[Brielle Buckler]

Read the background story of each of these 3 successful entrepreneurs, activists, and leaders. Analyze, compare, contrast their backgrounds and personal characteristics.

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Frederick W. Smith
• Lebron James

What do they have in common? What stands out about these individuals? What do you notice that is different? Write a response below explaining commonalities and differences.

Given what you’ve learned about each of these entrepreneurs: do you think leaders are born or made? Why?

————

In order to receive full credit for this assignment, all components of this assignment are due by 11:59pm ET on Sunday, October 16, 2022. You should first contribute a thoughtful post of your own before viewing/commenting on the posts of others. Students should review others’ submissions and comment meaningfully (refer to this guide from MSSU for reference) to at least two other students. For reference, here is the difference between a comment and a post — you will be using both for this assignment.

Once you submit your post, you must respond meaningfully to at least two other classmates’ threads. This assignment is worth a total of ten (10) points — 6 possible points for your original post, and up to 2 points for each of the two responses to your classmates’ posts. Please reference our Discussion Rubric for more information.

• This topic was modified 2 years ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Republish
• This topic was modified 2 years ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Republish
• This topic was modified 2 years ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Updated Links

[Ivanna Balarezo]

After finishing reading the biographies of three different people I could not immediately think of any similarities between their backgrounds or paths in life. The differences came first for me. Alexandria was in the political world, Frederick in the business world and James in the sports world. And I noticed that each of them had accomplished goals or faced challenges but all in their own worlds. That is when I realized that what they had in common was being motivated or willingness to pursue a dream.

I started thinking about what brought these individuals to be recognized by others in each of their personal field of expertise. Alexandria faced financial hardship for a time with her family after the loss of her father but that did not bring her down. She had a clear goal and message that she wanted to transmit to people and with effort, she became elected for congress. Frederick had suffered from a syndrome in his childhood but recovered soon after. While in college he had an idea for a potential business and a few years later he founded the delivery service company he had thought of. Lastly, James manifested passion for basketball since he was a kittle kid and did not doubt in pursuing his passion. And, despite the lost championships and hardships, his passion remained the same.

What I find an important and similar trait in the three of them is perseverance. I believe leaders a combination between born and made. There are some skills that I find fundamental in a leader like: motivation, knowing how to transmit, commitment, rightfulness and more. But, with these traits alone, you are not getting anywhere. You need people to help you in the process of leadership. For example, Alexandria would not have made it without a team that could support her ideas and intentions. Frederick did not manage the company by himself, he needed workers, systems and channels to operate the company. And, even as good as James is at playing Basketball, it takes a team to win.

More importantly, what leaders need are people to lead. What is a leader with no followers? Nothing. Is the basic premise in order to lead. Each of these individuals had their own followers. People responding to Alexandria’s vision for their future, people supporting the delivery company by buying the service of delivery and people placing their trust and welcoming into a basketball player or team. So, for me, a good leader is a perfect match between natural talent and the factors and people that allowed him to be leader.

[Saleh Sharhan]

After reading the background stories of all three mentioned individuals, one will have to conclude that both Lebron James and Fredrick W. Smith have put tremendous efforts toward their success. However, despite living in her district, I believe that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is lucky in where she stands today.

Regarding AOC, she did very well when she beat the 10 times incumbent in New York’s 14th congressional district. After this tremendous victory and up until today, she has earned wide-media coverage. I believe the reason for her success as an activist is that she picked up Sander’s momentum where he left off after he, though not getting the Democratic nomination, had a successful run in the main street. Also, AOC care seems to draw the younger generation, as evident in her social media following whereby the majority of users are young.

LeBron James is a different story. Lebron is a successful athlete, businessman, and family man. With a tremendous 19-year career in the NBA, he became the face of the sport and during those years, he built many businesses whereby his net worth exceeded 1 billion dollars as of June 2022. Besides material wealth, LeBron has earned many followers and respect after his support of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the cause against police brutality and excessive use of force in the United States.

Finally, Frederick W. Smith is an exceptional story, though he used his inheritance money, that is 3 million dollars to found Federal Express, his utilizing this money has created a 40 billion dollar enterprise as of today. For instance, an ordinary person with an inheritance equivalent to 23 million dollars would’ve used the money to live comfortably but what makes Smiths special is that he risked all of this to establish his business which at some point insolvent with only $5,000 in cash that smith presumably gambled in Vegas.

Now, one would ask the question: what is common among all said individuals? All were given the opportunity to succeed and used such opportunities to, well, succeed and stand where they stand today. That said, LeBron and Smith are similar because both created products and services people desired and needed. Both samith and LeBron, even though could’ve chosen not start businesses, decided to go further and are now reaping the rewards. However this is different from AOC where, though successful, she is just a successful organizer of different issues from the environment to wealth inequality.

