The Art of Diplomatic Leadership

As leaders encounter entirely new kinds of challenges and responsibilities, they find that they have the strength and resources to meet these challenges. For example, some first-time leaders ultimately learn that they have a gift for leading and inspiring others. Others find that they're especially talented at gauging others' motivations and values. Each time you make something happen as a leader—whether it's shaping your group's culture in positive ways, helping someone master a new task, or assembling a top-notch team—leaders expand their abilities. They become more seasoned, experienced, and confident leaders, and have a sharper awareness of their own strengths and areas for improvement. Not only do they learn more about themselves as they progress in a leadership role; they also learn more about organizational life in general.

The command and control techniques of previous generations are increasingly ineffective. Today’s leaders must be forward thinking, possess moral courage, and skilled in the art of diplomacy. As a Trustee, I can recall several joint board meetings when the Pastor wasn’t present and it was difficult to keep everyone on task. I experienced similar instances onboard ship when the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer were ashore. The changing structure of organizations, the growth of alliances between organizations, and the changing nature of work itself calls for new approaches to leadership. Paul suggested a new approach in Galatians 5:22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith…” By faith, Paul refers to something more than the knowledge of the earthly life of Jesus. He means a commitment of an individual to the way of life Jesus exemplified. This approach has less to do with formal authority and the power to control, and more to do with using situational, strategic, and ethical leadership skills to keep groups of people who may not report to you aligned with an overarching purpose.

The most Important Ingredient: Ethics

Ethical Leadership includes a variety of elements. Beliefs regarding ethics involves taking into account the purpose of the action taken, the consequences to self and others, and the moral standard by which the action is measured. This doesn’t mean ignoring profit and loss, productions costs, and so forth but rather concern for the rational measures of performance coupled with the recognition of the importance of treating people right every day. “Moral leadership is about distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good, and the right conduct in its practice” (Daft, 1999, p. 369).

Whether it involves judgment based on character or legal infractions, ethics has always been a popular topic. When leaders wonder whether their conduct is ethical, they need to ask ‘What would I think if someone else did it?’ Paul believed that the law identifies the flaws in a person's character but it does not remove them. Paul writes, "…whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4). Compassion is grounded in a larger understanding of our relationship to God and one another. When we define Christianity as a list of do’s and don'ts, we restrict ourselves from enjoying an intimate relationship with God. We get caught up in rules as if God were waiting to catch us out of line when He’s really waiting to pick us up when we fall. Christ does not make demands on us that limit our self-direction therefore we should not be inclined to judge others in that manner. In his Virtue-Centered Theory of Judging, Lawrence Solum argued “theories of fairness are prior to theories of justice (2003, p. 178). True Christianity sees the role of leadership as based on love and grace.

We have all known people whose character was not consistent with their personality. However, character is of higher importance than personality. Malphurs (2003) maintained “A Christian Leader emphasizes godly character” (p. 19). The organization will hold people accountable for their behavior (character) but not for their personality traits. If the ‘fruit’ of the spirit (love, joy, peace, etc) and ‘fruit’ of the flesh (adultery, hatred, envy, etc) are the outcomes, then our character is the means towards that outcome. We must seek to do the right thing.

Character is our commitment to doing the right thing, which is why we should focus on character development. In 1 Timothy 4:7 Paul urges Timothy “…exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” Character and self-discipline are a leader’s moral strength to behave according to proper values. The difficulty arises not in knowing what is right but rather doing what is right. Look for organizations where the leaders have clearly defined, articulate, and exemplify the organizational values. “Leadership is doing the right thing even when we do not feel like it, perhaps especially when we do not feel like it” (Hunter, 2004, p. 145).

There are numerous ways to assist emerging leaders in ethical development. I would start with leading by example. It’s difficult to appreciate the pressures on a leader unless you have had that position. The best way to assist up-and-coming leaders whether they’re your peers or subordinates is to let them see Christ working through you. “The movement away from command and control leadership has brought new leadership styles that are more democratic and coach-like” (Lassiter, 2001). Terms such as shared or servant leadership are increasingly used to describe some of these ways of interacting.

