Week Nine: Final thought

Honestly to say, it was the most interesting ELA class I've ever taken since I entered ICU! It's because I'm interesting this field(leadership), and because our teacher was Ken:) In final post, I'd like to reflect what I learned through this class.

First of all, I really enjoyed every classes with many activities. Ken didn't take just giving lecture style, rather he gave us opportunities role-playing activity. It was interesting doing many negotiations with my section mates. I learned what is the best solutions(win-win solution) in negotiation and how to find it.
Before starting this class, I expected RW class will just focus on paper, so I was surprised and felt happy to do many activities. All of activities and lectures were connected to this class's theme: Leadership, so I could think it from various perspectives.  Since I had the experience as the leader, I could compare my act as a leader with what I learned in the class. It gave me insight and gave a chance to consider myself. In another class, I felt it's interesting but cannot think as "real" because I don't have the experience. For example, I took psychology class this term, but it's difficult to put what I learned class into my own experience. However, this class was different. I could think with a reality.

Second, about my paper, I focused on new types of leadership: social entrepreneurs. This field was interesting for me so it's glad to dig my thoughts about it. First I was afraid if I can write 2,000 words essay, but once I started writing, the number of words wasn't matter. Rather, I was struggle how to make persuasive and logical sentences. After finishing my paper, I read it again and again in order to check my bodies are supporting thesis statement. This writing RW paper improved my vocabulary and english writing skills, so I want to keep writing in English even after finishing this class.

Third, about presentation in this class. It was glad to hear my section mate's presentation! Good chances to see what others did in RW paper, and it also gave me new insight about leadership. My most regret was I couldn't make presentation with my team mates... I had a fever and I was absent the class on presentation day. But preparing with them were enjoyable and we could see similarities and differences between each fields: teachers, scientists, women, products making and social entrepreneurs. As I said my posts before, what qualities required depends on what types of organization you are leading. This was new idea for me and it will help me in the future.

Finally, I will write about blogging. I couldn't post till the dead line Ken set because of my laziness. However, I liked writing what I learned and noticed in this blog. I usually try to write my thoughts in Japanese, because writing makes my thoughts clear than just thinking. Writing as words are so important, I think. But I never tried in English and didn't have much confidence to accomplish it till the end of this class. Once I started blogging I noticed it was effective to write my thoughts English, not Japanese. When I speak English after a long time, I cannot help translating from Japanese to English about what I want to say. But after blogging, I can writhe my thoughts without translating in my brain. It made me to think things in English in my brain! So, I'd like to continue.


Thank you so much Ken, and LILTDY members! See you soon:)

Week Seven: Chapter 10

"Rather than expecting things to go right, successful leaders under these conditions(at The Edge) should be prepared for things to go wrong"

 This is the most impressive phrase I read in Chapter 10. In this chapter, the author focused on how to find creative solutions in difficult situation.

In the situation at The Edge, small fails which we don't care usually gives great damage. People are exhausted, mentally and physically, and in such a hard situation, small mistakes annoy them. To daunting the problems, leaders should be prepared what happen. Acknowledge the problem and show the creative solution to members. After reading chapter 10, I felt it must be difficult to find "creative solutions". However, according to chapter 10, it says:

"When a strategy fails, acknowledge it and find another one. When the obvious moves are exhausted, keep looking for new ones. Do not dismiss any idea, no matter how farfetched without thoroughly considering it. Think the unthinkable, and encourage others to do so as well. The unshakable belief that there is always another move will give you the energy to search for solutions, and creativity will give you the ability to find them."

Seeking solutions even though it fails many times. Just trying is worth doing. Creative ideas will come up from the various ideas no matter some of them are "farfetched". I want to keep it in my mind.

Week Six: Chapter 9

As Ken said in his blog, it was also difficult for me to image the situation Shackleton faced. If he couldn't survive such a situation, all crews and he would be died. I couldn't relate such a difficult situation with my experience. 

However, if I think it from smaller point of view, I can relate message from Shacleton's stary with my own experience. I like the phrase written in the end of the Chapter 10:

"Clearly, leaders at 'The Edge' need to be comfortable with the discomfort of risk. Unnecessary risks should be avoided, but there are times for bold moves. Understand the risks you face and evaluate them carefully. Then balance risk and return, and have the courage to step up to those calculated risks that are worth taking."