Though it would be interesting to argue whether leaders are born or made, a more rational position will be both. That is not to say that leaders are born with different talents and intelligence of that in the common man, but leaders are born to predetermined conditions wherein the environment they’re in makes them flourish and succeed. Even then, few will succeed with proper environments because they (i.e., successful individuals) have to go an extra step, utilize opportunities around them, and take risks, well, in order to become a successful activist or an entrepreneur.

[Fatima ALGABYALI]

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>These individuals each have unique perspectives and life experiences to offer. These individuals stand out for their ability to inspire others. As engaging public speakers, they may all motivate and encourage others to achieve their goals. In their various sectors, they have all had remarkable success. These individuals stand out due to their background and past experiences. For instance, Oprah Winfrey, one of the most well-known media celebrities in the world, surmounted many obstacles despite having a challenging background. Lebron James, who was raised in a better environment, has used his status to support social problems in comparison. Frederick W. Smith is a businessman, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a politician. These people all have different viewpoints and experiences to give, but they are all connected by intelligence, ambition, and success. They are all effective leaders who have contributed to their fields in beneficial ways.</span>

 

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Leadership is a skill that you may learn through time; it is not something you are born with. These businesspeople have all demonstrated the capacity to excite and inspire others, which are crucial traits of a leader. Another essential quality of a leader that they have shown is that they are always learning and developing. More than merely motivation and inspiration, leadership involves taking initiative and bringing about change. All of these businesspeople have demonstrated their willingness to act and drive results. Another essential quality of a leader that they have shown is that they are always learning and developing.</span>

[Ivanna Balarezo]

Hey Fatima! Your perception of leadership is very interesting. You say leadership is learned and shaped by environment and background and not something you are born with. All these remarkable people did took initiative about plans and goals they had, in spite of all the problems they faced. However, I would like to read some more information about leadership and how leaders come to be. In any case, your point of view brings a new angle to the question that has more room to develop.

 

[Ivanna Balarezo]

After finishing reading the biographies of three different people I could not immediately think of any similarities between their backgrounds or paths in life. The differences came first for me. Alexandria was in the political world, Frederick in the business world and James in the sports world. And I noticed that each of them had accomplished goals or faced challenges but all in their own worlds. That is when I realized that what they had in common was being motivated or willingness to pursue a dream.
I started thinking about what brought these individuals to be recognized by others in each of their personal field of expertise. Alexandria faced financial hardship for a time with her family after the loss of her father but that did not bring her down. She had a clear goal and message that she wanted to transmit to people and with effort, she became elected for congress. Frederick had suffered from a syndrome in his childhood but recovered soon after. While in college he had an idea for a potential business and a few years later he founded the delivery service company he had thought of. Lastly, James manifested passion for basketball since he was a kittle kid and did not doubt in pursuing his passion. And, despite the lost championships and hardships, his passion remained the same.
What I find an important and similar trait in the three of them is perseverance. I believe leaders a combination between born and made. There are some skills that I find fundamental in a leader like: motivation, knowing how to transmit, commitment, rightfulness and more. But, with these traits alone, you are not getting anywhere. You need people to help you in the process of leadership. For example, Alexandria would not have made it without a team that could support her ideas and intentions. Frederick did not manage the company by himself, he needed workers, systems and channels to operate the company. And, even as good as James is at playing Basketball, it takes a team to win.
More importantly, what leaders need are people to lead. What is a leader with no followers? Nothing. Is the basic premise in order to lead. Each of these individuals had their own followers. People responding to Alexandria’s vision for their future, people supporting the delivery company by buying the service of delivery and people placing their trust and welcoming into a basketball player or team. So, for me, a good leader is a perfect match between natural talent and the factors and people that allowed him to be leader.

[xue,wang]

After reading about these three entrepreneurs, the only thing in common is that their childhoods were very difficult. Some of them have poor family conditions, and some are born with physical disabilities. And they stick to what they love.

I think what makes these people special is their attitude, they are the best in their field, they have independent thinking, and they have the spirit of taking risks and fighting for it. The difference is the life trajectories of these three people and their lifestyle choices.

I think leaders are all acquired. Although their abilities are innate, they cannot be fully stimulated if they are not learned and practiced the day after tomorrow. Therefore, successful entrepreneurs need to learn and accumulate experience over the years to develop the eternal characteristics of leaders. And relying on innate ability can only go a little smoother than others at the very beginning. Because leadership is a comprehensive art. It not only includes various specific management skills and management methods but also includes foresight and planning, communication and coordination, sincerity and balance, and many more elements.