Another way to develop ethical behavior is to develop a personal creed – that which defines who you are, what your goals in life are, and how you intend to live your life. Kouzes and Posner (2002) observed “When you clarify the principles that will govern your life and the ends that you will seek, you give purpose to your daily decisions” (p. 394). An ethical leader has one personality. Whether at home or at work, there is only one set of principles that guides his behavior.

As an Engineering Training Team leader onboard a Guided Missile Frigate, I worked hard to build trust within the team. Everything was smooth until Petty Officer Johnson joined. Several members suggested that he lacked experience and he did not collaborate very well. The group went out for a "team" lunch, and left Johnson behind. I was shocked and disappointed. Johnson was extremely competent and showed passion for his work. I met individually with all team members, including Johnson, to allow them to communicate their concerns. I actively listened to what's being said. By better understanding the concerns of the group I was able get to the root causes of the problem. One method that helps make teams innovative is to “Make sure that the members of the group are communicating with one another.” (Biolos, 1996, p. 1).

The Most Important Lessons: Situations

“A Christian leader is a servant with the credibility and capabilities to influence people in a particular context to pursue their God-given direction” (Malphurs, 2003, 131). The same person can be a successful leader in one situation but fail in another. It is unlikely that there is a single set of abilities and characteristics that can be found in all leaders. It’s not that the characteristics are not important, but rather, the essential characteristics of the leader vary depending on the circumstances. The requirements to be a successful Naval Officer, for example, would differ from those of a Elementary School Principal or Sales Manager. McGregor (2006) suggested “…that it is more fruitful to consider leadership as a relationship between the leader and the situation than as a universal pattern of characteristics possessed by certain people” (p. 253).

The Situational Leadership Theory developed by Hersey and Blanchard focuses on the characteristics of followers as the important element of the situation, and consequently of determining effective leader behavior. Yukl (2002) observed “Major situational variables include the characteristics of followers, the nature of the work performed by the leader’s unit, the type of organizations, and the nature of the external environment” (p. 13). In other words, subordinates vary in readiness levels therefore leader behavior should be influenced by the factors that influence the entire situation.

Daft (1999) summarized the relationship between leader style and follower readiness into four categories: telling, selling, participatory, and delegating. Telling is very directive, selling involves explaining decisions, participatory is sharing ideas to facilitate decision making, and delegating is a style that affords very little direction and support. (p. 99 – 102). As leaders, our professional identity will transform in relation to the skills and abilities of the group as well as outside influences. This means that we look at the world from a different perspective.

As the Material and Logistics Officer for a Destroyer Squadron my areas of responsibility included two major departments on each of our six ships: Engineering and Supply. At the end of every month I experienced difficulty in getting summary reports from the Engineers but the Supply reports were always right on-time. However, when the ships were underway the Engineering departments functioned admirably while the Supply departments were somewhat shoddy. I had to adjust my style of leadership when dealing with the Department Heads as the situations changed. For the monthly summary reports I used delegation with the Supply Officers but a more directive approach with the Engineers but the reverse during the operational phases. From a naval perspective, the Engineers were very operationally and technically proficient while the Supply Officers were very business oriented.

When we become a manager, we enter the role with our own expectations of what our new job will involve. Often, those expectations differ from the job's real requirements. In addition, the various people with whom we'll work—our direct reports, supervisors, and peers—have their own expectations regarding our role—and some of their expectations may conflict with ours. Every situation we encounter will involve different skill sets. Each situation underscores the extent to which problem solving is central to the work of leadership. In the age of teams, leaders don’t solve problems alone. They must operate from a business discipline that will enable a group of workers to frame a problem and agree on the most efficient way to solve it. Yet as basic as this task is, many organizations don’t solve problems using processes that result in optimal solutions.

An effective team is diverse with differing skills that trust each other enough to challenge one another’s work. Members don’t always agree but they should communicate and have a general openness to new ideas. There should be enough differences in viewpoints that they have something interesting to say to each other. Biolos (1996) maintained “…a homogeneous group whose members are prone only to agree with one another will typically not promote high levels of creativity” (p. 14).

