Jacob S. Paulsen.com

In every possible way Albus Dumbledore from the Harry Potter stories, is the epitome of a great leader. There is of course the first are foremost organization of Hogwarts school that he leads forward with great leadership but much more importantly he is the leader of the greater fight against evil. There are a long list of things that make Dumbledore a great leader. Among them are some of the manager qualities of organization, reporting, and communication. However management never was leadership and Corporations who don’t understand that fail. What we are trying to establish here is the fact that Dumbledore was a great leader and establish what key traits made him such.

In trying to establish his leadership I suggest we look at the results that come from Albus Dumbledore’s leadership in the Harry Potter books. People of course love him and trust him, and his enemies fear him. His school runs smoothly despite his occasional absence or eccentric staff appointments and decisions. He also seems to have a habit of creating other effective leaders all around him. It would seem that he is somehow connected to every important and significant witch or wizard in the country. He is even the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and founder and leader of The Order of the Phoenix but take note that he turned down the position of Minister of Magic. He works only in roles that give him an advantage in his goals. To further argue that he is a great leader I would point out that even though he does make mistakes (and he admits it), his goals are accomplished in the end. The reign of Voldemort comes to an end and that age of evil falls. Harry lives.

Accepting that he is indeed a great leader let us consider what are his greatest traits at the source of that fine leadership. Some of the more immediate answers might include that he knows his own strengths and utilizes them well. Perhaps the fact that he has an eye for great talent and knows how to effectively deploy people to the greatest advantage of the group and the individuals. He also adapts well to change and tends to foresee what’s coming. While these are all qualities of a great leader, and certainly qualities that Dumbledore possess, they are not the core qualities that define him as a leader.

Consider how his world revolves around two overlying values, trust and love. Dumbledore is a man who cares about the truth and has a strange tendency to trust people. Despite this people trust him so much that as Hermoine points out, “Dumbledore trusts him and if we can’t trust Dumbledore who can we trust?” People trust him for one simple reason. They know he sincerely cares about them. They trust that he has no hidden agenda or secondary motive. This trust comes from his ability to care or to be more frank, love. He loves people and sincerely wants what’s best for them. This isn’t a fake smile and a dance but a true feeling that comes from deep down. Consider anyone who you think of as a great leader and you will agree that you trusted them and you were confident they had your best interests at heart.

Dumbledore is always trying to train more leaders and Harry Potter is our prime candidate. Dumbledore could have spent time teaching Harry Potter a variety of magic or techniques but he knows how to create a great leader. He focuses on principles and key among them are a quest for truth and the power of true love. Remember that as you interact with people around you. Do you truly care about those around you? We are no longer in a society where facades and hidden motives can stay hidden. People can sense sincerity and a lack of it. Follow both Dumbledore and Harry’s example as you strive to become a great leader.

Jacob S Paulsen

Of all the things I have learned from the Harry Potter saga, this is the most powerful to me. If you were to ask yourself what was Harry Potter’s greatest strength or asset; what would you say? I would say, “his friends.”

The strength of any person can be measured by those who are loyal to him. This was well illustrated by both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore, who had such a large number of loyal followers, we cannot begin to list all of them. I hesitate to use the word followers, lest each of us think we need to gain followers (not referring to twitter friends). What I really mean by followers, is people who would readily come to your aid; people who would willing sacrifice their own needs or possessions to grant yours. In effect, people who love you.

We see this pattern over and over as Harry’s friends including Ron, Hermoine, Neville, Luna, & Ginny willingly put their own needs behind them in an effort to help and assist Harry. This was because of both their love for Harry and for their love of Harry’s cause.

Adults were equally drawn in to him. Dumbledore, Lupin, McGonagall, Hagrid, the Weasleys, and countless others were willing to sacrifice their own lives for him and several did.

Creatures including Dobby, Creature, Buckbeak, and Hedwig were eager to defend him and his interests.

The greatest assets anyone can have in their lives are the relationships they build. If you are a religious person, you understand further that your greatest asset is your greatest relationship; the one with your divine creator.

Cherish the people around you. Give them a reason to believe in you by believing in them. Relationships go both ways. The people who have the greatest influence and power, are those who have learned to love and cherish the greatest number of people.

Jacob S Paulsen

Every year I listen to the Harry Potter books. Something about the epic story really captivates me. As I am moving through the books right now I intend to post a series of posts on personal development lessons we can learn from Harry Potter and his stories. Here is the first installment.

Lesson 1: “Well, well . . . I’m impressed. That suggests what you fear most of all is — fear. Very wise, Harry.” -Professor Lupin

The above quote comes from book 3 in the series and has had me thinking all day. Most people set there fears on specific things such as spiders, heights, water, death, and even commitment.

Harry Potter, as is suggested, fears most of all fear itself. Someone who fears fear is most likely to confront and overcome anything they suspect might scare them. Is this wise?

I am suggesting that our friend Professor Lupin from the story was right, and that this practice/attitude is wise. Why? What is to be gained by confronting and overcoming things that scare you? There are a few simple and logical answers.

1. Overcoming fears will mean that you are scared of less things. This can only be a good thing.

2. The process of confronting fear will only strengthen your character, giving you more power to deal with the conflicts that life gives us.

3. Fearing fear itself gives you a strong understanding of reality and thus gives you more freedom in life to take action and pursue happiness.

People who struggle with fears but are too weak to confront them, face two very large problems. First is that they are bound to live life in constant fear. Second being that their ability to deal with conflicts is generally weakened as they continue to “run” away from the things they fear.

It certainly works for Harry in the story. Although Harry sometimes plunges into dangerous situations unwisely, it is foolishness and not a lack for fear than often puts him in danger. His ability to confront fear instead of dread it however proves to be a helpful trait. It allows him to think logically when under stress, and to do what is frankly necessary regardless what the consequences might be. Harry Potter fans will mistakenly notice this reoccurring pattern throughout the literary saga.

I suggest we all follow Harry’s example and confront our fears head on. By fighting them we increase our own ability to live life to its fullest and function within a true reality of our environment.

Overcoming fear does not mean we need to put ourselves in danger to prove we can handle it. If you are scared of lightning it may not be necessary to stand on top of a hill in a puddle of water during a thunderstorm. It does mean you need to learn the true reality of how lightning works and live in caution but not fear.

I leave you with this final thought; Fear Not. Fear is a tool used to keep you at bay, controllable, and weak. Confront it and overcome its power over you. This will make you both free and strong!

Ask yourself this question… what would your bugart transform into?

Jacob S Paulsen