Intellectual Perseverance
To start
off my first class in the journey towards my MSLD I was asked to reflect on
Intellectual Perseverance and how it will play a role in my academic studies
and to leadership in general. To begin
this reflection a definition of Intellectual Perseverance must be given and
understood. The Foundation For Critical Thinking defines
Intellectual Perseverance as:
Having a consciousness of the need to use intellectual insights and
truths in spite of difficulties, obstacles, and frustrations; firm adherence to
rational principles despite the irrational opposition of others; a sense of the
need to struggle with confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period
of time to achieve deeper understanding or insight (Valuable Intellectual
Virtues, 2014).
Most of us have
heard the word perseverance and even some of its synonyms such as persistence,
determination and insistence. Some would
even say these words describe themselves.
Intellect is often associated with knowledge, intelligence and
academics. Together the phrase Intellectual
Perseverance simply means to push forward towards knowledge against all
odds. This can mean different things to
different people. Everyone’s idea of
knowledge is different and so is his or her path and obstacles.
My
enrollment in the MSLD program is an example of Intellectual Perseverance. I am a stay at home mother of five, whose
husband is away for work all week; I also hold a part time job and volunteer
for the local soccer club. I have plenty
of obstacles in the way of me achieving my academic goal. I have plenty of friends and acquaintances that
tell me I am “crazy” to even attempt to go back to school, that I have too much
on my plate. The truth is I have longed
to return to school for many years and finally one day I decided it was time
and never looked back. I love being a
stay at home mom but I find I miss intelligent adult conversations, so I am
determined to finish my degree in time for my youngest to start school. I believe this insistence will not only drive
me to obtain my degree but also make me a good leader.
A good
leader in my eyes is one that can push a team forward through any and all
challenges in the way. I leader needs to
have the ability to keep the end in sight while encouraging the team through
any rough spots. They also know when to
let a team or any member struggle a bit in order to achieve a greater
understanding of the question at hand.
If a leader were to always jump in with the answers whenever anyone was
stuck then no learning would occur. In
order for a person to fully understand the outcome of a task they must
recognize how that outcome was reached, and for this to happen they must
experience the intellectual process.
With this the leader can use Intellectual Perseverance to help his or
her team reach not only the end and solve the question but a greater
understanding of what was asked.
When it
comes to the quest for knowledge and learning it pays off to be
persistent. If intellectual truths are
worth finding then the struggle to get there is also worth it. Sometimes the things one struggles for most
are the most appreciated. Intellectual
Perseverance is a valuable tool for anyone to have in his or her repertoire,
but especially for a good leader.
Valuable
Intellectual Virtues (September 2014). Foundation For Critical Thinking, Online
at website: www.criticalthinking.org)
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