Broken barriers can also have a positive influence on the organization. Entrepreneur Herman Cain discussed this very topic during the Executive Leadership Banquet during the 2005 residency at Regent University. He stated that the purpose of leadership was to “remove barriers” that prevent followers from succeeding. London (2001) listed numerous barriers that not only prevent followership development but leadership development as well. Among others, he listed discrimination, sexual harassment, lack of confidence, Role conflict (e. g., being a boss and colleague), inadequate experience/training for a key assignment, disapproval by others (especially public criticism), uncertainty about the future (e.g., because of a sudden change), and lack of information. (p. 218). Some of these barriers can sneak up slowly giving leaders time to adjust to the situation, as well as time to avoid the barrier thereby increasing the problem. Other barriers may occur suddenly and have detrimental affects on the organization. The important task is that leaders learn how to recognize and deal with these barriers!

The Indispensable Quality: Strategy

People often hunger for something greater than themselves. “Work without purpose (even if it takes great skill) can become mindless, heartless drudgery” (Woolfe, 2002, p. 24). People must have a common goal to work towards. Some call it vision, some call it foresight. Which ever the case, it involves leading with a purpose. Leaders who offer that will never have a shortage of followers. Purpose forced the fisherman to drop their nets and follow Jesus. Purpose compelled the woman at the well to drop her water pot and spread the good news. “Your passion for something is an indication of what you find worthy in and of itself” (Kouzes and Posner, 2002, p. 112).

The purpose of each prophet was that each in his own way would keep an entire nation on task. Moses’ purpose was to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to the edge of the Promised Land. Joshua’s purpose was to lead them in and Solomon’s was to build a temple, not for his own glory, but for the glory of a higher purpose. Woolfe (2002) maintained “When a leader is dedicated to a purpose, and when all the ‘troops’ see that dedication is unwavering and ‘for real,’ great things happen (p. 27). Strategic leadership involves not only creating a vision but articulating and executing that vision as well.

Strategic Leadership involves the relationship of the external environment to choices about vision, mission, strategy, and their implementation. The organizational vision reflects the environment and works in concert with the organization’s mission (values, purpose, etc.). Strategy provides directions for translating the vision into action and is the basis for developing methods for implementation. Strategic leadership theory explains how changes in the organization’s environment affects the relative power of leaders. Yukl (2002) identified three factors that affect the ability of leaders to influence the performance of the organization: 1) The evolutionary stage of the organization; 2) Political power within the organization; and 3) The leader’s time in office (p. 348 – 352). Simply stated, the opportunity of a leader’s vision to impact the performance of an organization is greatly affected by historical factors such as the evolution of the organization, the leader’s level of influence, and his executive tenure.

Strategic Leadership involves the relationship of the external environment to choices about vision, mission, strategy, and their implementation. The organizational vision reflects the environment and works in concert with the organization’s mission (values, purpose, etc.). Strategy provides directions for translating the vision into action and is the basis for developing methods for implementation. Strategic leadership theory explains how changes in the organization’s environment affects the relative power of leaders. Yukl (2002) identified three factors that affect the ability of leaders to influence the performance of the organization: 1) The evolutionary stage of the organization; 2) Political power within the organization; and 3) The leader’s time in office (p. 348 – 352). Simply stated, the opportunity of a leader’s vision to impact the performance of an organization is greatly affected by historical factors such as the evolution of the organization, the leader’s level of influence, and his executive tenure.

When I reported as the Chief Engineer aboard USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58), I asked the Commanding Officer, my mentor and boss, where he saw the department going. He made a vague comment and turned the question around, and ask—"Where do you see the department going?" I became somewhat puzzled with his response. He was purposefully being vague and not answering my question because it was my job, as the Chief Engineer, to create the vision and direction for my department.

I should have been thinking about where I saw the department going, what it will take to get there, and how it fits into the Command’s overall strategy. The conclusion I arrived at became my most important motivational tool, and helped to align resources and to keep people focused on the tasks at hand. “The most important role of visions in organizational life is to give focus to human energy.” (Kouzes and Posner, 2002, p. 130). An effective vision is a leader’s most important motivational tool; you’ll refer to it time and again, explaining its benefits and relevance to various audiences as you work to keep them on board. Maxwell (1993) asserts “People do not follow a dream in itself. They follow the leader who has that dream and the ability to communicate it effectively. Therefore, vision in the beginning will make a leader, but for that vision to grow and demand a following, the leader must take responsibility for it” (p. 141).

