Page 351 - Keys to College Success

Consider this partial list of actions as you ponder what your global citizenship
means to you.

Communicate with cultural awareness. You show respect when you keep culture
in mind as you communicate. Listen actively to understand expressions and dialects
from languages and cultures that are unfamiliar to you. Note customs and behaviors.
Ask when you need clarification.

Be an environmental steward. Do your part to protect the health and safety of liv-
ENVIRONMENTAL ing things and the environment through your actions. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Min-
FOOTPRINT
imize your environmental footprint by using less energy and leaving less trash.
The impact that the
actions of one person or Take action with your wallet. Determine who makes the products and provides the
company (what is
consumed and what is services you use regularly, and investigate whether those companies act responsibly
thrown away) have
toward the environment and promote sustainable growth and development. Consider
on the world’s resources, prioritizing responsible companies when spending your money. Also, support local
based on a measure
goods and services—the less travel involved in connecting you with your needs, the
of the amount of
carbon dioxide
produced. fewer resources used in transport.
Consume responsibly. The “more is better, bigger is better” way of being in America
was born of a more prosperous, more ignorant time. Question your purchases: Do I
really need this, or more of this? What are the pros and cons? Generally, the more stuff
you own, the more time and resources you spend storing it, cleaning it, caring for it,
fueling it. For example, a second car means more gas, more servicing, more inspections,
and more insurance.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can trace nearly any action back many steps
and find its effects, good and bad, on people and environments. Each person’s actions
have consequences that ripple across the globe. Make your ripples ones that you can
point to with pride.

HOW CAN YOU
be a leader?

When you hear the word leader, your first thought may be of someone in a highly
visible and powerful position—the President of the United States or the Chancellor of
Germany, the CEO of Microsoft or Ford Motor Company, the Dalai Lama, or the Pope.
However, there are many ways to lead, and not all leaders carry such a high profile.
Think of your college community. You may know of leaders such as deans, senior
professors, business managers, and people in local government positions. You probably
can also think of people who you consider leaders even though they hold no official posi-
tion—they just seem to motivate people, or set an example that others want to follow.

Leadership Defined

There are two ways to define leadership:
1. The ability and process of motivating people to move toward a common goal
2. The ability and process of affecting thoughts and behaviors of others 10
The first definition refers to a more visible, typical kind of leadership. It is the job
of the CEO of a company, for example, to motivate people employed by the company
12 to create and sell the company’s products; likewise, it is the job of a quarterback to
motivate his team to move the ball downfield. However, a person—CEO, quarterback,
CHAPTER 314 or anyone else—can also lead in the second way, by setting an example that inspires
others to positive thought and productive action.