A Real Quick "Hello"

Funny… we get to a place in the semester where we start to see the finish line. I have three classes and am working toward my final projects in all three. I am happy to report that I should have everything in on time and will get to spend the month of June away from school (before the summer residency begins) with family and friends (or those that still remember me).

It is at this point of the semester that we all seem to get distant. My esteemed colleagues are also very busy wrapping up their assignments, and we unintentionally forget to reach out and touch base regularly. Last Friday I was able to enjoy hearing most of the leadership cohort’s voices on a conference call. We had some time to catch up before the call started. I really enjoy hearing about what people are up to, both personally and professionally. Working with such “overachievers” is challenging. I struggle to keep up!

So to all of you that I haven’t reached out to recently, “hello.” I am looking forward to a break, and then it’s back to the Garfield for some more intense learning.

-j-

PS- We are due for a guest blogger… Who will it be?

The Big "F" Word

** This is a post from my other blog (”What is on Jeffrey Shepard’s Mind“). I just had to share this with other students and scholars and educators in the area of leadership.

I reflect on a week in leadership. As some of you know, I have been deeply involved in a PhD leadership program (this is why posts have been few and far between) and have learned a lot about myself and leadership.

In addition, I am caught up in a little topic that I believe is just as important as leadership…. “followership”. Funny, the big “F” word, a word that we spend very little time considering though it is just as important as leadership. Without followers, there would be no leaders.

So this week, while attending a “leadership” workshop, I stumbled upon a “consultant” who had all the leadership answers. I was quite amused by the leadership theory he used to amaze some in his audience. I sat back and thought about how I would challenge this “expert”.

I asked him what he thought about the lack of formal training and education in the area of followership? His response was very interesting, he 100% completely ignored my question. At this point I figured that my cover might have been blown. Many whispered about this but still nothing was ever said about that “F” word.

So he went back to his memory and quoting from the great “books on tape” of leadership. No mention of James MacGregor Burns or any of the other great theorist of our times.

So I went back to listening… and “following”…

As I reflected about my experience I began to understand why he didn’t respond. He was giving people what they needed and not what they needed to hear…I think that I missed my calling… There is quite possibly a place in consulting for me…

-j-

Why I Blog...

At one point I was told that bloggers were nothing more than people that were self-absorbed (I won’t say who said this… she is reading this blog I am sure). I am not saying this is always false, but in the case of this blog I had an entire new reason for wanting to share my experiences with the world (or those that have a lot of spare time). I do have a blog that is all about “Jeffrey”, but more on that later.

Since starting at “The Union”, so many people have asked me if I was getting a PhD from an “internet” college. Seeing that my life revolves around technology, it would only seem appropriate and natural that this would be the case. When I would explain that I spend between 18-20 days a year in residency in Cincinnati, Ohio they are shocked. Sure I keep tabs with my course work, professors, and colleagues using the Internet and e-mail, but less instruction is done there than in person at residency and the various one-on-ones and conference calls. This is learning in the world that we live in. I am sure that post is sounding like a commercial for Union, but it is really the truth. The fact is that this degree works for me but not everyone. We have had some students that have decided to go a different direction. This mixture of technology and personal interaction is what I like about this program and what makes it worth my time and energy.

Now, if only people could read this post so I wouldn’t have to answer this question again…

-j-

The Target is Huge, But You Hit It

This is the initial feedback that I received on my first prospectus draft, and it was great news! Metaphors are used too often in the business world to motivate and inspire. This is probably the first time that I have had them used to refer to a paper that I wrote in my academic career. I have to say that it was extremely encouraging. In the case of my paper, I need to continue to write and move toward defining my question and keying in on smaller objectives (smaller targets), questions, and ideas. This is something that a lot of my classmates are finding, too. So we keep trucking along….

Since my last post, I have been busy with the formation of my dissertation committee, as well as working on the framework of my dissertation. I had the opportunity to write a chapter in a text for another one of my professor’s books and started a new company. I only explain this to show you that, even though I am a doctoral student, life can be fairly normal. I am successful based on my ability to be very organized and focused on tasks and goals. I have a systemic approach to getting this all done. In addition, the fact that I require little sleep is to my advantage.

This was the news and the support that I needed. Back to work on building smaller targets….

-j-