Information Processing and Leadership Chapter 6

Like many other leadership studies, this chapter focuses on how leadership works. There are many traits that correspond with leadership, and as minors i think we have beaten these traits to death at this point. We all get that leaders have certain traits that distinguish them as leaders. This chapter takes those traits various leaders possesses and turns them into action. The action of a leader is dependent on those actions of the followers. This chapter claims that leadership is, "a social process, one involving both a leader and a follower. Leadership is the investigation of how one individual, labeled a leader, influences a second individual or group, labeled the follower. 

The process to get things flowing between said leader and the followers are information sharing. This is a process in understanding the schema of the leader and that of the followers. Schema for the leader are the source of one's own behavior, and for the follower, the schema are the standards against which these behaviors are compared. This chapter centers in on many studies done on leadership methods and management styles and how people respond to leaders. How does a leader get things done? In many corporate jobs i would imagine, and with the economy, fear drives people to do quality work assigned by their leader (manager, boss etc). I think passion has been a long standing means to make change. It is with the given information that leaders can understand their environment, their audience and their aim. Over the course of my college career, i have done many self assessments, and analysis of me and how i obtain information, give it out, communicate and what makes me tick. Those are essential in order to properly understand ones own influence and then taken a step further in understanding those subordinate to a position of leadership. 

The question part of this blog that i will post is in relation to ones schema. All of us are leadership minors and have had and still have roles of leadership. We are those with the ability to influence, the mind to challenge, and the will to change. How do we come to understand our own schema (the source of ones own behaviors)? In a college setting how do we use our schemas to influence change?

I can say in my life, my behavior and schema has been partly from my upbringing and my education through my parents. Seeing how they behave and generally learning right from wrong. College has taught me the kind of person i want to be, and shaped my behavior around gathering traits and qualities that give me the step in becoming a competent, passionate, dedicated and well rounded person. My schema is shown in how i interact with my friends. The devotion i have to my education and the hopefully positive nature i give off. My schema is shaped through years of observation and assessment on the behaviors i want to portray.