W05 Reflection

This week in class was really eye-opening for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership and how it fits into my life, especially since I’m trying to build a small business with my friend. One thing that stuck with me was from "Leadership with a Small 'L'" by President Kim B. Clark. He talks about leading in a quiet way, not with big titles or power, but through service and love, just like the Savior did. It’s not about being the boss who tells everyone what to do, but being a "minister" and "servant" as Jesus said in the scriptures. That resonated because in my startup, we’re just starting out, and I don’t want to be the guy who bosses around—we need to lift each other up. I’m from Guatemala, and back home, family is everything, so leading with kindness feels natural, but this reading reminded me to make it intentional, even when things get tough.

Another big one was " A Disciple Preparation Center (DPC)" by Elder David A. Bednar. He describes BYU-Idaho like a missionary training center, where we’re isolated a bit to focus intensely on growing as disciples. It’s short-term but intense, with rules for dress and behavior, and close to a temple. School feels like that sometimes, pulling me away from distractions to build faith and skills. As a 27-year-old married guy, I’m not the typical student, but this idea of preparing to be a disciple-leader in my family and business hits home. My wife and I got married last year in Kentucky, and we’re building our life together. I want to lead our home with that small "l" leadership, serving her and any kids we have in the future.

The "Good to Great" stuff was awesome too. From the book summary and the video with Jim Ritchie, I learned that "good is the enemy of great." It’s easy to settle for being okay, but greatness comes from discipline, getting the right people "on the bus," and focusing on what you’re passionate about and best at. The hedgehog concept—knowing your passion, what you can be best at, and what drives your engine—made me think about my business. We’re a startup, and we do everything ourselves, but maybe we need to focus more on our strengths instead of trying to do it all. The video mentioned celebrating ideas and taking risks as leading indicators of success, which excites me because I love innovating, but I’ve been scared of failing. Ritchie says to embrace failure and learn, which ties back to disciple leadership—growing through challenges.

Building trust was another key from "Aspects of Building Trust" and "Hiring Ethical People." Guy Kawasaki says trustworthiness starts with trusting others first, like Amazon letting you return books or Zappos with free shipping. And hiring nice people who are ethical—treat them as you’d want to be treated. That’s like the Golden Rule from the scriptures. In "Leadership and Capability," Carly Fiorina talks about capability as asking questions and listening, not just skills. Collaboration and character matter too. This makes me want to hire people for my business who are decent and moral, not just smart.

I’m looking forward to learning more about applying these to real life. Like, how to dream big but stay disciplined. The "Achieving Higher Ground" reading (I think it’s part of the disciple stuff) talks about leaders taking people to higher ground, teaching by example. I want to do that in my family and work. We’re just a startup, but simulating big companies in CapSim shows me how executives analyze trends and focus on customer wants, not perfect products. I’m excited to experience more team rounds and see our company grow in the simulation. Hopefully, this helps me turn my business from good to great. There’s still a lot I don’t get, like balancing debt or automation fully, but I’m getting there. As a Hispanic guy in college at 27, married and far from Guatemala, these lessons feel personal—they’re about leading with faith and heart.