Utama 1

JasmineNadhira
Mr.RobLaBrie
English11
February2016
TheVisionaryLeaders:
MalalaYousafzai,WaltDisneyandSteveJobs
Leadership.Itisaqualitythatmanypeoplespeakhighlyof,corporatebusinessesseek
out,andeducationalorganizationsattempttobuild.Thoughheldinpraiseandviedbymany,
leadershipissomethingthatisnoteasilyachieved.Asonefamousanonymousquotegoes,
leadershipisnotapositionoratitle,itisactionandexample.Therearemanyamazing
figuresinourhistorythatliveuptothatsaying.Aselectthreeofthemgobythenames
MalalaYousafzai,WaltDisney,andSteveJobs.
Thetrinitymentionedabovecomesfromdifferentwalksoflife.Yousafzaiisayoung
PakistaniactivistwhoactivelyspeaksoutagainsttheterroristorganizationTaliban.Disney
wasanAmericanmotionpictureentrepreneurwhopioneeredthecartoonfilmindustry.Jobs
was an inventor and technology businessman who brought to life userfriendly personal
computers.However,theyallaresimilarinthesensethattheyareallvisionaryleaders.Inthe
midstofdoubtandtiredhabitsofthecommunitytheyareinvolvedin,thethreeofthemwere
abletoriseaboveandbringchangethatmaynothavebeenwanted,butverymuchneeded.
Leadership,thoughusuallyclassifiedasaquality,isactuallymoreappropriatetobe
mentionedasaspectrum,composedofvarioustraits.Tiedinfromseveralsources,beloware
some traits considered to be part of visionary leadership, and how they are found in
Yousafzais,Disneys,andJobsactions.
ExternalAwarenessandSensitivity

Aleaderisnotsomeonewhoisoutoftouchfromtheworld.Onthecontrary,leaders
arealwaysawareofissuesthatareintheirareaofresponsibility.Theyareabletoseethings
fromvariousperspectivesandunderstandhowthingshappen.Fromearlyyears,Yousafzai,
Disney, and Jobs studied their area of interest in depth. They did so through different
methods,however.Yousafzaifrequentlylistenedtoherfatherashespokeaboutpoliticswith
hisfriends,Disneytookondrawingclassesdiligently,whileJobslearntandunderstoodhow
computersworkbythetimehewasinhighschool.Astheyallmatured,theirknowledge
expandedandsparkedpassion.JobsandDisneyevendroppedoutofschoolatonepointin
theirlivestopursuewhattheywanted.Yousafzai,however,neverdid,becauseeducationfor
girlsisararityinhercountryandthereforeshevaluedithighly.
Awarenessisusuallycorrelatedwithsensitivity,whichcouldbeseenintwoways:
one,theabilitytorespondtochanges;andtwo,theabilitytoappreciateothersfeelings.Jobs
andDisneytendtobemorecapableofdoingthefirst,andnotsomuchthelatter.Asleaders
ofacompany,bothJobsandDisneyexperiencedmuchturmoilinordertoachievesuccess,
suchasbankruptcyandbeingkickedoutofacompany.Theywereabletoadaptandchange
theirsituationsaround,howeverneitherofthemwereknownasthefriendliestofbosses.
Disneywasknowntobeverydemandingandignorantofhisemployeeswellbeing,andJobs
alsodisposedpeopleeasilyinordertoachievehisdreams.Meanwhile,Yousafzaiisavery
empatheticperson.Unliketheconservativesocietyshelivedin,sheneverjudgedanyone
whosesinswereparaded,andsheevenfeelsnoanimositytowardstheTalibanmemberwho
shotherinthehead.Asidefromemotionalsensitivity,Yousafzaicouldalsoadapttochange,
similartoJobsandDisney,howeverwithlessagility.Shetravelledaroundatonepointinher
lifeasanInternationallyDisplacedPerson,andthoughshepersevered,sheneverfelttruly
fine.

Utama 3
VisionandVividImagination
Fromtheknowledgetheyhave,aleaderdevelopsavision,whichisdescribedasa
pictureofwhatcouldandshouldbe.Thesevisionsareuniqueandmayoriginallybeseenas
anomaliesbysociety.ThisisespeciallyinthecaseofJobs.BeforeJobsworkwithWozniak,
people used to think affordable, portable machines for consumers as unrealistic. Jobs
eventually proved them wrong, of course, through the launch of the Apple computer.
Meanwhile,Disneyhadavisiononsomethingthathardlyanyoneevenglanced.Cartoonshad
alwaysbeenhanddrawnblackandwhiteanimation,andwhileotherpeopleacceptedthat
withnotmuchthought,Disneydidnot.Hesawanopportunitytocreatesomethingoriginal
andnew.InthecaseofMalala,hervisionofwomenhavingequalrightswithmenisseen
withmixedreactionsfromtheworld.Mostdevelopedcountriespraiseheractivism,butsome
peopleinherowncountryopposeit.Yousafzaisvisionevenalmostcostherlife,asthe
Talibanresenteditandsawitasathreat.
Thethreeleadersvisionsstemfromtheirvibrantimaginations.Inaworldwhere
peoplekillwildthoughtsinthenameoflogicandreality,Yousafzai,Disney,andJobsall
refusedtoconform.Yousafzaigrewupinaculturethatseeswomenastheextremelyinferior
gender,tothepointthattheybelongtotheoppositesex.Thankstoherfather,Yousafzaiwas
braveenoughtothinkoutsidetherealmofhernationsvalues.Shewasboldandoptimistic
enoughtohopeforjusticeandpeace.Jobswasalsoequallyoptimistic.Peopleturneddown
hisvisionbecausetheythoughtitwasagainstthewaytechnologyandbusinessworked,but
Jobsneverclosedhismindtothepossibilitieshehad.Disney,ofcourse,asamaninthe
entertainmentbusinesslivedonimagination.Hecreatedstoriesandcharactersthatwereable
totouchpeopleandbringsmilestotheirfaces.
StrongConvictionandPersistence

