Class Reflection

            Before entering this course I had the opinion that a leader should always be ethical no matter what. If someone had asked me what I thought of Machiavelli’s values as a leader I would have straight out told them I do not agree with his beliefs. After weighing both sides through lecture and discussion in class, I have now realized that leaders cannot always be ethical if they want to be effective. Sometimes, they simply have no choice. For example, with the Vargas dilemma, he was forced to make the unethical decision to stay in the United States as an illegal immigrant because his only other choice was being deported. Additionally, assessing Ford and his choice to pardon Nixon from any consequences has opened me to the viewpoint that Ford was truly doing what was best for his country. I think from both these examples I have learned that sometimes you have to make selfish decisions in order to help yourself and your people. When I get back home and start my Action Plan I will most likely face ethical dilemmas along the way that will force me to use leadership qualities such as caution, willingness to compromise, and humility. Additionally, I believe the 7 C’s will be helpful in forming my club Operation Smile. Since this would be a club with many group members the three most helpful C’s would be Controversy with Civility, Collaboration, and Consciousness of Self. Overall, I think this course has taught me that leadership is not all about being powerful and being controlling. Instead, leadership is equally about the listening and ability to step back when needed. I hope the skills I have learned in this course will allow me to act accurately in situations I face in the future.