Brandon Moseley

MNGT-5560-001

April 9, 2023

Retrospective

Retrospective

To begin this retrospective process, I read and reread my assignment #0 to see where my

opinions on what a leader is differ. At the start of this class, I was on a reasonably good track of

what a leader should be, but I missed a couple things. During this paper I will include statements

from the original paper to highlight what I now view differently, but also to present what I still

believe. Personally, through this class my own path of error and poor decisions has been a good

stage of growth for me as a person, which I believe is an important aspect of being a successful

leader and person in general.

I now believe that being a leader is the simplest complex task we as people will ever face.

There are an infinite number of situations, with multiple possible reactions and decisions

surrounding them, but there are ways to simplify it. Our last guest speaker placed a huge

emphasis on cultural fit when deciding on where to begin a career. In fact, every speaker seemed

to speak frequently in regards to one broad topic, moral compass. It was not directly spoken in

every speech, but I viewed every talk with that looming over the concept being discussed.

Whether the speaker was the Associate Athletic Director or managed the Greek life for the
University, they all spoke to what drove their decision making, and I believe it was their

heart/moral compass that they followed.

I never realized the impact a leader’s moral compass could have on their ability to lead.

The simplification is in the explanation. Everyone in life has their own struggles, but by

following their heart/moral compass all of these speakers have found themselves in situations in

which they are truly happy. This true happiness in a place to work allows them to not only attack

their leadership role with positivity, but to use their position to serve people. This brings me to

my new belief of the most important aspect of being a leader, serving. When many people think

of leading, they think of the control or power that comes with these positions, but the truth is the

best leaders that came to speak to us were centered around their missions of serving others. This

class has centered me around the idea that there is more to this life and true success than just

having money, power, or a prominent position.

Bill Shannon asked the class, “What do you all think is the most important requirement

for me to hire you at Auburn?” The majority of the classes mind immediately went to typical

qualifications we think of when we attempt to receive a position, but Mr. Shannon replied with

“They have to want to serve you, the students here.” Mr. Shannon believes strongly in his

mission, and having that passion for a mission, I now believe is crucial for a successful life as a

leader. Their passion is the driving force to the way leaders go about their interactions, work-

ethic, and decision making within their occupied roles. The most commonly chased asset when

deciding on a career has consistently been wealth. Shannon challenged us to chase something

greater than that, a family and culture that we align with.

 In my original paper I stated, “Experience with adversity I believe is the most important

aspect of being a leader. Leaders must have the poise and critical thinking to not only respond to

adversity individually, but also lead their team through the surfacing issues.” A large part of me

still believes that it is crucial to experience failure and adversity in life, but I now have a better

understanding of that being more of an individual quality. It is beneficial as a leader to maintain

poise in adverse situations, but without a passion for what you do you will not handle the

situation properly. The passion for your role is now what I believe is the most important aspect

of being a leader. Passion will lead to compassion for your employees and teammates around

you. It also will give you the drive and desire to serve the community surrounding you, allowing

you to make a true difference in other people’s lives. If you are a true leader, you must have the

desire to have a positive change on the community around you.

In this exert from ‘What is a Leader?’, “Leaders are born with an innate desire for

success and very passionate about being the best at what they do. This drives them in their

everyday life and only amplifies their work ethic. The most important aspect of a leader might be

their capacity for understanding and care for their employees.” I discussed passion, but also

touched on the idea of caring for your employees and even making a difference in your

employees’ lives. The aspect I disagree with is what is unwritten here. When I discuss success,

my original thought was of course wealth and climbing the ladder of the company that employed

me. I now believe true success is measured in the amount and type of impact we have on those

that surround us and we come in contact with.

 Another guest speaker of ours is over the Greek life at Auburn University. The intriguing

part of her story was the immaculate journey she went on to end up in the position she is in. She

had a position lined up that would have created wealth in her life, but instead trusted her path

that took her on her incredible journey. She now lives a life that drives her passion and allows

her joy, but she had to stay strong through the struggles she faced on her journey to the

destination she was meant to end up at.

“They lead by example and even though they expect the best, they are understanding and

caring of their employees. Another important aspect of a leader is the ability to critically think

through the problems that arise. It is easy to lead when everything is going well; a true leader not

only helps their team through adversity but thrives when facing problems with a team. A good

leader is a winner that pours their heart into the objective at hand and the people around them.”

There are many areas of this statement from my original paper that I would like to go over.

Every speaker we had were hard working leaders who showed the people around them through

action the standard of how to perform their roles. This type of noticeable work-ethic is seen from

our peers and not only admired, but a clear example of what we are capable of. During our

discussions in class I also grew on my ability to critically think through situations. The best

example of this was the assigned seating challenge we did in class. The trick was so simple we

seemed to look over it; open and clear communication. All we had to do was be honest and open

with the workers and we had a legitimate chance to complete the task. The worst part is I never

even realized the solution until the discussion that Thursday in class.
 “A leader needs to be unique, and in a world where everyone works simply because they

have to, a leader should bring the enthusiasm of getting to go to work. Changing the narrative in

that sense can change the way the entire operation is run.” After this semester, I still believe that

a positive attitude for the work you perform is the most effective approach for a leader. There is

such thing as top-down effect, which is the mentality and approach a leader has will trickle down

to other members. This is a super effective way to enhance the morale and efficiency that a

company operates. All it takes is attitude and effort from leaders, which playing sports my whole

life I have learned, are possibly the only two controllables in this world.