True leader is the person who can identify the difference between risk shouldn't be taken and should be taken. In addition, once you decide to take the risk, you will take it until it is accomplished. 

However, there is no one who are perfect. It is the same with the great leader. They may sometimes make the mistakes to identify should-be-taken risk. If it happens, it is the role of the leader to take responsibility. Showing your attitude to your members. And it will connect to the "trust" from members. If you avoid taking responsibility, no one won't follow you. Identifying the "risks", accomplishing them, taking responsibility, these are elements should you have as a great leader. 

Week Eight: Brent's Lecture

It was really happy to hear Brent's lecture. I was inspired by his lecture, and it gave me the opportunity to rethink about my RW paper.

Brent said there are four types of leadership: Integration, Baser, Development and Results. My type was both baser and integration, and I think it's true, however, depending on situation, my type will be different. 
I think what kinds of characteristic required is depending on what kinds of organization you are leading. For instance, teacher should be good at integrating students because without it, many problems will happen between students. Another example, if you are engineer, development skill is necessary. 
My RW paper is about "social entrepreneurs", so after finishing Brent's lecture, I filled out the paper he gave us and checked what is the type of social entrepreneurs. The result showed they are "result" seeker. Social entrepreneurs always seek their mission in order to give great impact on the society. Since their organization seeks not only their profits, but also social profit, leaders leading social business company should adhere to produce result. Without results, social business can no more be "social business". Of course other characteristic it also important to them, however, result seeking style is essential factor to be social entrepreneur.

When I was the leader of student organization, I was the type of "integration" because there were different members who have different opinion and motivation. To lead them, integration skill was necessary. I tried to talk with my members if he/she seemed to loose motivation. Also, when the problem occurred between Israelis and Palestinians, I listened both opinions and calm down them.

So, to conclude, everyone can be every types of leaders because what is needed is different from what kinds of organization you are belonging. I think in-born ability and characteristic is nothing to do with what kind of leader you are. The situation makes your ability. In other words, the position forces you to adopt to the situation you are in. 

Finally, I'd like to thank to Brent for having lecture, and thanks Ken for giving us such a good opportunity!

Week Seven: The Marshmallow Challenge

It was interesting experience I ever had in ELA, and gave me insight about leadership. Here, I'd like to analyse my role in the group and  my group's action.

My role in the group
During the challenge, I was not leader, but follower. I thought I'm not good at such kinds of activity(architecture), so I decided to follow others. However, after finishing this class, I thought this way of thinking was not proper as a leader. Leader should lead others even though he/she is not familiar with it. Here, I gave up being a leader before starting challenge! True leader is the man who can ask others if he/she doesn't know about it, then give directions to the members. It's not necessary for leaders to know everything, but management skill which can integrate member's ideas is required for great leader. 

My group's action
First, my group was afraid to make mistakes and worried about running out materials. However, after taking reflection from Rab, my team was totally changed. We no more hesitate to make mistakes and develop each seconds. We imitated the idea which was explained by Rab's video: using many marshmallow! I was so surprised how we can change after learning the idea of "Just Do It". Finally, thanks to Andy's brave action, we could build high marshmallow and pasta tower. It's so interesting and I learned the importance of taking action, rather be afraid of making mistakes.

Week Six: Introduction

171196

Moeno Kiuchi

New Leader: Social Entrepreneurs

                In recent years, the world faced significant unrest − poverty, natural disaster, wars, economic recession and other confusions. The more economic growths, the more disparity occurs between the poor and the rich. The bigger society becomes, the more people hurt the nature. To solve this tough social problems and economic challenges, it is necessary to find a new approach. Social business can be a main stream of finding solution. They seek not only their profits, but also put importance on following their missions: how to give a positive impact on society. Grameen Bank is one of the famous social ventures that lends loans to poor people in developing country to give them opportunities to get themselves out of poverty. In Japan, Daichi wo Mamoru Kai is known as a big social business company that adopts organic agriculture to Japanese farms in order to conserve environment and support Japanese farmers. Social business will be the key to make sustainable society in this difficult day and age.

                If social business can be a solution to this unrest sociaty, how can we develop it? Leaders who start breakthrough business for society are necessary to develop social business, that is, “Social entrepreneurs”. They have clear mission which can change society in positive way. To solve difficult problems which were made by human beings, social entrepreneurs should be recognized as a new leader.

