CURRENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CURRENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES - Essay Example Three existing models are used to connect these communities of networked information; hybrid, co-op and federation. Federation combines enterprises that are self-sufficient and maintain an agreement to share and network and allow access to information via a peer to peer system. Co-op combines enterprises that are comprised of smaller enterprises using a combined data repository that share their technology and expenses. Hybrid is obviously a combination of the two which is more beneficial in larger areas where information is shared across geographical areas. Many are formed originally as non-profit and once established change to a profit status. Creating a health information network that is national should be centralized, available on the internet, be governed by both public and private organization and be patient centered, complying with all health information security protocols and standards. Cooperation between government and the public sector is essential and regional level networks need to include harmonization (Conn). Uses of health information can include quality assurance, clinical pathways, protocol development, outcome measurements, health plan performance and underwriting among many other attributes. A health information system can be used by patients, providers, case managers, drug manufacturers, insurance companies, and other payers. Despite technology advances healthcare electronic solutions continue to lag behind other areas in information technology. Electronic personal health care records allow patients to store, view, capture and share information about their health care needs. They are a combination of data, knowledge, and software tools which allow consumers to become more active in their case management. A 2009 survey indicated that 8 of 10 Americans are concerned about their health care data being used inappropriately (McGee). Medical costs are increasing patient exposure and

Effects of Stress on the Immune System Research Paper

Effects of Stress on the Immune System - Research Paper Example Stress does have a profound effect on the immune system. Though stress was initially considered to exert a physiological effect in the human body, later studies have revealed that it also affects the immune system by changing the immune response to infectious agents and environmental pollutants. Further studies have shown that depending on the nature and duration of the stressful event the immune system can either be enhanced or depressed. These immune changes however, have minimal clinical consequences in healthy individuals, but the weakening of the immune system in response to aging and disease results in prominent changes in the immunity of the individual to stress. Stress has also been linked to the progression of various diseases such as tumors and autoimmune diseases. The changes in immune response are mediated by signals from the endocrine and nervous system which are the initially responders to the environmental stresses. Various stress hormones released in response to stres s play a role in the activation or suppression of the immune cells. While in majority of the cases stress has a detrimental effect on the functioning of the immune system, in some cases acute limited stress have been shown to up regulate natural immunity parameters that are useful in protection against a possible injury or infection. Stress has for long been linked to changes in the physiology of humans such an increased delivery of oxygen and glucose to the heart muscles. However, researchers have shown that apart from these physiological changes stress also affects the immune response of an individual.... The hypothalamus controls the secretion of hormones from the pituitary, adrenal cortex and medulla. When this hypothalamus- pituitary- adrenal cortex axes is subjected to chronic activation it can have a pronounced effect on the health through continued secretion of hormones. When the receptors for glucocorticoid (GC) hormones present on the immune cells are bound by GC hormones they interfere with the activity of NF-kB which in turn suppresses the secretion of cytokines by these cells. The activation of the HPA axis also causes the secretion of catecholamine’s from the adrenal medulla which also binds to adrenergic receptors on the immune cells and increases the production of cytokines and antibody which is the body’s immediate response to stress. However, when subject to chronic activation these hormones can have a similar effect like the GC on the immune cells (Padgett & Glaser, 2003). While these stress hormones make us resistant to the effects of stressors by incre asing heart rate, blood pressure and sugar levels to combat the perceived threat, they however have a deleterious effect on the immune system when produced chronically (Psychological Stress and Cancer, 2012). For example, the release of cortisol under conditions of stress has been found to have an inhibitory effect on the synthesis and activity of white blood cells. In addition it has also been found to interfere with communication of immune cells thus preventing them from providing the necessary protection to the body (Hussain, 2010). The effect of stress hormones on the immune system has been studied in great detail during the past decade. Hormones released by various glands in response to stress

Co Founder Chairman And Ceo Of Apple Media Essay

Co Founder Chairman And Ceo Of Apple Media Essay Steven Paul Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur. He is known as the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. Through Apple, he was widely recognized as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution. Jobs also co-founded and served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; he became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006. After a power struggle with the board of directors in 1985, Jobs left Apple and founded NeXT. In 1986, he acquired the computer graphics division of Lucasfilm. He was credited in Toy Story (1995) as an executive producer. He served as CEO and held majority of the shares until Disneys purchase of Pixar in 2006. In 1996, after Apple had failed to deliver its operating system, Apple turned to NeXT Computer. Jobs returned to Apple as an advisor, and took control of the company as an interim CEO. Jobs brought Apple from near bankruptcy to profitability by 1998. As the new CEO of the company, Jobs oversaw the development of the iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and on the services side, the companys Apple Retail Stores, iTunes Store and the App Store. The success of these products and services provided several years of stable profitable returns. In 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with a pancreas neuroendocrine tumor. Though it was initially treated, he reported a hormone imbalance, underwent a liver transplant in 2009, and appeared progressively thinner as his health declined. On medical leave for most of 2011, Jobs resigned in August that year, and was elected Chairman of the Board. He died of respiratory arrest related to his metastatic tumor on October 5, 2011. Jobs has received a number of honors and public recognition for his influence in the technology and music industries. He has widely been referred to as legendary, a futurist or simply visionary, and has been described as the Father of the Digital Revolution, a master of innovation, and a design perfectionist. PERSONAL LIFE Jobss birth parents were Abdulfattah John Jandali, from Syria, who taught in University of Wisconsin and Joanne Carole Schieble who was a student. In December 1955, ten months after giving up their baby boy (Steve Jobs), Schieble and Jandali got married and in 1957 they had a daughter, Mona. They divorced in 1962. In the 1980s, Jobs found his birth mother, Joanne Schieble Simpson, who told him he had a sister, Mona. They met for the first time in 1985 and became close friends. After deciding to search for their father, Simpson found Jandali managing a coffee shop. In a taped interview with his biographer Walter Isaacson, aired on 60 Minutes, Jobs said: When I was looking for my biological mother, obviously, you know, I was looking for my biological father at the same time, and I learned a little bit about him and I didnt like what I learned. I asked her to not tell him that we ever metnot tell him anything about me. Jobs was in occasional touch with his mother Joanne Simpson, who lives in a nursing home in Los Angeles. Jandali stated in an interview with the The Sun in August 2011, that his efforts to contact Jobs were unsuccessful. Jobs demonstrating the iPhone 4 to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on June 23, 2010 Jobs once dated Joan Baez for a few years. Elizabeth Holmes, a friend of Jobs, believed that Jobs