Exam 1 - Avengers

"Leadership is not about being appreciated, it's about responsibility." It doesn't matter that the burden is heavy it matters that you carry it" - Master Splinter to Leonardo

Transformational Leader: Leonardo Have you ever been concerned about going out at night? Intimidated by a certain part of town because you feel it’s unsafe? Now there is no need to fear with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles around! These fearless turtles are led by a great leader known as Leonardo.

When Leo says he and his turtles will get something done, they do it as a team. Like when the Foot Soldiers tried to contaminate the city water and poison the whole city, Leo and his team came in just on time and sent those Foot Soldiers running back to Shredder! The reason Leonardo is such a great leader is because of his ability to look at what the team needs and not just what he needs for his own personal gain. He also knows his role as the leader and that is having high expectations for the team and always improving himself so he can be a better Ninja Turtle! I think it’s safe to say that we will never have to sleep with one eye open as long as Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are around!

PROTECTOR: He has this massive shell that protects himself and protects his fellow turtles from harm.

STRENGTH: His muscles showcase how physically strong he is which lets his team know they are safe when they are around him.

BRAINS: Leo is a very intellectual turtle. He understands his role as the leader and knows what it takes to help the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles succeed. He is always thinking of a plan and what to do to benefit the team.

SMILE: Although it isn’t shown here, Leonardo has a smile that is contagious and it comforts his fellow turtles and lets them know that he is approachable.

STABILITY: His legs show stability and that he always stand for what he believes in.

What makes Leonardo a Transformational Leader?

What is a Servant Leader?

Do your team’s members see you as a member of the team but still respect and listen to you? Do you strive to motivate your team by using empowerment, purpose, and perfectibility? Then you my friend are a servant leader, one who serves the team first before seeking to lead it. If this may confuse you at first don’t worry, I, master splinter, am here to explain the three main parts of a servant leader.

There are three main categories a servant leader that I myself use for my turtles to motivate them.

The first is empowerment. To motivate through empowerment is to allow your team’s members to share their opinions and ideas and allow them to try and maybe make mistakes in the process. You must also always be making observations and making improvements to add to the value of this team.

I always allow my turtles to try things their way even if I disagree with their methods. It is important as a servant leader to shape your team’s members into leaders of their own. One day my i wont be here and I need my turtles to be able to take care of themselves. The next category is purpose. Everyone has that inner drive, that purpose that compels them to do what their doing. A servant leader must always remind his/her team’s members what their purpose is, to tap into the part of them that is most alive. When I remind my turtles of their true purpose for fight evil it opens them up and they work as a collective group and not as individuals. The last category is perfectibility. Motivation through perfectibility requires the servant leader to create an environment and improvements that innovate and tap into the members drive for perfection. These innovations create a healthy collaborative environment. It’s like i always teem my turtles, “All of you, are smarter than one of you.” though sometimes Donatello disagrees, but even that shows you it is always a work in progress. When Shredder's foot soldiers captured me my turtles had to work on their own to come up with a plan to rescue me and face shredder. My role as a servant leader shaped them to be their own individual leaders and work better as a team. There is not a time limit on creating a healthy team that works together these practices must always be put in use to create a truly great team like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Self-Regulation with Raphael Raphael isn’t the type to hold anything back. He’s the kind of turtle that will always speak his mind. Some people would see that and think “Man I really wish that guy would keep his opinions to himself.” But Raph is doing a good thing by creating an environment with open communication. It may feel uncomfortable at times, but it allows all the turtles to give their ideas and opinions on things like, “What should we do to take down Shredder?” or “What toppings should we get on our pizza?” One thing that Raphael could improve on with his self-regulation is his temper.

