After another productive week working on my independent study, I am more eager to put all the pieces together and share my findings at the end of the semester. This week, I lined up emails with Mike Smith, President of Kane Realty in Raleigh, and Professor Matthew Pearsal, Associate of Organizational Behavior at UNC, for next week. I also arranged an interview with Parker Brannon, captain of my soccer team who is now playing in Germany. He has always been one of the best on the team and others look up to him. I think he is a very knowledgeable leader and knows how to get his peers involved which is why I would love to learn from him. Last week I watched the Ted Talk: Are you a giver or a taker? I took away a lot from what Adam Grant had to say. Some of the highlights of what I learned were, “You have to find small ways to add large value to other people’s lives.” I completely agree and I think it is so easy to make a positive impact on others. For example, when he talked about trying to recognize someone’s work that has gone unnoticed. I think a lot of the time, people work extremely hard on a team and they don’t get the “well done” or “great work” that they know they deserve. It is a great feeling when your work is appreciated, and it motivates you to do more. Also, I really like when he said, “The most meaningful way to succeed is to help other people succeed.” There is such an impact when a leader can recognize a person’s strengths and give them the opportunities to use them. I want to be able to see my peers or teammates succeed for their own good and the good of the group with my help. The picture below is of Adam Grant.