was interested in Baez because she had been the lover of Bob Dylan (Dylan was the Apple icons favorite musician). Jobs confided in Joanna Hoffman his concerns about the relationship. She would later tell his official biographer She was a strong woman, and he wanted to show he was in control. Plus, he always said he wanted to have a family, and with her he knew that he wouldnt. Jobs was a fan of The Beatles. He referred to them on multiple occasions at Keynotes and also was interviewed on a showing of a Paul McCartney concert. When asked about his business model on 60 Minutes, he replied: My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each others negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are never done by one person; they are done by a team of people. In 1982, Jobs bought an apartment in The San Remo, an apartment building in New York City, only to sell it almost two decades later to U2 singer Bono. Jobs never moved in. In 1984, Jobs purchased the Jackling House, Spanish Colonial mansion designed by George Washington Smith in Woodside, California. Although it reportedly remained in an almost unfurnished state, Jobs lived in the mansion for almost ten years. According to reports, he kept a 1966 BMW R60/2 motorcycle in the living room, and let Bill Clinton use it in 1998. From the early 1990s, Jobs lived in a house in the Old Palo Alto neighborhood of Palo Alto. President Clinton dined with Jobs and 14 Silicon Valley CEOs there on August 7, 1996, at a meal catered by Greens Restaurant. Clinton returned the favor and Jobs, who was a Democratic donor, slept in the Lincoln bedroom of the White House. Jobs usually wore a black long-sleeved mock turtleneck made by Issey Miyake (that was sometimes reported to be made by St. Croix), Levis 501 blue jeans, and New Balance 991 sneakers. Jobs told Walter Isaacson he came to like the idea of having a uniform for himself, both because of its daily convenience (the rationale he claimed) and its ability to convey a signature style. He was a pescetarian. Jobss car was silver Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG, which did not display its license plates, as he took advantage of a California law which gives a maximum of six months for new vehicles to receive plates; Jobs leased a new SL every six months. Jobs contributed to a number of political candidates and causes during his life, giving $209,000 to Democrats, $45,700 to associated special interests and $1,000 to a Republican. 1.3 Health issues In October 2003, Jobs was diagnosed with cancer, and in 2004, he that he had a cancerous tumor in his pancreas. The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is usually very poor; Jobs stated that he had a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. Despite his diagnosis, Jobs resisted his doctors recommendations for mainstream medical intervention for nine months, instead consuming a special alternative medicine diet in an attempt to thwart the disease, before finally having surgery in July 2004. According to Harvard researcher Ramzi Amri, his choice of alternative treatment led to an unnecessarily early death. He eventually underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy (or Whipple procedure) in July 2004 that appeared to successfully remove the tumor. In early August 2006, Jobs delivered the keynote for Apples annual Worldwide Developers Conference. His thin appearance and unusually delivery and his choice to give significant portions of his keynote to other presenters, caused a wildfire of media and Internet speculation about his health Two years later, similar concerns followed Jobss 2008 WWDC keynote address. Apple officials stated Jobs was victim to a common bug and was taking antibiotics, while others explained his appearance was because of the Whipple procedure. In April 2009, Jobs underwent a liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. Jobss prognosis was described as excellent. On January 17, 2011, a year and a half after Jobs returned from his liver transplant, Apple announced that he had been granted a medical leave of absence. Jobs announced his leave in a letter to employees, stating his decision was made so he could focus on his health Jobs resigned as Apples CEO on August 24, 2011. Unfortunately, that day has come, wrote Jobs, for he could no longer meet his duties and expectations as Apples CEO. Jobs became chairman of the board and named Tim Cook his successor. Jobs continued to work for Apple until the day before his death 1.4 PROFFESIONAL LIFE Wealth Jobs only earned $1 a year as CEO of Apple, Jobs held 5.426 million Apple shares worth $2.1 billion, as well as 138 million shares in Disney (which he received in exchange for Disneys acquisition of Pixar) worth $4.4 billion. Jobs quipped that the $1 per annum he was paid by Apple was based on attending one meeting for 50 cents while the other 50 cents was based on his performance. Forbes estimated his net wealth at $8.3 billion in 2010, making him the 42nd-wealthiest American. Stock options backdating issue Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at the fifth D: All Things Digital conference (D5) in 2007 In 2001, Jobs was granted stock options in the amount of 7.5 million shares of Apple with an exercise price of $18.30. It was alleged that the options had been backdated, and that the exercise price should have been $21.10. It was further alleged that Jobs had thereby incurred taxable income of $20,000,000 that he did not report, and that Apple overstated its earnings by that same amount. As a result, Jobs potentially faced a number of criminal charges and civil penalties. The case was the subject of active criminal and civil government investigations, though an independent internal Apple investigation completed on December 29, 2006, found that Jobs was unaware of these issues and that the options granted to him were returned without being exercised in 2003. Reality distortion field Apples Bud Tribble coined the term reality distortion field in 1981, to describe Jobss charisma and its effects on the developers working on the Macintosh project. Tribble claimed that the term came from Star Trek. Since then the term has also been used to refer to perceptions of Jobss keynote speeches. The RDF was said by Andy Hertzfeld to be Steve Jobss ability to convince him and others to believe almost anything, using a mix of charm, charisma, bravado, hyperbole, marketing, appeasement, and persistence. Although the subject of criticism, Jobss so-called reality distortion field was also recognized as creating a sense that the impossible was possible. Once the term became widely known, it was often used in the technology press to describe Jobss sway over the public, particularly regarding new product announcements. Inventions and designs Jobss design style was influenced by Joseph Eichler, and the designs of Brauns Dieter Rams. His designs were also greatly influenced by the Buddhism. His sense of intuition was also influenced by spiritual people. Even while terminally ill in the hospital, Jobs sketched new devices that would hold the iPad in a hospital bed. He also despised the oxygen monitor on his finger and suggested ways to revise the design for simplicity. The Macintosh Computer The Macintosh was introduced in January 1984. The computer had no Mac name on the front, but rather just the Apple logo. The Macintosh had a friendly appearance since it was meant to be easy to use. The Macintosh was identified as a computer that ordinary people could understand. The NeXT Computer After Apple let Jobs go in 1985, he started a company that built computers. The NeXT Computer was introduced in 1989. Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the worlds first web browser on the NeXT Computer. The NeXT Computer was the basis for todays Macintosh OS X and iPhone operating system (iOS). iMac Apple iMac was introduced in 1998 and its innovative design was directly the result of Jobss return to Apple. Apple boasted the back of our computer looks better than the front of anyone elses. Described as cartoonlike the first iMac, clad in Bondi Blue plastic, was unlike any personal computer that came before. iPod The first generation of iPod was released October 23, 2001. The major innovation of the iPod was its small size. The capacity of the first generation iPod ranged from 5G to 10 Gigabytes. The iPod sold for US$399 and more than 100,000 iPods were sold before the end of 2001. The introduction of the iPod resulted in Apple becoming a major player in the music industry. Also, the iPods success prepared the way for the iTunes music store and the iPhone. After the 1st generation of iPod, Apple released the hard drive-based iPod classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, video-capable iPod Nano, screen less iPod Shuffle in the following years. iPhone Apple began work on the first iPhone in 2005 and the first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007. The iPhone created such a sensation that a survey indicated six out of ten Americans were aware of its release. Time magazine declared it Invention of the Year for 2007. In June 2009, the iPhone 3GS, added voice control, a better camera, and a faster processor was introduced by Phil Schiller. A major feature of the iPhone 4S, introduced in October 2011, was Siri, which is a virtual assistant that is capable of voice recognition. Philanthropy Arik Hesseldahl of BusinessWeek magazine stated that Jobs isnt widely known for his association with philanthropic causes, compared to Bill Gatess efforts. In contrast to Gates, Jobs did not sign the Giving Pledge of Warren Buffett which challenged the worlds richest billionaires to give at least half their wealth to charity. In an interview with Playboy in 1985, Jobs said in respect to money that the challenges are to figure out how to live with it and to reinvest it back into the world which means either giving it away or using it to express your concerns or values. Jobs also added that when he has some time we would start a public foundation but for now he does charitable acts privately. After resuming control of Apple in 1997, Jobs eliminated all corporate philanthropy programs initially. Jobss friends told The New York Times that he felt that expanding Apple would have done more good than giving money to charity. Later, under Jobs, Apple signed to participate in Product Red program, producing red versions of devices to give profits from sales to charity. Apple has gone on to become the largest contributor to the charity since its initial involvement with it. The chief of the Product Red project, singer Bono cited Jobs saying there was nothing better than the chance to save lives, when he initially approached Apple with the invitation to participate in the program. Through its sales, Apple has been the largest contributor to Product REDs gift to the Global Fund, which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, according to Bono. 1.5 ERA 1955: Stephen Paul Jobs is born on Feb. 24. 1972: Jobs enrolls at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but drops out after a semester. 1974: Jobs works for video game maker Atari and attends meetings of the Homebrew Computer Club with Steve Wozniak, a high school friend who was a few years older. 1975: Jobs and Wozniak attend Homebrew Computer Club meetings. 1976: Apple Computer is formed on April fools Day, shortly after Wozniak and Jobs create a new computer circuit board in a Silicon Valley garage. A third co-founder, Ron Wayne, leaves the company after less than two weeks. The Apple I computer goes on sale by the summer for $666.66. 1977: Apple is incorporated by its founders and a group of venture capitalists. It unveils Apple II, the first personal computer to generate color graphics. Revenue reaches $1 million. 1978: Jobs daughter Lisa is born to girlfriend Chrisann Brennan. 1979: Jobs visits Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, or PARC, and is inspired by a computer with a graphical user interface. 1980: Apple goes public, raising $110 million in one of the biggest initial public offerings to date. 1982: Annual revenue climbs to $1 billion. 1983: The Lisa computer goes on sale with much fanfare, only to be pulled two years later. Jobs lures John Sculley away from Pepsico Inc. to serve as Apples CEO. 1984: Iconic 1984 Macintosh commercial directed by Ridley Scott airs during the Super Bowl. The Macintosh computer goes on sale. 1985: Jobs and Sculley clash, leading to Jobs resignation. Wozniak also resigns from Apple this year. 1986: Jobs starts Next Inc., a new computer company making high-end machines for universities. He also buys Pixar from Star Wars creator George Lucas for $10 million. 1989: First NeXT computer goes on sale with a $6,500 price tag. 1991: Apple and IBM Corp. announce an alliance to develop new PC microprocessors and software. Apple unveils portable Macs called PowerBook. 1993: Apple introduces the Newton, a hand-held, pen-based computer. The company reports quarterly loss of $188 million in July. Sculley is replaced as CEO by Apple president Michael Spindler. Apple restructures, and Sculley resigns as chairman. At Next, Jobs decides to focus on software instead of whole computers. 1994: Apple introduces Power Macintosh computers based on the PowerPC chip it developed with IBM and Motorola. Apple decides to license its operating software and allow other companies to clone the Mac, adopting the model championed by Microsoft Corp. 1995: The first Mac clones go on sale. Microsoft releases Windows 95, which is easier to use than previous versions and is more like the Mac system. Apple struggles with competition, parts shortages and mistakes predicting customer demand. Pixars Toy Story, the first commercial computer-animated feature, hits theaters. Pixar goes to Wall Street with an IPO that raises $140 million. 1996: Apple announces plans to buy Next for $430 million for the operating system Jobs team developed. Jobs is appointed an adviser to Apple. Gil Amelio replaces Spindler as CEO. 1997: Jobs becomes interim CEO after Amelio is pushed out. He foreshadows the marketing hook for a new product line by calling himself iCEO. Jobs puts an end to Mac clones. 1998: Apple returns to profitability. It shakes up personal computer industry in 1998 with the candy-colored, all-in-one iMac desktop, the original models shaped like a futuristic TV. Apple discontinues the Newton. 2000: Apple removes interim label from Jobs CEO title. 2001: The first iPod goes on sale, as do computers with OS X, the modern Mac operating system based on Next software. Apple also releases iTunes software. 2003: Apple launches the iTunes Music Store with 200,000 songs at 99 cents each, giving people a convenient way to buy music legally online. It sells 1 million songs in the first week. 2004: Jobs undergoes surgery for a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer. Apple discloses his illness after the fact. 2005: Apple expands the iPod line with the tiny Nano and an iPod that can play video. The company also announces that future Macs will use Intel chips. 2006: Disney buys Pixar for $7.4 billion. Jobs becomes Disneys largest individual shareholder, and much of his wealth is derived from this sale. 2007: Apple releases its first smartphone, the iPhone. Crowds camp overnight at stores to be one of the first to own the new device. 2008: Speculation mounts that Jobs is ill, given weight loss. In September he kicks off an Apple event and says, The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated, making a play off a famous Mark Twain quote after Bloomberg News accidentally publishes, then retracts, an obituary that it had prepared in advance. 2009: Jobs explains severe weight loss by saying he has a treatable hormone imbalance and that he will continue to run Apple. Days later he backtracks and announces he will be on medical leave. He returns to work in June. Later it is learned that he received a liver transplant. 2010: Apple sells 15 million of its newest gadget, the iPad, in nine months, giving rise to a new category of modern touch-screen tablet computers. Jan. 17, 2011: In a memo to Apple employees, Jobs announces a second medical leave with no set duration. Cook again steps in to run day-to-day operations. Jobs retains CEO title and remains involved in major decisions. Aug. 24, 2011: Apple announces that Jobs is resigning as CEO. Cook takes the CEO title, and Apple names Jobs chairman. Oct. 5, 2011: Jobs dies at 56. Apple announces his death without giving a specific cause. 2.1 FIRST THINGS FIRST: Definition: The most important task gets priority, as in I very much wanted to see that movie, but first things first the papers due tomorrow. This adage was first recorded in 1545. Steve jobs always focused on the issues which he considered to be the most important. Focus and determination was ingrained in his personality. He filtered out what he considered to be distraction. Colleagues and family members would at times be exasperated as they would try to get his attention towards some other issues which they considered important such as a legal problem, bills or medical diagnosis but yet he did not respond to such issues. He never let these issues hinder his performance at work or snatch away his attention. He would always give a cold stare and refuse to shift his laser like focus from the issue which he considers to be more important until he was ready to do so. 2.2 STRESS MANAGEMENT: What is stress? Stress is the bodys reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. Stress can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious. Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or stressor Stress management: Stress management refers to a wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a persons levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of improving everyday functions. Stress produces numerous symptoms which vary according to persons, situations, and severity. These can include physical health decline as well as depression. In 1985 after a powerful struggle with the board of directors Jobs left Apple and formed NEXT a computer platform development company specializing in the higher education and business markets. In 1996, after Apple had failed to deliver its operation system, Copland Gill Amelio turned to NEXT computer and the NEXT step platform become the foundation of Max Osx. Jobs returned to Apple as an advisor and took control of the company as an interim CEO. At this stressful situation Jobs instead of making more blunders and creating more problems, he dealt it in the most effective manner. It was only due to his ability to manage stress that he was able to brought Apple from near bankruptcy to profitability by 1998. 2.3 INNOVATION: According to an editor: Steve Jobs belongs in the pantheon of Americas great innovators along with Walt Disney and Thomas Edison. The creation of ipod explains the talent of Steve Jobs as many other companies were manufacturing MP3 players but the success of ipod is the result of a great insight coupled with brilliant execution after Napsters game was found ultimately illegal Jobs saw that the same technology could create a legal market by ensuring music industry a stream of revenues and huge market as it would allow music lovers to download the songs of their own choice at a very reasonable price. He then created a product that was easy to use and more stylish which he could sell at a high price with huge margins. By far the best selling MP3 player ever the ipod lifted the Apple brand to unprecedented heights giving boost to the Mac sales and reestablishing the image of the company. The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. William James 2.4 CREATIVITY: The creativity of Steve Jobs is evident from the fact that every Monday morning he would review all the products and the challenges of designing and executing them. Its one of his social processes for connecting multiple discipline to create compelling products and he was doing it since dozen of years rigorously. He spent time building metal and relationship capital by connecting the newest ideas and brilliant and passionate minds. He was one of the few CEOs doing this practice of connecting the dots. It was due to his creativity that Jobs turned into a hard driving cash generating machine. 2.5ABILITY TO BRING CHANGE AND MANAGE CHANGE: What is change management? Change management is an approach to shifting/transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from a current state to a desired future state. The quality of Jobs of bringing new ideas and taking the risk of bringing change makes him quite different from others. In a special board meeting Jobs walked in and saw Apples roughly 2 dozen current products were on display. He began taking them down one by one. When he was done only four were left and those were the ones he said that would give Apple a new life by differentiating it in the market place. He once said: Deciding not to produce is as important as deciding what to produce Our only security is our ability to change John Lilly 2.6 CHARISMA What is charisma? Charisma involves a relationship between the leader and the people being led. He points to the different communication styles of charismatic leader as charisma is a key aspect of leadership qualities.jobs had command over his tongue and he had that talent to fold the audience under his wrap by delivering extraordinary speeches using metaphors, Analogies and storytelling. See how he used his interpersonal skills and assertive nature to get hold of the audience and over his employees as well. Further I would like to add an incident in which he used his innovative mind. The story behind ipad.one day he was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper on Sunday like an ordinary man, but unlike us he came up with an idea why not convert these pages into the digital format, why not make it more handy and make them more comfortable to use, why not do other tasks while reading the newspaper, he noted those points in his mind and came up with the idea of the Ipad. See how jobs us ed his brainstorming skills. By creating these stories in our head he communicates the advantages of his products most efficiently. His charisma enables him to whip up the enthusiasm of his employees (job involvement) to achieve more by doing seemingly impossible tasks, and also convince customers to buy Apple products 2.7 PERSONALIZED LEADERSHIP He type could be explained as being personalized. In Jobs case this means that he does not only motivate by storytelling but also by force. Jobs is described by some as being manipulative, dishonest, and boorish. An indication for this can be found, when he says, for instance: My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better. My job is to pull things together from different parts of the company and clear the ways and get the resources for the key projects. And to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better, coming up with more aggressive visions of how it could be. With this thought of jobs we can easily comprehend his nature and his mindset. The only thing on which he used to concentrate were his products and on the efficiency.in the above speech he indirectly stated that no matter what I can compromise on the quality and the efficiency of labor .furthermore his aggressive was reflected when he said that I can also swipe the staff if they dont work according to my needs. He wants people to follow him, expects obedience and much of it seemingly out of the self-interest, since working at Apple is what he considers a valuable goal in his life. Getting the job done is highest on his priority list.jobs was an autocratic leader. But sometimes he also gave preference to his employees decisions so that they feel motivated. Jobs can be described as being enthusiastic and a visionary, being impatient and having a strong will for achievement. Additionally, Jobs has taken risks and seized on opportunities many times in his career, for instance when leaving Apple (though being forced to) and leading Pixar to success, just to come back to Apple some years later and saving the day for a company in dire straits at the time. 2.8 PERSONALITY TRAITS OF STEVE JOBS Steve jobs was an innovative business leader with all the qualities that charismatic leaders have. He was goal-oriented and a man of vision. His qualities: 1) Vision and articulation: He had the ability to express his vision and ideas to others in terms that are understandable to others. 2) Personal risk: He was always willing to take personal risks and engage in self sacrifice to achieve his vision. 3) Unorthodox behavior, do things which are not considered as norms. 4) He was sensitive and responsive to others needs and feelings The most important quality about him was that he had vision with degree of clarity which was not unparalleled and ambiguous. Steve Jobs was such leader known for his highest degree of clarity in perceived vision. Walter Isaacsons biography of Apples co-founder, Steve Jobs: The exclusive biography describes Jobs as an obsessively detail-oriented man who got obsessed with the details of the design of the case for the Apple II, the shape of the windows on the Macs GUI, the colour of iMac blue in its first ad campaign, the machine having a CD slot not a tray, and the lighting at his launch keynotes As a leader, he managed his organizations human capital well. Managed his intellectual capital perfectly by giving proper direction to the knowledge assimilated in the organization in order to generate innovative ideas and develop them into final products. SUGGESTIONS Jobs have been dead for nearly a year, but the biography about him is still a bestseller. Indeed, His life story has emerged as an odd sort of Holy Scripture for entrepreneurs-a gospel and an anti-gospel at the same time. To some, Jobs life has revealed the importance of sticking Firmly to ones vision and goals, no matter the psychic toll on employees or business associates. To others, Jobs serves as a cautionary tale, a man who changed the world but at the price of alienating almost everyone around him. The divergence in these reactions is a testament to the two deep and often contradictory hungers that drive so many of us today: We want to succeed in the world of work, but we also want satisfaction in the realm of home and family. For those who, like Jobs, have pledged to put a dent in the universe, his thorny life story has forced a reckoning. Is it really worth being like Steve? Here in this article; Steve Jobs work is seen from two different perspectives: Acolyte, Rejector. Acolytes: Theyre business people who have taken the life of Steve Jobs as license to become more aggressive as visionaries, as competitors, and above all as bosses. Theyre giving themselves over to the thrill of being a general-and, at times, a dictator. Work was already the center of their lives, but Jobs story has made them resolve to double down on that choice. Rejectors: These are entrepreneurs who, on reading about Jobs since his death, have recoiled from the total picture of the man-not just his treatment of employees but the dictatorial, uncompromising way that he approached life. In one camp, Jobs has taught people that only work is the thing in this w