More Than Logic

Leadership is not just about logic and reason. They have their place but there is much more to it than that. Acknowledging that it is not all rational is a major step toward accepting that there is something more important – people’s feelings and emotions. Kippenberger (2002) maintained that “Leaders need to understand that at the heart of what they are trying to do is getting the best out of people.” (p. 113).

To gain and keep the commitment of followers, the leader/follower relationship has to be nurtured. “Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow.” (Kouzes & Posner, 2002, p. 20). Diplomacy requires that we not only know and control our own emotions but also learn how to recognize and handle other people’s emotions as well. What a leader achieves today depends on the people they are leading, and the best way to succeed is to get them to give their best. “The job of a leader is to achieve a goal – that is the end, leading people is the means” (Kippenberger, 2002, p. 114).

Communicating Authenticity

Authenticity is hard to develop and harder to coach. “Since authenticity is a way of being as a leader rather than things you do as a leader, few instructions are outwardly helpful.” (Pearce, 2003, p. 11). Responsibility for authenticity, then, belongs to the leader. Through a combination of introspection and discipline, they have to find their authentic voice and amplify it so that it resonates with their followers.

One of the most difficult tasks for those who would measure and evaluate leadership is the task of trying to look at the elements that make up leadership. One way to look at these elements is to suggest that a leader has various skills, also has or exercises a distinctive style and, still more elusive, has various qualities that may be pronounced. By skill, I mean the capacity to do something well. Something that is learnable and can be improved, such as speaking or negotiating or planning. Most leaders need to have technical skills (such as writing well); human relations skills, the capacity to supervise, inspire, build coalition and so on; and also what might be called conceptual skills – the capacity to play with ideas, shrewdly seek advice and forge grand strategy. Skills can be examined. Skills can be taught. And skills plainly make up an important part of leadership capability. Skills alone, however, cannot guarantee success.

References

Biolos, Jim (1996, August). Harvard Management Update: Six Steps Toward Making a Team Innovative. Boston, MA. Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.

Herman Cain (Entrepreneur). (2005, September 15). The Regent University Executive Leadership Series. [Banquet]. Virginia Beach, VA. Regent University, School of Leadership Studies.

Holy Bible (1997). King James Version Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Hunter, James C. (2004). World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle: How to Become a Servant Leader. Westminster, MD: Crown Publishing Group. Retrieved March 8, 2006, from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/regent/Doc?id=10064922&ppg=145.

Kippenberger, Tony. (2002). Leadership Styles. Oxford UK. Capstone Publishing Ltd.

Kouzes, James M. and Posner, Barry Z. (2002). The Leadership Challenge. Third Edition. San Francisco, CA. Jossey-Bass Publishing.

Lassiter, David (2001) The Leader - Follower Partnership: It's a New Day. Leadership Advantage. [http://www.leadershipadvantage.com/leaderFollowerPartnership.shtml]

London, Manuel. (2001). Leadership Development: Paths to Self-Insight and Professional Growth. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Incorporated.

Malpurs, Aubrey. (2003). Being Leaders. The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership. Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Books.

Maxwell, John C. (1993). Developing the Leader Within You. Nashville, TN. Thomas Nelson Inc.

McGregor, Douglas. (2006). The Human Side of Enterprise. Annotated Edition by Joel Gutcher-Gershenfeld. New York, NY. McGraw-Hill.

Pearce, Terry (2003). Leading Out Loud : Inspiring Change Through Authentic Communication. San Francisco, CA. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Solum, Lawrence B. (2003, January) "Virtue Jurisprudence: A Virtue-Centered Theory of Judging". Metaphilosophy, Vol. 34, No. 1/2, pp. 178-213, Retrieved electronically27 February, 2006. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID369940_code030116630.pdf?abstractid=369940&mirid=1

Woolfe, Lorin. (2002). Bible on Leadership: From Moses to Matthew - Management Lessons for Contemporary Leaders. New York, NY. AMACOM.

