Theoretical Framework for Leadership; Think Big
Ben Carson depicts leadership in all aspects of his life. Ben Carson is a leading neurosurgeon; he was one of the best neurosurgeons in the world. So career wise he was a leader that many young doctors would look up to for motivation that it was indeed possible to achieve such heights despite his difficult childhood. It is known that good leaders inspire others to achieve more in their lives (Northouse, 2016). People who are leaders by vocation go out of their regular duties to be leaders to others. Ben Carson was not satisfied by only being a leading neurosurgeon (Carson & Murphy, 1992); he also authored a book; Think Big that will be the focus of this paper. In his book, he acts as a source of inspiration for many young people. Through his story of the difficult time he had while growing up, he inspires other to overcome challenges.
Ben Carson does not stop there; he went on to be a philanthropist. He does charity work to help out people who are in need. Such are the features of a vocational leader. Though his donor works, he is showing that he also cares for the needs of people who follow him. Additionally, the author is a politician in the Republican Party. He had visions of becoming the President of the United States; he is currently serving as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Donald Trump. His political position is another pointer to the fact that he is a vocational leader.
Among the many leadership traits on audition by the author in his story Think Big I would like to copy his confidence in his ability to become the great man he is today. It is important for a leader to be confident in their ability; their followers share the confidence in what they do (Northouse, 2016). I would, therefore, emulate his type of confidence so that the people under me can be confident too. The author also expresses passion in his job as a writer and as a neurosurgeon (Carson & Murphy, 1992). He shows that he is passionate I trying to make young men and women believe in themselves and follow their dreams without giving up. This is a trait that I would copy from the Ben Carson in his book.
Additionally, Ben Carson is a person of integrity. In his book, he urges his readers always to tell the truth because they will not have to worry about what they said three months down the line. He says the fact is the best thing to say because it will never change. Because of his integrity, he is encouraging truthfulness among his leaders. Integrity is a trait of the author that I would like to emulate (Burns, 2012). What’s more, Ben Carson is a leader who has an approach. A leader who has right approach knows that not all human beings on God’s earth are the same. Employees and followers of a leader are drawn from diverse ethnic, racial, religious and cultural backgrounds. It is, therefore, important not to judge and treat all equally. Ben Cason says, “Everyone in the world worth being nice to. Because God never creates inferior human beings, each person deserves respect and dignity.” (Carson & Murphy, 1992)
Finally, from the book Think Big, it is clear to tell that Ben Carson is an inspirational leader. Through his advice on how people should plan for their futures and harbor big imaginations for their destiny, he is trying to inspire his followers to live up to their potential in the different fields they are gifted in. A good leader should be able to motivate his employees through actions and words (Gill, 2013). Ben Carson tries to inspire through words in his book; that is a trait I would emulate.
The character that the author has that I would not like to possess as a leader is too accommodative of everyone errors and shortcomings. Being a nurse leader in a health organization means one has to be authoritative and decisive. Teams run on goals and visions set along a time frame. While it is good to be supportive of everyone, a leader has to be firm in some aspects (Burns, 2012). Responsibility has to be accompanied by authority otherwise not much will be accomplished as some employees may take advantage of a leader who is too soft.
The author encourages his readers to think big and set huge goals because they have it in them to achieve anything. I would avoid this and be more realistic. It is important for leaders to set specific, attainable, time-bound and realistic goals. If as leader you set over-ambitious goals that not all employees might be able to live up to then you will end up with demotivated employees (Gill, 2013). If the organization fails to meet its goal because the workers punched above their weight, questions will be asked of the leadership.
In summary, this paper has described the leadership traits that Ben Carson in his book Think Big depicts. Some of them are inspirational and should be emulated by other aspiring leaders. Some, in my opinion, may not be the best for leaders especially nurses in health care organizations.
References
Burns, J. (2012). Leadership. New York, NY: Open Road Integrated Media.
Carson, B. & Murphy, C. (1992). Think big (1st ed.).
Gill, R. (2013). Theory and practice of leadership. London: Sage.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership. Los Angeles [etc.]: Sage.
