Create responses to these two discusions. How do you relate to each one personally. -research only. Tell me a story and info regarding topic that might have been missed. How and why are they important and useful? What is your personal opinion on the topics? Answer each one indavidually.

1. While researching leadership topics, I discovered an article in the Harvard Business Review about collaboration. The article is "When Leadership Struggles with Collaboration" by Ron Carucci and Luis Velasquez. I think it is essential for leaders at all levels in organizations to collaborate. Based on my experience, you will see better results when we put our heads together and collaborate to solve a problem or complete project.

The authors address several reasons why it is difficult for some leaders to collaborate. Collaboration may be unnatural to some who are afraid to work outside of their silo. Those leaders may be competitive and fear being overshadowed, have believed in a culture of authority, or focus more on results than relationships. Some leaders may have a hard time trusting others. (Carucci & Velasquez, 2022).

Collaboration is critical to a successful project. While I do understand that there are times when you may perform various functions of your job individually, you must not become so focused on your work that you lose out on an opportunity to collaborate.

I have been tasked with a project or revising some policy within my organization several times. While I know that if I put my head down and do the work, I will do it much sooner. But through trial and error, I have learned that you must include others to complete these objectives to avoid ending up with an inferior product. For example, I was once asked to revise and submit a policy to leadership for review and approval. I completed the task unilaterally and bi passed my colleagues who the new policy would impact. Leadership found multiple missing elements in my draft. The missing elements involved portions of the business that I needed to familiarize myself with as they were outside of my position responsibilities. I ended up having to go back to the drawing board. In round two, I formed a work group with my colleagues. The second draft quickly received leadership approval as it included all required elements.

Hiring is another task that should involve collaboration. Such as interview panels. Several of my employers have had interview panels. All included at least three people. Generally, the panel will consist of colleagues from various areas within the organization. This helps ensure that more than one person evaluates applicants for jobs. Solo hiring could result in the hiring official selecting an applicant unsuitable for the position.

In conclusion, collaboration is an important part of an organization's success. Operating in a silo will not give the best results, as we have different experiences and views. Collecting all of these experiences and views will result in a better product.

2. Ted Talks have always been my favorite way to hear other's perspectives on subjects as the speaker always finds a way to make you think. The Ted Talk I have chosen is titled "Great Leadership is a Network, not a Hierarchy" by Gitte Frederiksen. She expressed her opinions on how leadership should be in more of a team format vs. the typical way of only having a couple leaders.

I believe we all have this underlying expectation that there should be one or two "leaders" to report to in the workplace because it is often felt that in times of crisis, there should be direction coming from one individual who is "qualified" to make decisions for the whole. This video brings an interesting perspective on how effective it would be if we worked together as a team of leaders. I have to agree that having one designated person can be beneficial so that we are not running all over the place but if an organization can operate under this collaborated ideal, then I would like to work in a place we can all respectfully come together and express our ideas.

In the workplace I find that it is very easy to label people as one certain thing because of their job title. If you work in IT, then you must know a lot about technology and there is no way I would approach someone in IT with a question regarding budget. Although this may mostly be true, this Ted Talk explains that you could very well have an employee with many skills who could offer information to help another department, possibly better than who is currently working in that area. I work as an Administrative Assistant but I have experience with budget, human resources, and even technology so I very well could have a fresh idea that may help.

Frederiksen brings up two very interesting points about her view on leadership and those are to share everything and be nice to each other. While they do sound simple enough, I have noticed how little this actually happens. In a typical work environment, it can be hard to trust people with sharing your ideas especially when you are in a lower ranking position.

I can appreciate a work environment where we help each other and not feel like we will be shamed for working outside our normal job duties. It may difficult to change the culture of our current work environment but if I ever started my own business, I would love to have the type of Leadership explained by Frederiksen.