Direction Alignment Commitment

We spent time in class talking about the Direction/Alignment/Commitment stool. This is a key concept in leadership because it is very important to be going in the right direction, align your words with the actions you are taking in this direction, and stay committed to your goal. Kouzes and Posner talked about the concept of credibility being a foundation of leadership. Somebody who is credible always follows the saying, “Do What You Say You Will Do.” Followers will be more wiling to follow a leader who is they can trust because their words and actions align.

One person who has been an extremely influential leader in my life is my dad. My dad has always been there for me throughout my life and he has shaped my view of a leader. My dad does everything that he can to guide me in the right direction. An example of this is his choice to send me to Parish in Pre-K. He knew that starting me out with a good education would point me in the right direction in life. My dad also influences my alignment because he makes it a point to be consistent with his words and actions. He leads by example and he has influenced me in more ways than I can even explain.

My mom has always been a very influential person in my life. She is the one of nicest and most gracious people I know. My mom always puts others in front of herself and she always go out of her way to help others. She provides direction in my life by showing me that giving is better than receiving. Also, when my mom says she is going to do something, I am confident she will. She respects all the commitments she makes in life no matter how big or small they are. My mom leads others with her gracious nature and kind heart.

Another great leader in my life is my lacrosse coach, Randy. All of the lacrosse team respects Randy because he respects us. Rather than yelling senselessly and insulting players, which seems to be a tactic used by many coaches, Randy listens to what we are having trouble with and tries his hardest to help us. The main reason the team respects Randy is because he does a great job of aligning his words and actions. This causes us to trust Randy, which has built up a mutual respect in the team. Randy is a great leader and a great coach.