After read my classmate Jovi Lam’s blog culture leadership. From my perspective, I strongly agree the point which is hire right people in the right position. Because a good leader will help the company to stimulate other employees’ potential and maximize their output. For example, a good temper teacher will have better leadership when he/she treats students in schools, but a serious polite officer will have better leadership when he/she treats prisoners in prisons. On the other hand, if a good temper police officer is a good temper when he/she treat prisoners, they probably will laugh hard and disrespect the officer, if a serious teacher does not want to have fun with his/her students, then the students probably will not like the class. Same as in work area, if companies put right people on the right spot, then they will receive better outcome.

According to Organizational Behavior by Langton et al. (2016) Leadership defines the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals(p380).  Meanwhile, according to House’s charismatic leadership theory , followers make attributions of heroic or extraordinary leadership abilities when they observe certain behaviors, and tend to give these leaders power(p389).

Clearly, different positions need different types of leader to deal with different things and employees, the point is under ethical rules, try to maximize the best outcome for companies and try to get the best results for companies. Employees will love to follow a great leader if they believe the leader will lead them to succeed.

1. Langton, Robbins, Judge, Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition, p.380  p. 389
2. https://blogs.ubc.ca/jovilam/2017/02/05/culture-leadership/

I did storm the wall with the special Olympic British Columbia last week. Strom the wall is a traditional event at UBC since a couple decades ago. The goal is developing UBC students team work skill and sportsmanship to solve and complete different sport tasks together as a team, such as swimming, running, biking, and climb the wall. Special Olympics BC programs help over thousands people with intellectual disabilities celebrate personal achievement and help improve the confidence, skills, and friendship.

As a student athlete, I realized that not only our athletes try to represent our school to compete the highest level in the country but also these special Olympians try to be the best they can be. In order to help each other to complete this event, three UBC athletes partner with one special Olympians, we tried to maximize each person’s strength to finish this event. My group has 4 persons, the special Olympian is good at swimming, and one guy is on the track team, one guy is on the soccer team, and I’m on the basketball team, so the special Olympian did the swimming part, other two guys did the running part and I did the bike part. At the end, we did the climb the wall together. We believe each other and encourage each other during the event. We finished quicker than other groups and we enjoy this event a lot.

From this event, we can easily understand this connect with OB. According to Organizational Behavior by Langton et al. (2016), “Effective teams have members who believe in the team’s capabilities and are committed to a common plan and purpose, have an accurate shared mental model of what is to be accomplished, share specific team goals, maintain a manageable level of conflict, and show a minimal degree of social loafing.”(p268)

We try to maximize each person’s strength to finish a group goal, this is same as playing sports on the court/ field and even in the business areas as well, understand each members strength and maximize the best effort in order to get successful result. Team work is a life skill and this is very important to us, especially maximize each members’ strength in order to get the best outcome is not easy. However, once we can understand the concept and use it in real life, it will guide us become better people and more success in our lives.

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1. Langton, Robbins, Judge, Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition, p. 204.
2. https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.09/17498553_1598870250130862_1348868495158095073_n.jpg?oh=a1d7b28a5119445cbf0dee8b2c73436d&oe=595E8171

LeBron signed lifetime deal with Nike. It is the first time ever in Nike’s history. The reason is not only because LeBron is one of the greatest players in the world but he is also very humble off the court. According to Lebron’s lifetime deal “We can confirm that we have agreed to a lifetime relationship with LeBron that provides significant value to our business, brand and shareholders,” Nike said in a statement. Nike believes that LeBron’s brand has great potential to keep growing the business for Nike shoes.

Why is LeBron? Well, Kobe also has huge impact on Nike shoes but Kobe also signed with Adidas when he was young in the league. Nike choose LeBron even before he entered into NBA, and they did a great job pick on LeBron, because LeBron is doing great both on and off the court. LeBron is the one guy since day1 with Nike and he working very hard on the court and being a great role model to the world. Nike wants to promote the relationship between each other and build a very loyalty program too.  People love to buy LeBron’s brand not only because they are good products but because also Nike promotes it very well and LeBron plays very well. The biggest risk is if LeBron injury himself or he has some negative public effects, but apparently, LeBron never really injury during his career and he is a FAMILY man and never against medias in public. Therefore, even though he is 31 years old, he still has great influence on Nike’s basketball business.

Nike also always brings LeBron to do charity programs such as basketball clinic or training camp, and promote his childhood story all over the world. Nike wants to let people know this is called giving back which helps Nike building stronger relationship in communities. Moreover, people’s feedback always very positive to this, because they love to see this hero being nice to them. If you work hard enough, you will get reward.

Words 336

1. http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/14314807/lebron-james-signs-life-deal-nike

We lost qatar final when we play against No.1 seed in the national championship tournament in 2016. As a team member, I witnessed how great is a team. We lost in overtime but we fighted until the last minute and we pretty much gave all on the court.  We made some accomplishments that year but never the best. As No.8 seed facing No.1 seed in the country, it was not easy. However, we only have one goal is that get the championship for UBC since 1972.

We have to prove a lot of things in 2017 that we are the best men’s basketball team in Canada. According to Organizational Behaviour by Langton et al. (2016), “A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable, team members share leadership and the team’s measure of effectiveness is the team’s outcomes and goals, not individual outcomes and goals.”(p.204) We have one mission that is the national championship. Everyone contributes their part into the team, so do I. Walking into the gym and get shots up every morning or evening, motivating others get extra workouts and helping each other on the court and off the court. I am not a super basketball star but I have a clearly goal that is being a great role player on this team. Encouraging my teammates on the court and motivating myself to get better for next year, that is my job. 

This is not only about basketball, but this is also guide myself to be a better person and a better athlete. Understanding what I bring to a team which helps me in my future career too. This journey will help myself to stay strong and being the best I can be.

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1. Langton, Robbins, Judge, Organizational Behaviour, 7th edition, p. 204.