Attitudes Towards Women in Fragment VII of Canterbury Tales :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Attitudes Towards Women in Fragment VII of Canterbury Tales    One of the most prominent themes in Fragment VII of the Canterbury Tales is the attitudes of the pilgrims towards women. There are two distinct sides in the dispute: that women are simply objects of lust that must never be trusted, and that women are highly respectable and loving.    The Shipman's Tale starts off this debate with his depiction of women, which was less than favorable. The woman who is depicted in this tale is the wife of a merchant. She is not treated well by her husband, but certainly is not trustworthy or honorable herself. She sells her body to the best friend of her husband for a measly 100 francs. Her faithfulness to her husband was worth only a few extravagant garments for her to wear. It is her greed for these material goods that drives her into cuckolding her unsuspecting husband. Her worldly desires are more important than her marriage, and in the end she is hardly punished at all. She does manage to keep her husband from finding out, by saying that the Monk was simply repaying his debt and she used the money to buy some clothes. So, she gets away with a crime that would have dealt her a far greater punishment. This outcome, while it certainly wasn't perfect for the wife, was much less than she deserved.    The Prioress steps in with the next tale, and takes a much different view. The Prioress herself is a very humble and well-mannered woman, as she is described in the General Prologue. She is also extremely compassionate towards all of God's creatures. Her tale is a tribute to the greatest woman of all, the Virgin Mary. While it is a tribute to the Virgin, the focus of the story is more on the little boy and his widowed mother. The mother is greatly distressed at her son's disappearance, and is eventually led by Jesus himself to the place where her son has been tossed. The idea that Jesus himself was consorting with this woman and answering her prayers makes a strong statement. Jesus certainly would not aid an evil person, so this widow must have been virtuous and humble.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 23

I couldn't stay in my bedroom after that, not after seeing two angels die – one physically and one spiritually. I had to get out of there, out of the apartment. None of the others seemed to notice or care that I fled. With Nyx captured, there were bigger things to worry about in the universe than one distraught succubus. I'd been driving in the car for about ten minutes before I realized where I was going. Dante's. Vincent's talk about the evil charm suddenly seemed unimportant. What I needed right now was to talk to someone about what I'd seen. Seth wouldn't entirely understand, and besides, matters still weren't fixed between us. Discussing serious things with the vampires was hard for me sometimes. I was still mad at Hugh. I wouldn't bother Erik since he was still recovering. Dante was all I had left. He opened the door to his store after I banged on it for about five minutes. The messy hair and wrinkled clothing showed me that I'd woken him again. He looked annoyed, as usual, when I walked inside. â€Å"Didn't it work? I told you – † He took a closer look at me. â€Å"What happened?† I staggered to one of the chairs and collapsed into it, hands resting on the side of my forehead. I could have been a mirror of Yasmine. I opened my mouth to speak, to explain what had happened†¦but no words came out. He knelt beside me. â€Å"Succubus. You're freaking me out here. What happened?† I stared blankly at him for several seconds before finally focusing on his concerned face. â€Å"She fell.† â€Å"Huh? Nyx?† â€Å"No†¦Yasmine.† â€Å"Who?† My eyes went unfocused again as I remembered that black flame. The horrible sound. Blinking, I tried to shake it off and turn my attention to Dante. â€Å"She's an angel. Was an angel. Maybe she still is. I don't know. Fuck, I don't know. I don't know what she is.† He reached out and gripped my arms, shaking me slightly to get my attention again. â€Å"Look, you're losing me. I don't know how an angel falling ties into Nyx. If it ties into Nyx. You've gotta calm down and start from the beginning. Take a deep breath.† I did. â€Å"Now another.† I did. â€Å"Now talk.† I did. It was hard at first, and I had a few false starts. Finally, however, I was able to back up and explain the cast of angels to Dante. The story slowly spilled from my lips, and I told him all about what had happened: Nyx's capture, Joel's death, and Yasmine's fall. He kept his hands on my arms when I finished, and I later realized it was to steady me. I was shaking. Several quiet minutes passed as we sat there. He exhaled at last and shook his head. â€Å"Fuck, succubus. That's a lot for one night. Even for you.† He touched my chin with his hand and tilted my face up. â€Å"But you know angels fall. You know they still fall. All the time.† â€Å"But I've never seen it,† I whispered. â€Å"In all this time†¦ I've never known anyone who was an angel and then became a demon. All the demons I know†¦well, they've always been demons. I never saw them when they were angels.† â€Å"First time for everything.† I met his eyes. â€Å"But I liked her.† I expected some comment like, â€Å"Bad things happen to good people.† Instead, he just shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry.† I swallowed back tears – I'd already cried enough tonight – and leaned forward, resting my head against his chest, just as I had the other night. He ran a hand down my hair and rocked me. â€Å"What hope is there?† I asked. â€Å"If even angels fall, what hope is there for the rest of us?† â€Å"There isn't,† he said. â€Å"We're on our own. And we have to make the choices we think are best for our own survival. If your angel friend had been thinking like that, she wouldn't have fallen.† â€Å"But that's the thing†¦angels don't think about themselves, right? They're selfless.† â€Å"Maybe,† he said doubtfully. â€Å"She let things get that far with the nephilim†¦that wasn't really selfless. Now they're both fucked, and we've got another member in the club.† â€Å"What club?† â€Å"The club. Our club. The one for people who make one mistake and are punished forever because of it.† He paused. â€Å"It's a pretty big club.† I gently pulled out of the embrace. â€Å"What did you do?† â€Å"Hmm?† â€Å"Your one mistake. Vincent found the charm†¦he said it was horrible. Black magic. He said you had to have done something really bad to make it.† Dante's eyes were sad as he regarded me. â€Å"You really want to know?† I nodded. â€Å"No. You don't. Right now, for the first time, you're talking to me like maybe I'm not the biggest asshole on earth. I tell you the truth†¦and you'll lose all respect for me.† â€Å"I won't. I'll respect you more.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"People always say noble things in hypothetical situations. ‘I'd never cheat on my spouse.' ‘I'd return the million dollars that I found on the street.' It's bullshit.† â€Å"It's not,† I argued. â€Å"I respect the truth.† â€Å"But you won't like it. Why do you think I didn't kiss you that day outside Erik's? I joke about wanting to sleep with you – hell, I do want to sleep with you – but if we'd done it, you'd have felt how little energy I really have.† â€Å"I buy the low energy thing, but I still want to know the story behind it.† His eyes narrowed in frustration. â€Å"Look, succubus. I don't even think I could tell the story if I wanted to. It's too hard.† His comment about kissing suddenly inspired me. â€Å"Can you show me?† â€Å"What?† I moved toward him. â€Å"Kiss me. I can hardly get any energy from you, but if you open yourself to the memory, I should be able to feel pieces of it.