A500.1.5.RB_Hescott_John_Intellectual Perseverance

A500.1.5.RB_Hescott_John

Intellectual perseverance will help me achieve my goal of earning a Master in Business Administration – Aviation degree.  I have already encountered complications, dilemmas, and obstructions in my first week of coursework at Embry-Riddle.  I enrolled in this class with a high expectation that a critical thinking course would help get me on the right intellectual track.  Immediately, I had to deal with the fact that I would be unable to complete any coursework during the normal course of my work-day.  Our network is not up to date enough to support the ERNIE portal.  I had trouble finding the time to complete my course assignments.  Additionally, I had the dilemma of not only learning how to navigate the course work online, but needed to do it for two separate classes.  I also had difficulty getting my home printer to work during the first week of this course.  My obstacles this week are similar to a juggler that is used to juggling five balls at a time, but now to keep his job, he must learn how to juggle six.  My guiding truth and insight to this program is that although I have always desired to get a graduate degree, I am nearing a military retirement and I now need this degree to be able to continue my aviation career in the civilian sector.  I will overcome these obstacles so that my thinking may be broadened and my supervisory skills sharpened.  The goal is clear and the need is now well defined.  I am confident that once I have graduated, I will look back upon this time in my life as a difficult one that had to be endured, but ultimately lead to a fuller and deeper understanding of life itself.

My vision of a good leader is one that has several traits, along with that inexplicable charisma that translates a good leader into a superior leader.  A good leader must have the intellectual capacity combined with a visionary ability.  Can this leader combine his critical thinking skills with a vision that projects his organization into the future?  That type of vision needs to be short term, mid-term, and long term.  A good leader must have good communication skills paired with honesty.  Good writing skills or good verbal communication skills are greatly diminished if one is not perceived or known as an honest person.  He must be a good team builder along with having the ability to retain a superior team that he has assembled.  Many people can assemble a good team for a short duration, but the true test of leadership comes from the ability to retain a high quality team.  A good leader can set priorities while knowing which tasks to delegate to others that are part of his team.  Finally, a good leader can win respect from his subordinates via demonstrated results and maintaining a humbleness about himself, his accomplishments, and his organization.  A superior leader can cite accomplishments of members of his team consistently, while not pointing out his accolades to others.  These are some of the standards that I have already set for myself.  I am interested in learning if I need to expand my list.


John H2O