Marc’s MSLD Reflection Blog

I feel that teaching my children to be good people is one of the most important things I can do.  What is more important than preparing the rising generation to be contributing, respectful, and decent members of society?  Instilling moral and ethical values in my kids is one of my highest priorities. I have noticed that as my children age I use different parenting skills.  When my children were young it was easiest to teach them simple rules; “we don’t take things from people,” “we put our toys away when we are done playing with them,” “we don’t pull the dog’s tail.”  For small children who may not understand all of the intricacies and details of specific situations it is best to teach them simple rules. It is also easiest to discipline when these simple rules are in place: “you need to take a time out because you took your sister’s toy.”  However, as my children started to get a little older I began to teach my them to make good decisions based on the consequences: “you need to p

At one point or another I imagine everyone is faced with a decision that has no good alternative, a decision which will result in pain and suffering, discomfort, or some negative outcome for somebody.  These ethical dilemmas are challenging to face.  LaFollette (2007) suggested that we can become better at navigating ethical dilemmas by moral theorizing ; by pondering and considering how we would act in certain circumstances and why.  “We should think carefully about ethical quandaries we have not yet faced.  If we do when we are not under pressure to make a quick and potentially momentous decision, we will be better equipped to make good decisions when we must act” (p. 8). Scenario #1 To begin the practice of moral theorizing I will consider the classic ethical dilemma of the train.  This dilemma involves a train hurtling down the track where five children are standing.  Without some action, some intervention, those five children will undoubtedly be killed.  There is no time t

Dear Marc, You have completed MSLD 641 - Resonant Leadership!  Congratulations!  You are one step closer to completing your masters degree!  Two classes to go!  But I have a couple questions for you: are you closer to living the kind of life you dream of? Are you closer to being the kind of person you want to be?  Throughout the course you went through several exercises that helped you identify your dreams, your vision, your noble purpose, and your ideal life (McKee, Boyatzis & Johnston, 2008).  You wrote a vision statement and came up with a plan to get you there.  How is that coming?  Let’s review those goals and that plan together. Your vision of your future ideal self includes many different aspects of your life: intellectual, financial, family, social and spiritual.  Many of the pieces of your ideal life you have put in place over the last year when you moved your family to Arizona and took your current job as an EMS helicopter pilot.  That gave you the schedule you wan

“Being an authentic leader is . . . . part of a journey of personal growth we take throughout our lives–in the challenges we face, the individuals we encounter, and our ability to adapt and affect change. Personal growth develops you as a leader and motivates you to strive for excellence and not mediocrity” (Dowden, 2015, para. 10).  Personal development is a critical part of becoming an effective leader. A leader has to continuously challenge themself to be more authentic, more genuine, and more compassionate. There are many tools available for personal and leadership development such as self assessments, 360-degree assessments, leadership blindspot assessments, and emotional intelligence assessments (Schiavone, 2018).  McKee, Boyatzis, and Johnston (2008) suggested that creating a personal balance sheet is a good way to take stock of personal assets and liabilities. The book, Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence, Renew Your Relationships, Sustain Your