Week Nine Writing Assignment

I was impressed this sentence; Accepting the reality that leadership skills are developed through long periods of striving with only moderate signs of progress.

From this sentence, I learned that the leaders have to be patient. It's very difficult, especially in the case which have only few signs of progress. The difficulty is that keeping own and others motivation, I guess. If I can't see the obvious progress, I might give up and I may look for other things which are easier to feel an achievement. According to the sentence, however, the leadership skills are improved through such a long stressful period. To overcome the period, the leaders need to have eyes which look at far situation. In my final presentation in this class, I said to you "the leaders should have "insect eyes" and "bird eyes", especially they must see the situation widely with "bird eyes". I realize that "bird eyes" are included that seeing the far view and vision.

While reading this part of book, I was considering about "Yutori(pressure-free) education". I actually was taught in this system. But, the government stopped to use this system even the students still under 20years old and there are not obvious problem about "Yutori education". So, the government had to wait the time which can analyze the result of "Yutori education" enough.

I'd like to remember that the leaders have to be calm and analyze the situation carefully. To quit the project is easier than keeping the severe situation, but I hope that we can get something though the difficulty.

Additional blog

the continuation of the previous post...


As I wrote down on previous post, I try to look at lower and lower. Then I approach to them and making a good relationship together. So, my style as a leader is bottom up. Of cause, I need to instruct and make some decisions to organize the group. Yet, I try to keep the relationship which the members don't feel the strong hierarchy. To approach this task, I pick their voice up as much as possible. This is my one of the strategies.

Personal Reflection Writing Assignment

MY VISION

She tried to be with people who have been weak by society. This is my sentence, and it describes my central vision and the core value in my life. Why do I put my importance on this sentence? Each words of this sentence have special meaning for me. I'll explain the reasons of my thought dividing three parts.

The reason that I don't choose strong and powerful people but weak people is based on my religion. I'm a Christian, and I've believed in my God since I was a child. I grew up with the words of the Bible. So, the Bible influences my sense of value a lot. What the Bible tells us is how to relate with weak people. Jesus always stayed along with weak people who are illness, be despised and be kept away from others. The Bible teaches us that turning our eyes toward these people and going close to them. My willing is approaching to the teaching. That's why I care about weak people.

Second, why I'm focusing on "by society" is that I had many opportunities of listening to the situation of people who have been placed on low state which is created by society. And, I actually met such people many times in my life. A few of my impressive meetings are home-less people in Kitakyusyu and Kotobuki-cho (Yokohama), orphaned children in Thailand and Cambodia.They are took away their human rights by society. They are forced to be in a difficult situation because of the society's structure. It's hard to escape from the social negative-spiral by them own. Through these meeting, I learned that the essence of "weak people" is "people who have become weak by society". I shouldn't forget the roots of matter about social structure which makes hierarchy. Including this self-remonstrance, I use the expression "by society" in my sentence.

Finally, I express my basic stance in the simple key word "be with people". People who listened to my vision often ask to me, "So, what you want to do is like international corporation or support?" But, my vision is not same as international corporation. I have an image for "international corporation" as helping others. However, I don't want to make a relation which involve the difference between helpers and people who are helped. I just would like to live with them. I wish I and people who have been weak by society to share own feeling, effort and suffering.

These three reasons compose my sentence. So, my central vision and core value is that looking at many small lives, go there and be along with them with my respect as a human. This is very simple way of living, but it's not easy to do completely. So, I have read the Bible to be sure how can I live.

Week Six Writing Assignment

In the case of happening the conflict, the leader concern about the relationship among the group members. The leader try to solve the problem as soon as possible. In the mind which is concerning to heat up the conflict, their mind would be busy and not calm. The situation would be stressful for the leaders. These stress would make them disturb to choose one way. The way is that to wait the time until the situation a little calm down. The leaders can't wait and do something through the strong way using the leader's power.

However, the strong way might make the situation worse. What I try to do as a leader in such a case is waiting the time and seeking the good timing. Waiting is not so easy for leaders, but it's necessary process. The reason is that if the leaders take a way such "the top down", the conflict might heat up more and more. So, I try to seeking the best timing to solve the conflict with my belief. The belief is in the Bible.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiasetes, old testament in the Bible)

The time will come. I believe and hope that, and spend the time of conflict.

Week Five Writing Assignment

Keeping everyone informed, involved, and thinking about solutions is what I'm trying to do in my church.

I attend church service every Sunday. After the service, we have a Bible study which is divided by each generation. In that time, we read a part of article of Bible, and discuss about that. I have became a leader in the youth group of Bible study from this spring. Until I entered university, I attend the Bible study of junior and senior high school student group.So, I just spent one year as a member of youth group.

Through this one year, I found many problems of the youth team. I was really concerned about the atmosphere in the Bible study. There are about 15 young people. Some people are good at speaking by own words and they can talk a lot. On the other hand, some other people are shy and not good at express own thinking in front of others. Some of them are active, but others are passive or negative.

I analyzed this situation, one of the main reasons of these problems is that there is a gap of motivation which each member have. I did some action to solve the problems.

1. Sharing the goal

Every groups set a goal every year. But, youth group set the same goal for a few years because they hadn't achieved enough. So, we need sharing and realizing the goal.I proposed making the cards which is writing our goal. I prepared some cards, and asked them to write the goal. After collecting them, I passed them to one of members who is making very cute hand made stamps. Then, she stamped her stamps with the cards. And, I distributed them to all members. Now, we put it in the Bible.

2. Sharing the information

We have used the mailing list to inform something. But, some members are not become in the member of the mailing list. Properly, the unentered members couldn't get the information and felt a sense of estrangement. So, I inform the news for all members now. Moreover, I try to contact each one by one, especially the members who are negative. I believe that each member recognize oneself as an important member in the group.