† I hoped that was true, at least. While my lovers' thoughts and feelings came through to me during sex, it wasn't exactly a system we could control. I couldn't summon up specific things. Usually what I felt was whatever the guy was thinking about just then. More often than not, it was amazement or perhaps a guilty conscience over the lover he was cheating on. But maybe†¦maybe if Dante was specifically thinking of whatever he had done, it would come through. It was worth a shot. I leaned closer to him. He didn't move, so I went in all the way and kissed him. Initially, it was just a kiss – all physical. Gradually, I started to get a bit of his life force – but it was just like he'd said. His soul was too dark. The life energy that flowed into me was barely a trickle. It was only a few drops, like a leaking faucet. Then†¦once I'd assessed the energy, I felt something else. I felt his soul – felt why it was so black, so devoid of the shining life most humans had. That blackness began pouring into me, that sickening and oozing evil†¦and there, behind it, was despair and anger and hopelessness and frustration. It was nauseating. Blackness and blood. I wanted to pull away, but I had to see what he was hiding. The memory came through to me in disjointed images, but I was able to piece them together and form a narrative. I saw a sister. Older than him by ten years. She'd taken care of him throughout his childhood – both in a motherly way and as an instructor. She was a psychic too. She'd taught him how to harness his power, to tap the magic of the world that was unseen to most humans. She had been powerful, but he was even stronger. It hadn't been enough, though. He'd wanted more than to simply control his power – he'd wanted to enhance it. But as Hugh and Vincent had told me, few humans were born with the magnitude of power that he'd craved. So, he'd taken it. Ripped it out. From her. I saw his face when he killed her, felt his pain as the dagger touched her throat. She was half-mother and half-sister to him, but he stole her life anyway. And with that act, his power had grown by magnitudes – both because he'd gained hers and because of the spell involved. The blood of the innocent always brings power, and the black magic intertwined in this death brought it in spades. It had left him feeling like a god. And wishing he were dead. He'd damned himself. He still loved the power, still loved wielding it†¦but after killing his sister, he'd hated himself. He'd withdrawn from the world, trying to bury his memories in drugs and alcohol, only occasionally using his powers for small, nickel-and-dime con jobs. I broke the kiss, not wanting to see or feel anymore. If we went further, I'd probably see what he had to do to make the charm. It wouldn't be as bad as what he'd done to his sister, but I was through with all this. Wide-eyed, I scooted away from him on the floor. â€Å"She was Erik's lover,† I said softly. I'd had a brief glimpse of Tanya – that was her name – and Erik together. â€Å"She was the woman in the picture. That's why he hates you.† Dante nodded. â€Å"The three of us†¦we were going to do great things. We were all so fucking talented, you know?† He rested a hand on his head, eyes full of grief. â€Å"Unsurprisingly, Erik chose to end our friendship after this. He wanted to kill me†¦he should have. He really should have. But, well. He's not that kind of guy.† â€Å"No,† I agreed, voice cold. â€Å"He's not.† I stood up and backed away from Dante, who was still sitting on the floor. He looked up and realized what I was doing. The miserable face turned angry. â€Å"Leaving so soon?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well. Thanks for stopping by. And thanks for proving me right.† â€Å"About†¦?† He threw his hands in the air. â€Å"This. I told you you'd hate me.† â€Å"I don't – † I stopped. I did hate him. I couldn't help it, not after seeing how much he and his sister had loved each other. Not after realizing how much this must have hurt Erik. â€Å"Dante†¦what you did†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Was a mistake. One I would take back if I could. One mistake to damn me forever. Just like your angel friend. Just like you.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It's not the same. Yasmine fell because of love.† â€Å"She fell because of selfishness,† he argued. â€Å"But I won't challenge that point. Tell me about you. Did you fall because of love?† I didn't say anything. I'd fallen because of lust. I'd cheated on my husband because I was hurt and lonely and bored and†¦well, because I could. Dante regarded me sharply. â€Å"You see? I get it. You fucked up too. I understand you – you're not going to find too many people who do. I bet your boyfriend doesn't.† â€Å"He accepts me.† â€Å"But does he understand? Have you ever told him in painstaking detail what you did?† â€Å"No, but it doesn't matter.† Dante stood up and approached me. â€Å"It does matter! Being with him is a joke. It can't work. I'm not saying you have some great romantic future with me either, but at the very least, you should stick with people who know where you've come from.† â€Å"Right. Hanging out with you means I'd just drink and hate life.† â€Å"Your point?† â€Å"Seth makes me hope for better things. Makes me want to be better.† â€Å"But there's no point!† exclaimed Dante. â€Å"Why don't you get that? Things can't change for you. Even your own fucking palms say so.† â€Å"No†¦Nyx said†¦Nyx said the dream could come true. The man in the dream – â€Å" † – was her scamming you. You would have fallen for it, too, if your angel hadn't fallen first.† I clenched my teeth. â€Å"Her dreams are true. Seth and I – â€Å" † – are going to get married? Run off into the sunset? Have babies? Succubus! Wake up!† Dante was shouting, his face inches from mine. â€Å"It can't happen. Not for you. Maybe it can for him – but not with you. Every day you spend with him just ensures his life is going to be as empty and meaningless as yours.† â€Å"That's not true!† I screamed. â€Å"We're happy. We're going to be happy together, and I don't care if you don't believe me. I'm never going to see or speak to you again. I know why Erik hates you, and I hate you too.† I kicked the door open. â€Å"You deserve to burn in Hell.† I left him, but I still couldn't make myself go home. With nothing else to do, I simply found a twenty-four-hour diner and drank coffee, pointedly ignoring anyone who talked to me. I watched the sun come up over the Olympic Mountains and finally went to work when the bookstore opened. I helped out with the last-minute Christmas rush, doing mindless and mechanical tasks. We were closing early that day, and everyone was finishing up their shopping. It was hectic and crazy, but it gave my zombie-like body something to do. When we closed, it was nearly time for me to take Maddie to the airport. She needed a few more Christmas purchases herself and asked if I'd swing downtown with her. After witnessing the death of an angel, shopping seemed like the most trivial thing in the world. Still†¦I had nothing else to do, so I agreed. I probably would have agreed to anything. Downtown Seattle was decked out in its Christmas finery, with lights and wreaths strung along the shopping nexus that centered around Fourth Avenue. At four in the afternoon, it was already dark outside. Rain pounded down on the pavement, the kind of torrential downpour most people believed we had year-round. Really, it only rained in the winter, and that was usually a drizzly type. This heavy stuff was a rare event, as though perhaps the heavens mourned Joel's passing. Through a window, I watched the rain and pedestrians fighting with umbrellas while Maddie searched in Banana Republic for something for her sister. I'd half-heartedly looked for a present for Seth, but my motivation eventually faded, and anyway, there was no way to compete with the ring. I still wore it around my neck. It felt heavy today. Along with my grief over what had happened to Yasmine, I still kept thinking about Nyx. In particular, I kept thinking about what she'd said to me. The man in the dream. Who was the man in the dream? The question consumed me, as futile as it was. I kept repeating Dante's words, trying to tell myself it didn't matter – that the whole thing had been a hoax. But that dark silhouette still haunted my mind's eye, and some part of me believed that if I knew his identity, then maybe it could all be real. â€Å"Georgina?† I turned from the rainy street and saw Vincent standing in front of me. Beyond him, a preoccupied Maddie flipped through a rack of cardigans. I'd thought he looked grief-stricken in my apartment, but that was nothing compared to what I saw now. His face was pinched and pale. His eyes were glassy and red, but whether from crying or lack of sleep, I couldn't say. Probably both. He handed me my apartment key. â€Å"Just wanted to give this back.† I took it. â€Å"You didn't need to find me for that. You could have left it.† â€Å"Yeah.† He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. â€Å"I guess I just†¦wanted to talk to someone.† â€Å"Have you, um, seen Yasmine?† He shook his head. â€Å"Nope. I don't know what happened to her. I mean, I know†¦she's off somewhere in Hell. Maybe they have orientation or something. I don't know. Whatever it is, it must be awful. And it's my fault.† â€Å"It's not,† I said automatically. â€Å"It was her choice.† â€Å"She did it for me, though.† â€Å"It doesn't matter why. The point is that she did it willingly. It isn't your place to question the decisions she makes.