The Bystander Effect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIvGIwLcIuw


In Psychology this week, my class studied the bystandar effect. In definition, this is the effect that when people are in a group, they are more likely to follow the patterns of that group than they are to take a stand and help someone else, even someone in distress.

This video is disturbing. In summary, an experiment is conducted to see how people will respond to a staged kidnapping on the streets of New York City. For 2 hours, people do nothing but just watch as the girl screams, "This is not my dad, this is not my dad!" as she is being dragged away. It is two hours of doing this experiment before two men finally decide to step in and stop him.

What we need in society is more leaders like the ones we see in this video. As we go through life, we see many things going on and expect someone else to do something about it rather than ourselves. Why not be that person who steps up?

Quote for the Day

“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” -Frederick Douglass

How often do we find ourselves doing nothing and expecting something to happen? If we want to do anything in life, we have to step up ourselves and do it, not wait for someone else. No one is going to get you into college for you. No one will apply for scholarships for you. No one can decide your major or your career goals for you. Find a goal, make a plan, and follow through with the plan.

Leadership Quotes

These quotes are taken from Famous Quotes & Quotations website. I thought I'd post them up here for all of you to see, think about, and reflect upon..

'Top 10' List of Leadership Quotes:

Favorite Leadership Quotes #1

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.

Peter F. Drucker

Favorite Leadership Quotes #2

Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

George S. Patton

Favorite Leadership Quotes #3

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Dwight Eisenhower

Favorite Leadership Quotes #4

A leader is a dealer in hope.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Favorite Leadership Quotes #5

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?

Benjamin Disraeli

Favorite Leadership Quotes #6

The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone. You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.

Elaine Agather

Favorite Leadership Quotes #7

Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.

Robert Half

Favorite Leadership Quotes #8

Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women.

Groucho Marx

Favorite Leadership Quotes #9

The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.

Theodore M. Hesburgh

Favorite Leadership Quotes #10

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

Theodore Roosevelt

Who will lead?

I was reminded to day of this question. There are a lot of problems in society, there are a lot of problems in schools and classrooms, in our sports teams and organizations. The world is in need of men and women who will step up in lead. If you don't fill the gap, who will?

Are you willing to put yourself out there? I have been asking myself the same question the last few days. We need leaders. Will you be one?

Proverbs

There is an ancient Japanese proverb that goes something like this,

"The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now."

Why do we wait to start doing something? Whatever it is you want in life, do it now. I've waited to do things before, but I've learned that nothing happens until you do something about it. Don't wait to get involved in a club, to try to make new friends, or to do better in school. Do it now. If you had planted your tree earlier, you would have your tree now. However, if you don't go ahead and plant your tree, you may never have your tree. Today is as good as any other day to begin whatever it is that you want to do.

Worry v. Joy - The Challenge of Leadership

"Worry is the greatest thief of joy." - Warren W. Wiersbe

This quote discusses an important concept that many leaders fail to consider. The best leaders are leaders that display a joy in what they are doing. These are the people who others want to be around and others want to follow. Having joy in life and displaying this joy is essential to great leadership.

Yet it is a reality that as a leader, as a leader you are going to be faced with tough situations and decisions that will potentially cause you to worry. How will you respond?

When difficult situations come up you are faced with a few possible reactions.

1. Worry, and let is affect your joy and therefor the attitude of thos around you. Realize if you do this, it will bring down your leadership and cause others to fall into the same pit. Remember others are watching you. You can justify it by saying that you are not someone who hides their feelings. While this is noble, as a leader you are called to set a standard and to be one who demonstrates courage in the face of tough challenges. By showing you are worried, you have become a catalyst for fear rather than courage.

2. Put a fake smile on your face. Many people hide their worry about a situation to others by just smiling through it. It is coping mechanism, but it does not solve the problem. You don't want to have a fake happiness or just a facade that will only deter others in the long run.

3. Let joy reign. Although we are all face with tremondously tough decisions and hurdles, there is alwasy a reason for thankfulness and joy. There is always a reason for hope and courage. We must have faith that this situation is not the end all, be all. It is just another bump and as we look back at our life, we hopefully can see how we have survived past difficult situations and have been made stronger for it. Perserverance builds character. We must believe that the situation we are in will only make ourselves, our team, and our character stronger.

When you are able to do this, others will follow and they also will not let worry, but joy reign. They will not be robbed of joy and you will know that you served as a protector of their joy.

Take the Initiative

How often do you find yourself in a situation where no one wants to take the initiative to get something done? This happens all the time. Often times, in class, when groups are trying to organize to give a presentation or a project, we find ourselves struggling to find someone to take the initiative to present, research, etc.

The mindset always seems to be, "Well, someone else can do it and not me." But why not you? Someone has to do it, why not take the step and do it yourself? Don't wait for others to begin before you, take the step up. As the photo says, "The leader always sets the trail for others to follow." Don't wait for someone else to set the trail for you. Do it yourself, set the trail, be bold.