Yukl, Gary (2002). Leadership in Organizations. 5th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Prentice Hall.

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Nature Vs Nurture - A Sociological Approach to Feral, Isolated, and Institutionalized Children

A common question related to sociology deals with the nature of the human being versus the way it is raised. Does one know if he is a boy or a girl upon birth, or does he make this distinction based on the actions and words of those around him? How does prison affect the functionality of a person once he is released to the world? These questions are strongly related to the nature versus nurture - does a human enter the world with basic human function, or does he develop these functions as a result of those around him.

One topic sociologists may study is feral children. These are children that were deserted at a very young age, with death usually the intention of the parents, but were rather raised and groomed by animals. Sociologists found that children raised by animals acquired the instincts and behaviors of the species that raised them. One example of this occurred in the 1700s, when a feral child known as "the wild boy of Aveyron" was discovered by scientists of the day. He was found in France in 1798, and it was observed that he walked on all fours, did not indicate pain related to cold temperatures, and pounced on small animals - devouring them raw in ravenous fashion. Although most sociologists will discard the significance of feral children because of the sparseness of cases, it still teaches us a lesson that children must learn how to act at a young age. This essential time of youth is when children develop many essential social behaviors.

A slightly more common study is on isolated children. These are children that were raised by one person or a small group of persons in an isolated area with minimal or no contact to a typical society. One girl, Isabelle, was raised by her deaf, mute mother in the attic of her grandfather. Upon being discovered at the age of 6, it was found that she could not talk, and rather relied on gestures to communicate with her mother. She also had a disease called rickets as a result of an inadequate diet and a lack of sunshine. This basically made her legs useless. Her behavior towards strangers, men especially, was like a wild animal. She treated them with fear and hostility - and could only make noise in the way of strange croaks. Initially she scored nearly zero on an IQ test - but because Isabelle was discovered at such a young age, she was able to reach the learning level expected from her age in two years. It is possible that results of isolation can be reversed if the child is younger than twelve. The primary problem, however, was a lack of a language, which is basic to all human interaction. All other interaction can be divided into sub categories to vocal communication.

These first two studies, isolated and feral children, can be viewed through one of Charles Horton Cooley's theories on human interaction. Cooley, who lived in the late 1800s, created a theory that summed up how human development occurs, capturing the theory in the concept of 'the looking glass self'. This theory had three primary elements: we imagine how we appear to those around us, we interpret others' reactions, and we develop a self concept. The basic gist of it is that we look at those around us, and base our appearance and social interactions on what they do and what they expect. If a feral child is raised by animals, he is going to acquire the attributes of those animals. Likewise, an isolated child will base his actions on other isolated individuals or no one, and will develop little or no basic interaction skill.

Still more common than isolated or feral children is institutionalized children. Two or three centuries ago, orphanages were much different than they are now. Children were raised with little or no care on a strict schedule. On top of this, children were often beaten, ragged, and denied food. As a result, children coming from orphanages tended to have difficulty establishing close bonds with others, and have lower IQs. In an account of a good Iowa orphanage in the 1930s, children were raised in the nursery until about six months. They were placed in cribs that had tall sides, effectively limiting vision to the world around them. No toys were hung from the cribs, not mother held them closely. The interaction they did get was limited to nurses who changed diapers, bedding, and provided them medication. Although everyone assumed that mental retardation was a "he was just born that way" issue, two sociologists investigated and followed the lives of the children who were raised in this Iowa orphanage. H. M. Skeels and H. B. Dye began to understand that a lack of mental stimulation was depriving these children of the basic human interaction skills they needed to be effective members of society. In a study, they took thirteen children who were obviously retarded and assigned them a retarded woman who would look after them. They also chose twelve children who would be raised in the orphanage the usual way, and tested both groups for IQ. The first group was noted to develop an intense relationship with their respective 'mothers', and received much more

attention than their counterparts. While all of the studied children were still retarded, it was noted that the first group's IQs spiked by a jaw-dropping average of 28 points. In an equally startling statistic, it was found that the other group's average dropped by an average of 30 IQ points. This study demonstrated the importance of human interaction at a young age.

