssey. I read through these lines of Greek poetry curled up in bed with a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. As I read, I understood the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. I believe almost every leader has a direct or indirect mentee. I thought to myself that a mentor does not always have to be a person. It can be a lesson or a way of life that mentors or teaches one to find leadership within themselves. In this case of The Odyssey, the mentor was a physical person, Athena, who guided Telemachus to become a true leader despite the absence of his father Odysseus.

I discovered a deeper understanding of The Odyssey after this exercise. I read this my freshman year of high school, but did not analyze the story from the perspective of Telemachus becoming a leader. After reviewing the six quotes, Athena displayed the behavior of a good leader. She ignited the mental activation or courage in Telemachus’s heart. She pushes him to rise to the occasion and affirm his manhood by getting rid of the suitors in the house that were trying to marry his mother. She encourages him to have a discerning mind by sending him to Pylos and Menelaus seeking answers about his father’s homecoming although she knew he would be home soon. This is another prime example of a true mentor, letting your mentee figure out things on their own sometimes leaves room for them to grow. This is something I struggle with in my relationship with my parents. My parents try to advise me so I do not make the same mistakes as them, but sometimes I believe I have to experience certain things through my lens as part of my journey in life. Most, if not all, parents want the best for their children which explains why they rather us not learn lessons the “hard way”.

Athena cares about Telemachus’s reputation which is why she wants him to display the same sense of hospitality that his father does. She advises him to attain the silver bowl which will boost his reputation. The essence of story-telling is seen in the dynamic between Athena and Telemachus. He exhibits pro-social behavior by wanting to listen to her. Mentees should have an open mind and be ready to receive what their mentor is trying to teach them. A mentor cannot teach someone that is closed-minded, has a myopic outlook, or not ready. It reminds me of the famous saying about how “You can bring the horse to the water, but you can’t force the horse to drink it.” Similar to the water, Athena cannot force Telemachus who is the horse in this case to absorb the knowledge she is sharing.

Athena uses aidos, the sense of shame, when Telemachus starts to doubt himself. I believe it is human nature to doubt one’s self. A mentor should encourage his or her mentee to believe in his or herself. I believe if we don’t believe in ourselves, how can we expect others to ? Other people such as our family and friends read our energy. If we are serious about something and display that through our behavior such as our actions, then other people will take us seriously. It starts from within us. She teaches him by telling him two stories: one being Odysseus using a poison for his arrows (creative at finding ways to combat his enemies), secondly Agonanon returns to Mycenae and is then murdered by his wife’s suitor. This reminds me of my parents who are immigrants from the beautiful island of Jamaica. They often use shame to remind me of my potential. They tell me stories about how my great-grandparents who were slaves did not know how to read and write managed to become factory workers. When my dad reminds me of his story about making it out of his poor lifestyle with ambition, that shames me into becoming grateful for the opportunities I have which is more than enough to be a leader on my own. It inspires me to persevere because if my dad can overcome the rough circumstances around him growing up, I can do anything. Shame can be a motivation in some situations. As Professor Sandridge said in class, “Not all shame is bad.”

On the night of August 31st, I decided to reflect on the message I received from The Odyssey in preparation for our class discussion. The highlight that I received was the transformation of Telemachus from being a quiet bystander to an assertive leader. At the beginning, he was a bystander in his own home watching the suitors have a grand ole time trying to marry his mother. “ Prince Telemachus/ sitting among the suitors, heart obsessed with grief,/he could almost see his magnificent father, here…” (I.132–134).He finally gets to a place where he builds up the courage and demands that they leave. He even scolds his mother about her. This is what Athena was trying to extract from his soul, the leader within him.

I feel as though Telemachus was scared of change or the transition from a boy to a man. He used his father’s absence as an excuse to be complacent. Athena advises him to take a leap of courage. “…You should not go on clinging to your childhood. You are no longer of an age to do that.”(I. 296–297). Telemachus is in the same position that I am currently in which is needing to continue our education and the process of coming into full adulthood. Unlike him, I am ready to be independent and not allowing my environment to hinder me. The coronavirus thwarted my plans just as it did for the rest of the world, I am not attaining the independence I had in mind which was being on campus in Washington, D.C. away from home. I refuse to allow that stop me from learning the meaning of independence. I am fully aware that I can no longer depend on my parents for everything. I have used this situation as a time to learn skills such as cooking, balancing a job, and performing tasks on my own because eventually I will be on my own. I cannot wait for the world to decide when I become independent, similar to how Telemachus cannot wait for the arrival of his father to become a leader.

This lesson taught me that the relationship between a mentor and mentee is a 50/50 relationship. The mentee has to be mentally prepared and the mentor has to be patient. I also have a deeper understanding of the definition of a leader.