The purpose of this paper will be to identify essential factors to be a social entrepreneur because it helps us to increase the number of social ventures. My research writing paper would evaluate what kind of leadership is required in social business. It will begin with overview of social business and social entrepreneurs – what is definition, when it was started, what kind of background they had. Then, it will compare with other leaders in order to distinguish the differences and identify the character of social entrepreneurs. Finally, it will analyze the cases by using companies from various fields which are giving positive impact to the society, and show how they are making important role in this world.

Social business is new trend in business field, though its impact is huge and involving many people in the society. Even though it seems current trend, however, it has the history and it was born because of necessity. In 1970’s, there was big change in the society in UK. Prime minister Margaret Thatcher cut down the money for social security system such as welfare, water service, gas system, electricity, railways, transmission system and gas system. She brought competition in the economy, so that government could cut down the budget for them. It means, not government, but private sectors have the responsibility more than before. That brought the trend to establish business which seeks profit for public government cannot do. In 1981, “Ashoka: Innovators for the Public” which purpose is to support social capital in private sector was established by William Bill Drayton, and that was thought as the beginning of social business. After that, many social entrepreneurs appeared such as Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Charles Leadbeater. Then, 10 or 20 years later, this new type of leader became more popular.

William Bill Drayton can be said as the father of social entrepreneurs because he was pioneer of social business at that time. If he was social entrepreneur, what is the definition? According to homepage of Ahoka, “social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change.” Social entrepreneurs are defined as people who have clear vision about what he/she wants to do to the society. Also, they have astonish idea for innovation which nobody could not come up with ever.

Week Five: Outline

171196

Moeno Kiuchi

LILTDY

20 Jan 2015

Social Entrepreneurs

Thesis statement: Social entrepreneurs should be a new type of leader for solving problems around the world.

Ⅰ. Introduction

 　A. Openin
　　1. Hook
　　　・What happens around the world
　　　・Social business as a new trend
　　2. Topic narrowing
　　　・Social businesses can be main stream 
　　　　of solving issues
　　3. Thesis
　　　・Social entrepreneurs should be a new type of 
　　　　leader for making sustainable society.  
 　B. Writing Plan
　　1. Purpose of paper
　　　・Identifying what skill is needed for 
　　　　social entrepreneurs  
　　2. Plan of development
　　　・First, writing about what is social 　　　
　　　　entrepreneurs.

　　　・Second, comparing with other leaders 

　　　　to identify their characters.

　　　・Third, analyzing people who gave great impact
　　　　on the society in the history.

Ⅱ. Social Entrepreneurs
　A. History and background
　　・It go back to regime of Thatcher.
　　・Not government, but society has to deal with 　
　　　social problems.
　B. Definition of social business and social 
　　 entrepreneur

Ⅲ. Compare with other leadership
　A. Business entrepreneurs vs. Social entrepreneurs
　　1. Differences
　　　・What makes business leaders and 
　　　　social entrepreneurs different?
　　　　a. Vision

　　　　　　・Social entrepreneurs have clear vision

　　　　　　　[“Social entrepreneurs should 　

　　　　　　　be visionary.”]

　 b. Profitability

　　 ・The way of thinking toward profitability is 

　　　 different

　  c. Encountering hardship

　　 ・Social entrepreneurs seem to

　　　 have shocked experiences which changed 

　　　 their life.

　  d. Innovation

　　 ・Social business should be innovative

    　　to change the society

　　　["(Social entrepreneurs) are driven 

　　　by innovation."( Linda Rottenburg)]

Ⅳ. Case analysis
　A. How do social ventures give impact
　　1. Welfare
　　　a. Kaien
　　　　・Company supports development 
　　　　　disorder people(Kaien HP). 
　　2. Supporting women into society
　　　a. Florence
　　　　・Supporting women by caring 
　　　　　their babies(Florence HP).
　　3. Education 
　　　a. Vita Beans
　　4. Environment
　　　a. Damascus Fortune

　・ Innovation driven Eco-responsive company

　　 which produces low-cost carbon

　　 nanomaterials by converting greenhouse

　　 carbon gases emitted by industrial factories.

 b. Daichi wo mamoru kai

Ⅴ. Conclusion

　A. Restatement of main thesis

　　・Social entrepreneurs should be a new type of 

　　　leader for making sustainable society.

　B. Summary

　　・Social business have the potential to solve 　　

　　　 issues around the world.

　　・Therefore, leaders in social business are the 

　　　new type of leader in 21st century.

　C. Closing