A final lesson can be taken from deprived animals. These are animals that were stripped from their mother at a young age and raised in isolation. A famous study regarding this topic was conducted by Harry and Margaret Harlow, who raised a baby monkey in isolation. They constructed two 'mothers' for their monkey, one which was a wire frame with a nipple on it from which the monkey could nurse, and one that was covered in soft fabric. They found that even though the first mother provided nourishment, the baby would cling to the soft mother when frightened, showing that the monkey felt more comfortable through intimate physical contact - or cuddling.

When the monkey was introduced to a monkey community, he was rejected, and had no concept of how normal monkey civilization was structured. He knew neither how to play normally with the other monkeys, nor how to engage in sexual intercourse, despite several feeble attempts.

Upon conducting this study with female monkeys, they found that those that did become pregnant became vicious mothers - they struck their babies, kicked them, or crushed them against the floor. These were monkeys who were raised in this isolated environment for years, and had no chance of integration to society. Other monkeys were observed to overcome these disabilities with increasingly positive results: a corresponding relationship with the amount of time spent in isolation. Monkeys isolated for three to six months were relatively easily integrated, while monkeys isolated for years suffered irreversible effects. When applied to humans, we understand that social interaction is key to a socially efficient product.

In short, society makes us human. Babies do not naturally develop into adults, and social ideas are not transferred via DNA. Although the body may grow, isolation victimizes them to be little more than mere animals. In fact, a lack of language skill results in an inability to even grasp the relations between people - such as father, mother, teacher and friend. In order to develop into an adult, children must be surrounded by people who care for them. This process called "socialization" shows that we are crafted by those around us.

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What Is Your Running Philosophy?

There's a lot of different motivations that people can have to run. Some people run for health or to lose weight. Other people just like the social aspects. And those are certainly big benefits that I enjoy, but they aren't the main reason that I run.

Discovering why you run can help you direct your training and which races you are going to attend, and will help you decide when it might be time to play it safe and back off in your training or when the rewards justify pushing your own limits to see just how close to red-lining you can get without actually forcing an injury on yourself.

The big thing for me has always been the competition aspect of running. That's just been one of the greatest motivations for me to get out there.

I like being able to test yourself against how you ran in the past, and how you can run against everybody in your community. With some of the bigger races, I love how you can run against people across the country or across the world, and how when you toe the starting line, there's little to no difference between you and your fellow man. You can be racing a field of elite runners, but the course they run is the same course that you will. It's just fascinating to me.

Now as I've gotten older I've found that I like pushing my limits and running further and further. This isn't to say that I'm enjoying things that others can't do because most people are certainly capable of doing the same feats that I've done. I've found it's just more interesting to do things that other people won't necessarily choose to go out and do and which they wouldn't consider anybody who does do these sorts of events to be in their right mind.

For example, some of my favorite races to date have involved running for 50 miles out in the desert, or racing 50 kilometers back and forth on a 2 mile stretch of road in 97 degree heat. Those are the kind of things I actually enjoy doing that most others would never even consider. I find them fun, just running for hours on end.

The biggest thing anyone can do is just to get out there and make sure that you enjoy whatever activity you are taking part in and to find whatever your motivations are. Once you find what they are, latch on to them and run with it.

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Unveiling the Mask of Philosophy Essay

In this weeks journal we are discussing the essays of Kucklick, Outlaw, Locke, and West. "The Changing Character of Philosophizing in America", an essay about the periods of philosophy and how it had an impact in shaping philosophy. "Philosophy, African-Americans, and the Unfinished American Revolution", an essay reasoning why African American philosophy was suppressed and what this has done to the future of philosophy. "Good Reading", an essay on the character of philosophy. And "Philosophy, Politics, and Power: An Afro-American Perspective", an essay on African-Americans having a revolution.

