Leadership Blog #3

What?
Openness is a leadership strategy that is defined differently by everyone. Wikipedia defines openness as: "a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience." Being open to different ideas includes letting go of all stereotypes you may have, taking an unbiased view, and allowing yourself to be immersed into situations and experiences that you have never been exposed to. Openness in leadership is allowing yourself to try new things, listen to the ones you lead, and learn from other leaders.
So What?
Being open becomes more and more important as our world becomes more diverse. In class we discussed how there are so many different aspects that we must be open to in today's society. War, health care, same sex marriage, immigration, and poverty are a few issues that we discussed that require us to be open to new ideas to understand and become involved in. To be a leader within society, we must display openness to relate to the world around us.
Now What?
To become more open as a leader, I think it is important to immerse yourself in the differences surrounding you. Often, education about the unknown will completely change your perspective and help you to understand it. To be open, you don't have to agree with everything, just attempt to learn why others feel the way they do. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you can become more open-minded. Below is a link to e-how.com with a few pointers on how to become more open minded.

http://www.ehow.com/how_4605268_become-more-openminded.html