He has been known to be a hot head at times and try to do things on his own. But we all know the only way the turtles can complete their assignment is if they stick together and stay calm and collected! How

Enhance Your Social Skill With MICHELANGELO! Alright dudes and dudettes in order to be a great leader you have to have some rad social skills. Social skills isn’t just about talking to people, it’s about building networks and relationships and managing them. The first characteristics of leaderships that were talked about in this magazine all play an important part in social skill. In order to establish efficient relationships you have to know yourself and your own emotions and empathize with others as talked about in selfawareness. Even motivation plays a part in social skills because when one is always optimistic it can be contagious. Take me for example, my brothers might think that I’m goofy and don’t take anything seriously but my crazy mood always brings a smile to my brother’s faces even in the darkest of times. Social skill is an important characteristic in leaders because no man is an island, or what I prefer to think of it as is no man is a whole pizza. A leader’s job is to manage and get work done through other people and build relationships and empathizing with them to create a productive environment where that is possible. When you relate it to pizza one slice of pizza is like a leader, you can have that one slice but you’d rather have the whole thing, just like you can have just an efficient leader but you’d rather have a whole team. Social skill helps build environments and networks where teams can thrive.

Donatello on Self-Awareness Our journalists here are TMNT caught up with the well known Ninja Turtle Donatello to get his quote on some leadership characteristics and why he thinks they’re important. Here’s what he had to say: “First off thanks so much guys for having me here. Let me just dive in with self-awareness. From my research and personal experience i’ve learned that self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your moods, emotions, and drives, as well as their effect on others. A person who is self-aware knows what their strengths and weaknesses are. They are confident in what they know they can do and aren’t afraid to admit what they struggle in and when they’re wrong. When I think of a person who is self-aware I think of my brother Leo. He is always confident and full of hope but he knows when he is wrong and isn’t afraid to admit it. Being the smart one it is hard for me to be like Leo and admit when I’m wrong. I know that i’ m good at fighting and I’m very intelligent, way above average for a turtle, but even I am wrong sometimes and since everyone is looking to me for facts its hard to admit when that happens because I feel like i’ve failed my team. Being self-aware is important in a leader because people tend to follow those who are confidant and not afraid to admit their weaknesses, also leaders are required to make decisions and that will be easier for a person who is aware of their own skills as well as others. Some tips on becoming more self-aware starts with trust. I have to trust my brothers won’t be disappointed in me if I admit that I was wrong, so you have to start to trust your team members to be able to be open with them. Another tip is to become aware of your own emotions and moods and how they affect those around you. Make observations on yourself and others and be honest with yourself. Just remember these ideas and you will be on your way to become more self-aware.

Goodluck and cowabunga dudes!!!!

-Donatello from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

What kind of leader are you?

Mostly RED You are a transformational leader; Like Leonardo you possess traits like Good judgment and Communication

You are very confident.

skills, Competence or knowledge, and interpersonal skills

You have an easy time putting yourself in others shoes.

and Confidence. You are the stereotypical leader.

You are very committed to the growth of others.

You find it easy to communicate with others.

You consider yourself an optimist.

You are willing to listen to others thoughts and opinions.

You don’t external motivation to get things done.

You hold yourself accountable when things go wrong.

You find it easy to persuade others.

Mostly BLUE You are an Emotionally Intelligent leader; When you look at the turtles as a team you notice that they are an emotionally intelligent team. You possess the traits seen in all the turtles making you an emotionally intelligent leader. Some examples of these traits are Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation and Empathy.

Mostly GREY You are a Servant Leader; Like Master Splinter you possess traits such as being a good listener, feeling empathy, healing, awareness for others, feeling free to build communities, etc

Dear April,

Ask April

I recently became the manager of a huge corporation and it’s extremely stressful. I want to make the best decisions for my team but i’m having trouble with coming up with new ideas that will help the company grow. I dont know who to go to for help and i think my team is starting to notice. I don’t know what to do or who to go to. Please help me!

