· Minimum of 3 full
pages
· Current APA format
· Introduction or
summary of the image to provide context and draw the reader in
· Responses to the
prompts included at the conclusion of the image
· Recommendation(s)
for the use of this image (i.e., these principles or concepts) in working with
student-athletes
· Discussion about
the holistic role of the athlete from a biblical worldview
· Clear biblical
integration – do more than just include a Bible verse
· Include a title on
the top line of the first page, followed by your name. No other identifying
information is needed.
· Since this is a
reflection paper, no references are required. However, you are expected to
properly cite information using current APA format where appropriate.
· You must include
the reference information for any sources in current APA format on a separate
page.
PROMPTS:
Leaders create the atmosphere and attitudes of their
organizations. By design or default, they set the tone for their entire team.
Why do you think example is more powerful than mere words?
As leaders, we must realize the “mirror effect” is
constantly at work. Think of a leader that you know and respect. List several
ways that the mirror effect is always at work in his or her life.
Take an honest look at your own life. More than likely,
there are aspects that involve following people as well as leading people.
Consider these questions and how the mirror effect might be at work in each
one:
SELF REFLECTION
Who am I mirroring?
Who might be mirroring, or reflecting, me?
What positive qualities do I possess? How might others be
emulating these qualities?
What negative qualities do I possess? How might others be
emulating these qualities?
The image to base this on is a young man looking into a mirror at his reflection.
The text upon which to base is as follows:
The Mirror Effect
AS A LEADER, YOUR FOLLOWERS WILL BE A REFLECTION OF YOU. NOT
ONLY WILL YOU ATTRACT OTHERS LIKE YOURSELF, BUT OVER TIME, THOSE WHO FOLLOW YOU
WILL MIRROR BOTH YOUR NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS.
Since the beginning of time, humans have been preoccupied
with their looks. Consequently, we’ve searched for ways to see our reflections
and seek out available mirrors. The still water of a clear pool, in fact, was
man’s first mirror.
With the rise of the Bronze Age, in about 3,500 B.C.,
polished metal had become the favored material among Sumerians in Mesopotamia,
as well as Egyptians and Hebrews. By 328 B.C., the Greeks had established a
school for mirror craftsmanship, and by the rise of the Roman Empire,
manufacturing mirrors had become a flourishing business. Eventually, gold
mirrors were the craze. In fact, head servants would even demand personalized
gold mirrors to be allotted in place of their wages!
The first glass mirrors allowed for a far more precise
reflection. They debuted in Venice, Italy, in 1300, under the hands of Venetian
glass blowers. By 1687, Frenchman Bernard Perrot had patented a method for
rolling out smooth, undistorted sheets of glass, resulting in the hand-held and
full-length mirrors we know today. At last, man had fashioned an instrument
that offered a perfect reflection of himself. Mirrors remain an important part
of most any dorm, bath, or bedroom in modern day culture.
The mirror reminds us of a helpful leadership principle.
Leaders, in fact, have their own unique mirror—their followers. I call this the
mirror effect. Within 18 to 24 months, leaders will find that they cannot blame
someone else for the atmosphere and attitude of the organization. They are the
reason for that atmosphere. By design, or by default, the leader has set the
tone. While the speed at which they do this will vary, any leader’s example
will eventually impact the entire team. Once this happens, the followers become
a mirror, reflecting the good or bad values and virtues of the leader. As Rick
Warren describes it, “If you want to know the temperature of an organization,
put a thermometer in the leader’s mouth.”
For years, I worked with college students in San Diego, and
oversaw our intern program. We had dozens of interns serving and at the end of
every year, it became somewhat predictable for me to hear people say:
“Hey, Tim, your intern sounds just like you.”
“I could see you in them.”
“I could tell they have been around you, Tim.”
My explanation is simple. It’s the mirror effect. While each
intern retained their own personality, they couldn’t help but reflect the
style, values and even flaws of their leader. Dr. John Maxwell further
illustrates this with the Law of Magnetism: Leaders attract who they “are,” not
who they “want.” In other words, like attracts like. But there’s another law at
work here beyond Magnetism. Call it the Law of Emulation. Leaders must model
the life they want their followers to live because people will emulate them. In
a nutshell, the top rule of management is: people do what people see.
Over the years, I’ve enjoyed asking this question to
audiences at leadership conferences on university campuses, or with
corporations: What virtues do you wish your people possessed? On a pad of
paper, I jot down the responses: “I wish they were more committed… had a
better attitude… possessed more passion… were more friendly…” and the
list goes on. Then I take the list and ask, “Do you have these qualities? Do
you model these virtues?”
People do what people see. They are mirrors.
The Mirror Effect underscores a principle that leaders must
never forget—the power of example. You can talk all you want about behaviors
and expectations for your organization, but ultimately, the life you model will
be the lecture that gets through. Dr. Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is
not the most important thing about leadership. It is the only thing.” Ask any
manager. Ask any teacher. In fact, ask any parent. Kids do what kids see.
Recently, I was in the home of a neighbor who was teaching
his son the virtue of honesty and integrity. He was so proud of their
discussions over the past month. My friend was convinced he was getting
through. As we were talking, however, the phone rang. As his son ran to grab
it, my neighbor yelled, “If it’s for me, tell them I’m not here!”
Hmmm. Now what do you suppose that young boy concludes about
honesty? “Dad’s lectures say we should be honest at all times, but I guess it’s
just talk. When honesty becomes inconvenient, we don’t have to actually
practice it.” Chances are, this boy will grow up believing honesty is important
to talk about, but when it becomes inconvenient, who cares?
“Paying the Piper” is an old black and white movie about a
father’s challenges in raising his teenage daughter. In one of the scenes, the
girl asks permission to attend the high school dance with an older boy.
Reluctantly, the dad allows her to go, though he remains protective. He doesn’t
want anything in the “real world” to harm his little girl. Waiting up for her
on the night of the dance, the father is faced with his worst nightmare when
the police show up at his front door. They inform him that his daughter and her
date had been drinking and carelessly drove off of a bridge. Both died
instantly.
The father is in anguish. “How could any restaurant, bar, or
liquor store sell alcohol to a minor?” He determines to find the culprit, and
he spends endless time and money investigating the crime, but to no avail. He
failed in his search. In one final scene, he slumps in his living room chair.
He is weary. He decides a drink would help his tired nerves at this point. But
opening his liquor cabinet, he’s stunned to find his bottle missing, replaced
by a note that said, “Dear Dad, I know you like your Scotch to help you
celebrate. I thought you wouldn’t mind sharing it with me.”
People do what people see—at home, at work, at school,
wherever there is a leader. This explains why the followers of Martin Luther
King Jr. acted so differently from the followers of Malcolm X. It explains why
the Nazi regime, under Adolf Hitler, was so violent, and why the followers of
Mahatma Gandhi were so peaceful. Just look at the leader. It’s the mirror
effect.