"The Changing Character of Philosophizing in American" started off in the middle of the seventeenth century...the First World War I. Kucklick discusses how during this time early philosophy started off with the Puritans and how priests were considered to be the philosophers. At this time philosophers were considered to be the "public man." Kucklick says how these thinkers based their ideas off of human, nature, the divine, godly ways (the bible). Later Kucklick goes on to talk about the second period, which was the first third of the eighteenth century, World War II.

During this time science was starting to come into play. This is when you have your Newton and Locke stirring up conflict with those who based things on the divine and spiritual truth. Newton came in and had people realizing that science played a role in the development of philosophy. With this you have Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mather, and Benjamin Franklin coming into the picture and realizing that there was a union between science, philosophy, and religion...Kucklicks third period, after World War II, the twentieth century is when things started to become more technical. Your philosophers came to be known as your teachers, professors, and some of your politicians. This brought techniques of popularity and ideas from the past to be the barrier between the different philosophers. Kucklick goes on to talk about how the future of philosophy was going down hill. The philosophers he called "ignorantly provincial, naïve, and woolly-minded", stating that philosophers have disregarded the history of philosophy.

"Philosophy, African-Americans, and the Unfinished American Revolution", starts off giving you the background of the word philosophy, which came to be known as the realm of the architect and custodian of the specifications of what it means to be human. This came was said to come from the people in Europe, which claimed themselves to be the only ones who knew where knowledge came from. Outlaw goes on to talk about how politics had an affect on philosophy dealing with the social classes between very wealthy and the working class. He also goes into great detail about the suppression of African-Americans. He seems to believe that these philosophers were basing everything on the White-Americans. When they were not the only ones there. It was as if they had forgot that when they came over that they brought Africans with them and the Indians were already there. They only looked at their traditions and their culture. Which bring forth the question, how can you say there is no such thing as African American Philosophy? What makes your background philosophy and mine not? Outlaw still thinks that blacks are still going through this suppression, but we are to blind to even realize this.

"Good Reading," and" Philosophy, Politics, and Power: An Afro-American Perspective", talked about what philosophy was and what it has become. Both of these essays discuss the emphasis that used to be placed on philosophy and how now it has turned into something that no one really pays that much attention to anymore. Philosophy has become one of those things that bores people and can only be understood by the intellects. But, West also has another idea. He speaks of a revolution of blacks that he thinks should take place soon.

To conclude these readings have torn us in many directions on where to find out what the animal African- American Philosophy really is. From Kucklicks theory from the Bible to Outlaws idea of suppression one can see that there is an animal called African-American Philosophy, and we have just discovered it.

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Corporate Politics

Unfortunately for much of the corporate world, the daily grind includes politics within the work group. Regardless of what level the company is on within the corporate world, when workers come together in a hierarchical system there are always those jockeying for position, which always falls to political competition.

In a corporate environment, there are extensive checks and balances to ensure proper work flow, and efficiency. These checks and balances are usually mandatory to the proper function of the company, but can in fact cause problems when the employees enforcing them become motivated by personal gain, as opposed to that of the work group. In most cases corporate politics become an innate property of the companies system of checks and balances. When this happens those in positions of authority are being pressed to retain their position, by those above them. In other words, the president of the company makes sure the vice president knows that if he doesn't perform to a certain standard, his position could be in jeopardy. By doing this, he places a level of pressure on the vice president, which in turn causes the vice president to do what it takes to retain his image of being the correct person for his position. To retain this image, whether or not a worker performs adequately to do so, the worker will often use political means.

A worker motivated by political means will typically take measures to make others look less adequate, such as making them hardly visible in the companies eye, or highlighting their mistakes, and covering up their successes. Unfortunately this behavior will almost certainly trickle down the hierarchy of authority to the lowest level.

As a solution to corporate politics it is best to do one of two things; either take a accordingly aggressive position, or an acceptably passive position. If you intend to surpass your boss you're going to have to outshine him. To do this you will have to be under the same eye that he is. In order to outshine your boss you will have to be more aggressive than he is, and ensure you never show flaw when checked upon, regardless of his glamorizing of your flaws. On the contrary if you have no intention of passing your boss, you should show absolutely no sign of being a competitor. By doing so you will show your boss that he has nothing to worry about, and thus will not pay your interests any more attention than as needed.

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