-Emily Hello Emily, Your position is very tough and stressful. Although others are depending on you, you need others to help make decisions. You need empowerment, which is having a level of control as a manager but also being engaged with your team. You have control but the best ideas come from the individuals who are doing the work. Try to do some rapid improvement events and PDCA (Plan Do Check Act) suggestion systems. By involving others in your decision making you will inpower your employees and allow them to feel involved and valued in the team. Remember that empowerment is key to becoming a manager. Best wishes =) -April

Dear April, I just opened my own bakery about 1 month ago but my business isn’t where i want it to be. We dont have enough customers daily and my employees are still struggling with learning how to bake. Yesterday one of my employees, Tom, burnt the cupcakes and we had to start all over! I just want my team to be perfect already! Please help me create a perfect business with a perfect team =(.

-Tori Hello Tori, I understand your current situation. It is very hard to start a business but you concurred that! You are the owner of this bakery and you just want the best for your company, but perfection takes time and patience and even then, mistakes will be made. You need perfectibility Try not to think of perfection as a destination, but more as a journey. Let your employees know that you believe in them and encourage them to improve. Focus on pleasing the customers and striving for improvement. You are a great owner but try not to rush into the act of being perfect, just keep striving to improve. =) Good luck!

-April

Dear April, I am currently a basketball coach at a nearby high school but my team is having a hard time figuring out their strengths and weaknesses. They all try to be the best at everything they do but none of them know their true gifts on the team. I think my team would be awesome if they just knew how to utilize their talents. I really want to improve each person on the team but i’m not sure what to do. Please help me April!

-Joseph Dear Joseph, I get how being a coach could cause many difficult decision. You are responsible for an entire team that wants to be successful. What you need is purpose for your team. You have the power to help each individual on that team to find their specific purpose or meaning on the team. It’s hard being on a team with so many other people and many different talent. It is important for each member to know their gifts and bring them to the team. You are a great coach and your team members will find their purpose. Good luck!

-April

Which Turtle Are You? Complete this sentence: I am... a. b. c. d.

A genius.

A Leader.

A Warrior.

A friend.

What do you fight for?

A. B. C. D.

What's the first thing you What do you do when you're afraid? do when you wake up in A. Just turn on your forcefield the morning?

B. Make a plan and get to safety A. B. C. D.

Love Honor Fun Peace

If you weren't busy saving the world, which job would you choose?

What is the strongest part of your body? A. A. B. C. D.

Mind Heart Fist Stomach

Review the day's plan C. Put on a mean face and flex Write down your dreams.

D. Laugh it off, it will pass Push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups.

Go back to sleep.

A giant rat is running your way. What

B. C. D.

Inventor Painter Sculptor Comedian

do you do?

A. B. C. D.

Bow Open your arms for a hug Salute Freak out!

What kind of silverware do you use the most?

A. B. C. D.

Chopsticks.

Fork.

Knife.

My hands!

cont.

Obviously you love your greens, but what's your favorite fruit?

A. B. C. D.

Plum Blueberry Strawberry Orange

Last, but most importantly, what is your favorite pizza topping?

A. B. C. D.

Genetically modified seaweed Peperoni Raw meat!

I don't care, as long as it's on time

Answers Mostly A’s You are Donatello. You are a genius and love to learn. Your greatest strength is your brains and love for your brothers, but you have to work on your self-awareness to admit when even you are wrong.

Mostly C’s You are Raphael. You are a fighter who cares about what they fight for, but you need to control your temper. Your rage may get out of hand sometimes and you have to regulate your emotions.

Mostly B’s You are Leonardo. You are a natural leader and

Mostly D’s

able to understand your emotions as well as

You are Michaelangelo. You always find the humor in every

others and regulate them. You motivate the

situation which brings a smile to people’s faces even in the

team and always keep them fighting toward

darkest of times. Your strength is also your weakness

what drives them. Make sure to not let you

becuase with you care-free attitude people might not take

leadership get to your head and remember that

you seriously sometimes.

you are still part of the team and must listen to what others have to say.