Leadership: An Episode of Stargate SG-1, Michael Shanks and a Unas Create a Moment of Reflection
What kind of leader do you want to be? Deciding now can help you when the leadership tests in life appear.
We can all have a list of qualities and skills that fit our ideal list of leadership.
But, it is only when our leadership qualities are tested through trials and tribulations that we get to see who we truly are.
Faced with a list of choices we can imagine and predict what we are going to do.
We don't really know until we are in situations that test our leadership.
An example of leadership was demonstrated in a rerun of the television show Stargate SG-1.
Michael Shanks plays a character named Daniel Jackson.
Daniel is an archaeologist and translator and the moral conscience for the team of four.
In one of the episodes he is captured by an Unas.
The Unas are a primitive culture with stone age-level technology.
They live in tribes with defined territories.
It appears that Daniel will be dinner or at the very least his life will be sacrificed.
There is a moment where he tries to escape but he sees a quality in the Unas where he is also being protected.
Daniel's main leadership role is to understand different cultures and to communicate with them.
Communication, cooperation and collaboration are some of his deepest leadership qualities and values.
He takes the lead in communicating and understanding the Unas.
Even if this is the end of his life, he stays true to his values of leadership and purpose.
The relationship changes and Daniel is saved.
I know this is a science fiction television show with actors.
But watching the show made me think of my own leadership skills.
I wondered if I would be able to keep my leadership values intact if I were in a situation where my life was on the line.
It is not until we are tested in situations that we truly know ourselves.
A few years ago, I was in a metro station in Washington, DC with a group of homeschooled children and their parents.
We had been walking to museums all day.
When the train pulled up, we pushed the kids to the front of the line so they could get a seat for the 15 minute ride to the parking lot where our cars were parked.
With a half-filled train of passengers, the doors began to close before any of the parents were on the train with the kids.
When I saw the the doors begin to close I started to yell out, "Our kids are on the train alone!" I shoved my body through the crowd to get onto the train sticking my arm out to stop the doors from closing.
I pushed forward and wedged my body in between the doors as they repeatedly tried to close with me in the doorway.
I continued to yell, "Our kids are on the train alone!" As people moved aside, clutching their purses and retreating away from me, I didn't care if I looked like a crazy person.
All I could think of in that moment was I needed to get to the kids.
I didn't stop to think about my safety or how it would look to anyone.
I took action as a leader.
Now, I know.
If the safety of my children is at stake, I am likely to risk my life to save them.
In life we have opportunities every day to demonstrate leadership in small ways.
Here is question for you to reflect on: What are the most important leadership qualities? Are you living them in the small day to day moments of your life? Practice them now.
For the leadership tests surround you every day, in every way, defining who you are.
Make the choice to be a leader in your life.
We can all have a list of qualities and skills that fit our ideal list of leadership.
But, it is only when our leadership qualities are tested through trials and tribulations that we get to see who we truly are.
Faced with a list of choices we can imagine and predict what we are going to do.
We don't really know until we are in situations that test our leadership.
An example of leadership was demonstrated in a rerun of the television show Stargate SG-1.
Michael Shanks plays a character named Daniel Jackson.
Daniel is an archaeologist and translator and the moral conscience for the team of four.
In one of the episodes he is captured by an Unas.
The Unas are a primitive culture with stone age-level technology.
They live in tribes with defined territories.
It appears that Daniel will be dinner or at the very least his life will be sacrificed.
There is a moment where he tries to escape but he sees a quality in the Unas where he is also being protected.
Daniel's main leadership role is to understand different cultures and to communicate with them.
Communication, cooperation and collaboration are some of his deepest leadership qualities and values.
He takes the lead in communicating and understanding the Unas.
Even if this is the end of his life, he stays true to his values of leadership and purpose.
The relationship changes and Daniel is saved.
I know this is a science fiction television show with actors.
But watching the show made me think of my own leadership skills.
I wondered if I would be able to keep my leadership values intact if I were in a situation where my life was on the line.
It is not until we are tested in situations that we truly know ourselves.
A few years ago, I was in a metro station in Washington, DC with a group of homeschooled children and their parents.
We had been walking to museums all day.
When the train pulled up, we pushed the kids to the front of the line so they could get a seat for the 15 minute ride to the parking lot where our cars were parked.
With a half-filled train of passengers, the doors began to close before any of the parents were on the train with the kids.
When I saw the the doors begin to close I started to yell out, "Our kids are on the train alone!" I shoved my body through the crowd to get onto the train sticking my arm out to stop the doors from closing.
I pushed forward and wedged my body in between the doors as they repeatedly tried to close with me in the doorway.
I continued to yell, "Our kids are on the train alone!" As people moved aside, clutching their purses and retreating away from me, I didn't care if I looked like a crazy person.
All I could think of in that moment was I needed to get to the kids.
I didn't stop to think about my safety or how it would look to anyone.
I took action as a leader.
Now, I know.
If the safety of my children is at stake, I am likely to risk my life to save them.
In life we have opportunities every day to demonstrate leadership in small ways.
Here is question for you to reflect on: What are the most important leadership qualities? Are you living them in the small day to day moments of your life? Practice them now.
For the leadership tests surround you every day, in every way, defining who you are.
Make the choice to be a leader in your life.
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