3. Encouraging their consciousness

I asked their feeling for the Bible study and the youth group, then everyone have a negative feeling at some points. So, we start a new structure. Now is the time to grope. Then, I ask them "Please tell me everything what you think or aware about this group even the idea is so small."

These are some of my tryings to solve the problems. The obvious result haven't appeared in this time. But, what I can do is keeping these trying.

Week Four Writing Assignment

"His self-control, lack of self-pity, and ability to care for others are admirable qualities.

But his disregard for his own health undoubtedly contributed to his early death."

I was impressed with this sentence in the book "Leading at the Edge". I could learn the importance of self-carefulness.

People often think that the leaders have to think of the other members and the situation. The main work is controlling them by their skill of leadership. It seems as the general thinking. But, there is the another important point which the leaders have to consider. That is self-carefulness. The reason of why I thought such a thing is that the leader's feeling and sense could be spread to the others. If the leaders didn't feel happy, the atmosphere would be negative. If the leaders had joyful mind, the other's minds also would be positive. This kind of thinking is written in previous chapter and my blog.

In addition, I believe, people can't support each other without their independence. People can do that only after when they stand each oneself. If one person lost his/her pleasure or pride, the other people should take care about him/her. Therefore, the leaders have to lead the other members with own attitude. To keep the good attitude, the leaders should consider self-carefulness.

Week Three Writing Assignment

There are many sentences which I could agree to in Chapter 3 "Optimism and Reality". The most impressive sentence is "Stay in touch with reality".

I'm optimism mostly in various kinds of situation. I'm good at seeing the situation from the better side and grasp any kinds of situation as good things. This spirit is able to spread to others. People can share the same mind in some cases. However, I was noticed that I shouldn't forget to stay in touch with reality which is facing at that time. I live in this world, so I have to stand on the reality. Even if the situation was worst, I have to look at the situation and think about it. Otherwise, to think optimistically about the situation could be just the escape from the reality and dangerous situation which I don't want to look at. I think, people have a responsibility to live while fighting, not escaping.

That is the most impressive teaching in this chapter.

Week Two Writing Assignment

*Long Term Vision

I want to go to the other countries especially Asian and African countries, because I'm interested in their live, their music, the history, and their culture.

*Short Term Vision

To achieve my long-term vision, I'm doing TWO things.

First, I do two pert time jobs to get money. The jobs are waitress of sobaya and tavern. To combine these jobs with hard ICU works is sometimes difficult for me. When I feel bad about the job, my motivation comes from my long term vision. I save up the all salary of sobaya for going to foreign countries. Of course, the reason is that the money is necessary to go to other places!

Second, I study about Asian and African countries which I'm interested in. I often go to many kinds of symposium, briefing session, documentary film screening, meeting. I get much information in these opportunity. And, I study by my self. Recently, I'm studying about Cambodian history. I went to Cambodia two month ago as a mission study tour. So, I really want to know about Cambodia more and more. The reason of why I try to know about these countries is that I believe it is important to know about the history and culture of the countries to which I hope to go. Knowing nothing is rudeness for the people in the actual place.

These two things are my doing things for achieve my long-term vision.

my sentence

The life was beside by people who are forced to be as weak.

I'm just willing to be like this.

Not to be a person who can give many things for poor people.

Not to be a person who can help many suffering people.

I want to live with people who are forced to be in the weak position by this society.

preface

I've been to Keisen Baptist Church since I was a baby. In my church, there are many events and people like them. When I was a high school student, I often sang worship songs with my Christian friends. We liked the time to worship in the church. So, we planed a gathering of worship named "Joyful Night". JN have held about 3times in a year. The program is not only singing worship songs, but also testifying and reading the Bible. I planed this gathering as a main parson. Through this JN's planning, I learned 3things which is important as a leader.

Firstly, to listen to others is necessary to make a good events. Each of member have own great ideas, I believe. To make the event by own self is easy, but this is missing something. At the beginning of this project, I did many works by my self. Then, the other member did nothing. They were just waiting. There was no positive attitude. I noticed, this is because of that they didn't feel much need for them. And, it was necessary to change the situation by bringing them in the planning. The best way to achieve that the members become more positive about planning JN is listening to their advices and ideas. By this trying they could notice that JN is planed by ourselves including own. So, listening to other voices is important to make one with all members.

Second, to give something to do for other staffs who are not main member of planning team. JN is one of events of my church, so I needed to involve church members in JN as much as possible. I advertised about JN to them, but that was not enough. To pass this difficult problem, I found the idea that asking many people to cooperate about JN. For example, appearing on the stage as a speaker or a player of musical instrument, and cooking cakes for after tea party. Then, people who relate to this event participated to JN, not only them but also their friends came to JN. So, giving some works for church's member as much as possible was nice for making JN as a church's event.

Third, the most important thing is to take pleasure in everything about the event. I really enjoyed doing something for JN at first. However, I felt negative feeling during the preparation of the third holding of JN. The feeling might be felt by other members. Then, all motivation fall down. It was clearly unlucky situation. To break the situation, it was needed to think back the first mind. At the beginning, we started JN with much of pleasure. I was so happy that I can service and worship God through this event. The service must do with pleasure mind. When I recall these flesh mind, I regained the motivation and filled my mind with hope and pleasure. This feeling reached the other members. And, we could start the preparation with new mind.

Therefore, what I got the important things as a leader through the operation of JN was that listening other voices, asking cooperation, and enjoy all things. To do these things, it's needed the communication skill. The base of these things might be the good relationship.