† As the words left my mouth, I had a total holy shit moment. I was saying exactly what everyone had been telling me about Seth. I was saying exactly what Seth himself had been telling me for so long. â€Å"I guess. I don't know.† He sighed. â€Å"It's so fucking stupid too. All these years, we've been so cautious to stay at arm's length, so she wouldn't fall. We were so good – holding back from what we wanted. And then, we get the same results from a stupid moment of confusion and passion. It just happened so fast, you know? I acted to protect her, she acted to protect me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off and looked as though he might weep. I kind of felt like that myself. It's a pretty big club, Dante had said. â€Å"But†¦if she's already fallen†¦well. Maybe you guys can be together now.† Vincent shook his head and gave me a small smile that made him look sadder than when he hadn't been smiling. â€Å"I don't know. I don't even know if she'll meet with me now. Something tells me she won't want me to see her like that.† â€Å"And how do you feel?† â€Å"I love her unconditionally†¦or, well, at least†¦I loved Yasmine the angel unconditionally. She's not that woman anymore. I mean, she may hate what's happened†¦she may be miserable. But eventually, she'll settle in. They always do. And then she'll be one of them. She won't be the same Yasmine, and I don't know if I can love her or if she can love me. Part of what made her such a great person was that she resisted that temptation†¦and I think she felt the same about me.† I forgot Vincent for a moment as my attention turned inward, toward my own situation. Again, it was like Seth and me, I realized. The continual tension in our arrangement was a pain, yet the morals it was based on were part of what attracted us. He might have said he was okay with us not having sex, but I think some part of him loved me because of my continual refusal to give in to that. Likewise, I loved his stead-fastness – not only in abstaining from me but from other lovers as well. It was part of what had made the fight so shocking. I didn't expect him to be weak. And yet†¦even if we admired each other for our principles, was it worth it? And had that really been weakness on his part? Vincent and Yasmine had been together much longer than Seth and I had, torturing themselves in the same way. In the end, it had done them no good. Things had unfolded as they had. â€Å"Star-crossed love isn't as glamorous as it seems,† Vincent said, perhaps guessing my thoughts. â€Å"I never believed it was.† â€Å"Sometimes I think†¦well, maybe it would have been better if she and I had never been together at all. These years have been wonderful†¦but well, she'd still be the woman I loved if I'd never gotten involved.† I didn't know about that. Surely, brief moments of joy were worth the pain that might follow? Wasn't that why I was with Seth, despite knowing he'd eventually die? Maybe Seth had been right about taking chances. Life was short. Maybe you needed to seize what good you could. It was all so confusing, and all of a sudden, I wanted to talk to Seth about all of this – about living life and taking risks, about what made us love one another, and about what made our relationship worth fighting for. I didn't want to make the mistakes Yasmine and Vincent had. Seth and I needed to sit down with open minds and make this thing with us work. â€Å"What are you going to do now?† I asked Vincent. I didn't think now was the best time to argue relationship philosophy with him. He gestured vaguely behind him. â€Å"Leave town. Even being masked, I know they're looking for me. I need to hide out somewhere.† I nodded. I was sad to see him go, but I knew what the other angels and demons would do if they found him. So, I wished him well and shared a brief hug before he departed. As I watched him leave, I again pondered the cautionary tale he represented. Growing anxious, I hoped this airport trip would go quickly so that I could call Seth. Wandering to the other side of the store, I found Maddie paying for her purchases. â€Å"Who was that guy?† she asked me, handing over her credit card. â€Å"He was cute. Bedraggled†¦but cute.† â€Å"He's had a long day,† I told her. And a long eternity to go. â€Å"He's just a friend.† â€Å"Is he single?† I thought about it. â€Å"Yeah, I guess he is.† While I waited for her, I looked over at a nearby mirror. Maddie was still going strong with her new cute and stylish self. She'd gotten a haircut too, the layering of which made her face appear delicate and lovely. The slacks and sweater, though simple, looked sleek and elegant on her. By contrast, I looked kind of like the ugly stepsister. Oh, I still had the nice figure and pretty face born of shape-shifting, but I'd thrown on jeans and an old coat, not really concerned with high fashion today. I also hadn't bothered to shape-shift my hair. I'd simply brushed it into a high ponytail. Most telling of all was my face. I wore as much grief as Vincent. There was a hollowness to my eyes that startled me. It counteracted all the other beauty of my features. Glancing back at Maddie, I realized she was the hot one today. When we finally hit the road to the airport, traffic was as horrible as I'd expected. I-5 was at a standstill, and with my luck lately, there was probably an accident up ahead to compound the rush hour and holiday mess. Sighing, I settled back into my seat. â€Å"Okay,† I told Maddie, desperately needing distraction. â€Å"What's the report? What adventurous things have you done? I'm pretty sure you've more than met your quota.† â€Å"Well,† she began. â€Å"There's the new clothes, of course. You've seen a lot of them, and I own more lingerie than I ever have in my life. I was always kind of afraid of it, but there's so much cute stuff out there, you know?† â€Å"Yup. I sure do.† â€Å"I got a bunch of high heels too. I'm still kind of learning to walk in them, but I'm doing okay, I think.† She groaned and looked like the snarky feminist writer she was. â€Å"I feel like†¦well, like a girl.† I smiled and looked at the cars ahead of me. All the variables were in place for an accident, so I had to be careful. In this kind of stop and go, people tended to cease paying attention and fall into a lull. That was how cars got rear-ended. It was also an oddity that Seattle drivers had trouble driving in the rain. â€Å"You seemed fine in the heels to me. What else have you done? Other than shopping?† â€Å"I signed up for a judo class.† â€Å"You did not.† â€Å"I so did,† she said, laughing. â€Å"It was the craziest class I could think of. Besides, I can finally get back at Doug after all those years he used to pull my hair.† â€Å"Well-deserved,† I said. I moved over to the farthest lane, with the futile hope that it might move a fraction faster. â€Å"Anything else?† â€Å"Mmm†¦well. I started looking for my own place.† â€Å"That's a good idea.† â€Å"And checking out flights to some places I've always wanted to see.† â€Å"Another good idea.† â€Å"And I slept with Seth.† I nearly drove into the median. â€Å"What?† I said, jerking the wheel back to my own lane. Maddie had her hands stretched out protectively. â€Å"Did you say Seth?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Seth Mortensen?† She sounded incredulous. â€Å"Of course. Who else?† It was one of those things that was so ludicrous, I couldn't even fully react. It was like saying, â€Å"Hey, did you notice the earth just exploded?† It wasn't real because all the rest of the data in your known world said it was impossible. My brain wasn't going to bother processing it yet. Wasted cells. â€Å"How†¦I mean, what†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I shook my head. â€Å"Explain.† I could see by her face that she was dying to. This was what had been bursting in her in my office yesterday. â€Å"Well, two nights ago, I ran back to the bookstore after closing because I'd left something. I saw Seth out in the parking lot. He'd been out somewhere and was coming back to get his car.† â€Å"Somewhere† was my apartment. That had been the night of the fight. â€Å"Anyway,† she continued. â€Å"He looked kind of down, and I remembered what you'd said about taking risks. Plus, he still owed me the date, right? So, I asked him out for a drink, and he said sure.† I tried not to drive into the median again. â€Å"He didn't drink, did he?† â€Å"No, not alcohol. But we stayed out really late, and we had a great time. You can't even imagine how great he is to talk to. He comes across as shy, but once you get to know him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She sighed happily. â€Å"He thinks like I do too†¦wants to do all sorts of things, go places†¦Anyway, the place finally closed, and he asked if I wanted to go hang out at his place for a while.† I couldn't even look at her now. â€Å"Seth†¦asked you back to his place?