Avisionwithoutastrongconvictionwouldbelikeaplantwitharootbutnostrong
stem.Leadersneedtohaveconvictionafirmlyheldbeliefinordertoturntheirdreams
intoreality.Yousafzai,Disney,andJobsallhadfaithintheirvision.Tosupportthisfaith,
theyneededpersistence,whichtheyallcertainlyhad.Nomatterwhatconstraintscametheir
way,thethreeleadersambitionsneverwaveredandtheycontinuedtostriveforexcellence.
Thewayeachleaderadaptedandfoughtisdifferent,howevercommendable.
Asentrepreneurs,bothDisneyandJobsfacesimilarhardships.Disneyexperienced
bankruptcyearlyinhiscareer,andsomeofhissilentfilmsfailedtofinddistribution.Disney
didnotgetdiscouraged;instead,hecontinuedtodevelophispersonalstyleofanimationand
concepts,suchasMickeyMouseandMaryPoppins.Asaresult,inthepinnacleyearsofhis
life,Disneywasabletoproduceastringofsuccessfulmovies,includingPinocchio,Fantasia,
andBambi.WaltDisneyscareerisproofthatyoucannotletearlystumblesdefineyour
careerordimyourvision.
WhereDisneyfoundchallengesinmarketingandfinance,Jobsfacedproblemswith
people.Jobsvisionforauserfriendlycomputerwasinitiallysettosailinsmoothseas,ashis
collaborationwithWozniakontheApplecomputerwasrevolutionary.However,afterwards
Applebegantosufferadeclineinsalesduetodesignflaws,andexecutivesleftJobsoutand
intoaverysmallposition.Jobsdecidedtoleaveandcreateanewcompanywherehisideas
couldactuallyhaveweight.Unfortunately,itflounderedandJobsreturnedtoAppleasCEO.
Withanewmanagementteam,hebroughtbacksuccesstoApplethroughnewproductsand
stylishdesigns.Jobsshowusthatweshouldneverletpeoplebelittleorunderestimateour
visions.Itisbettertostandalonewithsomethingweabsolutelybelieveinthantosettle
aroundothersforsomethingless.

Utama 5
Malalafoundconstraintsallaroundher.BoththeTalibanandthesocietyshelivedin
did not favor her beliefs in womens rights, and the political chaos of Malalas country
frequentlylefthertofightforeducation.Malalaexperiencedahiatusfromschooloncewhen
theTalibanbannedgirlsfromattendingschool.Atonepoint,sheandherfriendshadtostudy
inabsolutesecrecy,sotoavoidtheTalibansdisapprovingeyes.ThelengthsMalalawent
throughonlyconvincedherevenmoreofhowintegraleducationis.Insteadofsuccumbing
intothenormforgirlsofstayingathomeandbecomingahousewife,Malalabecamevocal.
ShebecameacorrespondentforBBC,sharingherstoryaboutbeingundertheTalibanregime
tothewholeworld,andshefrequentlygavespeechestothepublicaswellasspoketomedia.
Malalasvisionofajustsociety,andhowstrongmindedsheisaboutit,almostcausedher
the end of her life. The Taliban attempted to kill her through a gunshot, however she
survived.Andshedidnotlettheneardeathexperiencescareher.Instead,shecontinuesto
speakbravelyaboutwomensrights,righttothisday.Malalaisevidencethatwehaveto
workhardinordertoachieveourvisions.Wemustbebraveandselfless;wemustbewilling
togothedistanceforsomethingwestandfor.
Asseenabove,MalalaYousafzai,WaltDisney,andSteveJobsareallastounding
peoplefittobeseennotjustasrolemodels,butalsovisionaryleaders.Theypossesstraits
thatareextremelyvaluablenotjustforthemselves,butalsoforthesocietyasawhole,the
societythatfollowstheirlead.Arethetraitsweseeinnate,bestowedonlytoselectpeople
destinedtolead?No.Leadershipisnotsomethinggiven,itiscreated.Essentially,thereisa
visionaryleaderinsideeachofus.Wejustneedtoworkhardinordertobringitoutforthe
worldtosee.

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