† â€Å"Well, if we went back to mine, we'd have to hang out with Doug, and we just wanted to talk more. And we did†¦except, well, after a while†¦we stopped talking. And one thing kind of led to another.† She exhaled, like she still couldn't believe it herself. â€Å"I never do things like that. Not so soon. But, well, he's a nice guy, you know? And I wanted to do something adventurous†¦Ã¢â‚¬  No, no, no. This really wasn't happening. This was a dream. This was Nyx getting back at me for not helping her. She was sending me a nightmare, one I hoped I'd wake up from soon. I didn't realize how long I'd been quiet until Maddie hesitantly asked, â€Å"Georgina? You still with me? You don't think†¦you don't think I was too easy, do you?† There was fear in her voice, fear of my disappointment and disapproval. â€Å"Huh? No†¦no†¦of course not.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"So, um, it was good?† â€Å"Oh, yeah!† She gave a nervous giggle. â€Å"I can't believe I'm even talking about this. But, yeah, Seth's a great lover. He's really attentive.† â€Å"Yeah, I imagine he would be.† â€Å"God, I can't believe this happened.† That made two of us. â€Å"What's going to happen now? Was it†¦a fling?† After all, what else could it be? Seth was with me, right? I had no reason to be upset. I'd given him the go-ahead to get sex elsewhere. In fact†¦I had told him to that night. If he wanted to sleep with her, that was fine. But obviously, it meant nothing. It had to be a fling, right? Right? â€Å"I don't know,† she admitted. â€Å"I hope not. I really like him†¦and it was so great. I feel like we really connected†¦like the auction hadn't just been because he felt sorry for me. He said he would call and we'd go out again sometime.† Once more, she turned timid and unsure. â€Å"You don't think†¦you don't think he's the kind of guy who'd just say something like that and not mean it, do you?† She was the Maddie I'd known before, the one who looked up to me and wanted my guidance. The one who didn't trust men. I stared ahead and decided maybe the heavens were weeping for me now. After several moments, I finally said, â€Å"No, Maddie. If he says he wants to go out, he means it. That's the kind of guy he is.†

Personal Philosophy of Leadership

Personal Philosophy of Leadership Being a leader is more than simply holding a leadership position or having the ability to lead. Everyone is capable of being a leader, but not everyone exercises his or her leadership abilities. Each person’s idea of leadership is different. My idea of leadership has developed over time, and being a member of the President’s Leadership Class has helped me develop my philosophy of leadership further than what it was two months ago. My personal philosophy of leadership is the ability to effect change through leading by example, taking initiative, and encouraging others.There have been many things that have affected my philosophy of leadership. Something that has affected me as a leader is my values. One of my core values is responsibility. As a leader, it is important I understand what to do and what is expected of me. When I am responsible as a leader, those I am trying to lead are more willing to do what I ask them to do. Another of my values is respect. In the past, I am always nice and listen to the ideas of others even if they are not the easiest people to be around. In my experience, it has been easier to earn the respect of my constituents when I respect them as well.My core beliefs will continue to influence my behavior as a leader in the future. The development of my leadership philosophy has also been a result of watching my leaders. One leader that has affected me a lot has been my father. When my mom was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease, he did all he could to help out. He took constant care of my mom, continued to work from home, and helped me with school without ever complaining. I try to behave as he did in my leadership roles. I do everything willingly and help out as much as I can.I aim to keep negativity out of already stressful situations and try not to complain. My leaders at school, both good and bad, have also affected my style of leadership. They helped me learn when I need to sit ba ck and let those I am trying to lead take charge and when I need to take charge of the situation. Watching the bad leaders do things I did not agree with encouraged me to challenge to process and change things when I became a leader. There have also been people who have motivated me to be a leader, especially my high school orchestra director.At the end of my junior year, my director called me into his office and told me he would be moving me from the first violin section to the second violin section. He said he knew I was quiet in the back of the first violin section, but he could see I possessed the leadership skills necessary to sit in the front of the second violin section. This really motivated me to try and make him proud the next year at the front of the section. Many different aspects of my life have affected my leadership philosophy. I want others to be able to see my leadership philosophy at work.To do this, it is important that I be able to connect with those I seek to le ad, as â€Å"The Relational Leadership Model† states, â€Å"Relationships are the focal point of the leadership process† (Komives, Lucas, & McMahon, p. 74). One way I hope to develop a relationship with my followers is by â€Å"Modeling the Way† (Kouzes, Posner, 2008). I will do this by clarifying my values and leading by example. Clarifying values is important because â€Å"To earn and sustain personal credibility, one must be able to clearly articulate deeply held beliefs† (Kouzes, Posner, 2008, p. 9). By clarifying my values, those I seek to lead will understand my mission and will believe I have a goal in mind. Leading by example will help me have a better relationship with my followers because it creates â€Å"a climate that makes it possible for everyone to align themselves with shared values† (Kouzes, Posner, 2008, p. 38). When leaders do not practice what they preach they loose their credibility, and I want my followers to be able to ta ke me seriously. I would like my followers to be able to connect with me and to align their values with mine.Through â€Å"Modeling the Way†, I want to be able to have a good relationship with my followers. My philosophy of leadership will also affect my future as a leader. I will place an emphasis on my values because â€Å"a conscious focus on values should be at the core of any leadership development effort† (Cilente, p. 45). One of my future principles I lead with will be to make sure everyone in the organization’s values align with mine. How would I be able to make any process when everyone in the group wants something else?This is something I had never considered before being a member of the President’s Leadership Class. The President’s Leadership Class has helped influence my philosophy of leadership. I have learned my strengths and weaknesses of leadership through the class. After doing my first reflection paper, I learned that my weakest a rea of leadership is â€Å"Inspiring a Shared Vision. † This helped shape my leadership philosophy by making me realize the importance of sharing my aspirations with the group. I have learned that I need to be louder with my thoughts. This is one area I intend to improve on n my future as a leader. I plan on doing this through practice. I may be uncomfortable at first, but, eventually, it will come naturally to me. The Social Change Model of Leadership says, â€Å"A leader is not necessarily a person who holds some formal position of leadership or who is perceived as a leader by others†¦Leadership cannot be described simply in terms of the behavior of the individual† (Komives, Wagner, p. 45). My definition of leadership is the ability to create a positive change in society and be able to get others excited to see that change.I want to be the embodiment of that definition to others. When others look at me, I want them to be able to say I set an example, have clear attainable views, and make everyone feel like they are contributing to the organization. My personal philosophy of leadership is very important to how I conduct myself as a leader. It has taken years to develop to what it is today and it is constantly changing. Many aspects of my life have affected my philosophy of leadership from my values, to leaders in my life, and people who have motivated me. I will continue to develop my leadership with philosophy as I go through new leadership experiences.References Komives, Susan R. , Lucas, Nance, & McMahon, Timothy R. (2006). Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference. Jossey-Bass. Komives, Susan R. , & Wagner, Wendy. (2009). Leadership for a Better World: Understanding the Social Change Model of Leadership Development. John Wiley & Sons. Kouzes, James M. , & Posner, Barry Z. (2008). The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders. San Francisco, California. Jossey-Bass.