[Ivanna Balarezo]

Hi Xue! I love how you talk about our innate abilities. You have a brought view of how leadership works, you took into account how we need to develop our abilities, lean and practice these traits often in order to become a leader. Is true that being born with some characteristic will not be sufficient by themselves to fulfill the role of a leader. Fascinating point of view!

[Saleh Sharhan]

<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>After reading the background stories of all three mentioned individuals, one will have to conclude that both Lebron James and Fredrick W. Smith have put tremendous efforts toward their success. However, despite living in her district, I believe that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (i.e., AOC) yes have put effort to push her progressive agenda to the world, however, she is still a politician which, personally, I have little passion for them.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Regarding AOC, she did very well when she beat the 10 times incumbent in New York’s 14th congressional district. After this tremendous victory and up until today, she has earned wide-media coverage. I believe the reason for her success as an activist is that she picked up Sander’s momentum where he left off after he, though not getting the Democratic nomination, had a successful run in main street (i.e., ordinary folk) in 2016. Also, AOC seems to draw the younger generation, as evident in her social media following. Said generation (i.e., Gen Z) is fully aware of the negative environmental impact our lifestyle bears. Though one might seem a bit cynical, Gen Z loves fast fashion, replacing phones annually, and much of a lifestyle that produces negative impacts to our plan. This subject might be discussed in another topic and I don’t want to personally appear as a baby boomer even though I’m only 21.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Furthermore, LeBron James is a different story. Lebron is a successful athlete, a businessman, and a family man. With a tremendous 19-year career in the NBA, he became the face of the sport and during those years, he built many businesses whereby his net worth exceeded 1 billion dollars as of June 2022. Besides material wealth, LeBron has earned many followers and respect after his support of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the cause against police brutality and excessive use of force in the United States.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Finally, Frederick W. Smith is an exceptional story, though he used his inheritance money, that is 3 million dollars to found Federal Express, his utilizing this money has created a 40-billion-dollar enterprise as of today. For instance, an ordinary person with an inheritance equivalent to 23 million dollars would’ve used the money to live comfortably but what makes Smiths special is that he risked all of this to establish his business which at some point was insolvent with only $5,000 in cash that smith presumably gambled in Vegas with.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Now, one would ask the question: what is common among all said individuals? All were given the opportunity to succeed and used such opportunities to, well, succeed and stand where they stand today. That said, LeBron and Smith are similar because both created products and services people desired and needed. Both Smith and LeBron, even though could’ve chosen not to start businesses, decided to go further and are now reaping the rewards. However, this is different from AOC where, though successful and picked the opportunity where Sanders has left off, she is just a successful organizer of different issues from the environment to wealth inequality.</p>
<p style=”font-weight: 400;”>Though it would be interesting to argue whether leaders are born or made, a more rational position will be both. That is not to say that leaders are born with different talents and intelligence of that in the common man, but leaders are born to predetermined conditions wherein the environment they’re in makes them flourish and succeed. Even then, few will succeed in proper environments because they (i.e., successful individuals) have to go the extra step. Utilizing opportunities, and taking risks, well, in order to become successful is what creates leaders in my opinion but only after basic environmental (i.e., born with or granted) factors have been involved.</p>
Cheers,

Saleh

[Oumou Jalloh]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frederick Smith and Lebron James are American – based leaders into different fields. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is American activist and politician. She is having authentic female voice and a great speaker to whom people listen with interest. She is energetic and powerhouse leader.  She is also highly ambitious leader. She is a charismatic leader who is having influencing power. Frederick Smith is American business investor and magnate.  He is strategic leader who focuses on the innovation as well as result-oriented leader. He also has out of box thinking and approaches. He leadership style is transformative. Lebron James is American basketball player. He is an inspirational leader who inspire other players to achieve the best and get success in their sports. He also took steps against the injustice and standby his beliefs.  The common thing among these three are that they are inspirational as well as achievers in their field. They are transformational leaders who brought the change in their field.  I learnt from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that the speech can motivate followers. From Frederick Smith, I learnt that it is required to have strategic thinking in order to bring innovation in the business. From Lebron James, I learnt that it is significant to take step to deal with injustice.  They are born leaders has they have used their capabilities and competencies.

[Eylul Karaosman]

There are more differences than similarities. All three leaders are successful people in their fields. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is successful in politics fields. Fredrick W. Smith is successful in the business field, and Lebron James is successful in the sports field. When it comes to similarities, all three of them had motivation and desire. They all chased after their dreams and didn’t give up.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American Democratic socialist and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. On June 26, 2018, she defeated 10-term congressman Joe Crowley in NY’S 14th congressional district. Ocasio-Cortez comes from a working-class Puerto Rican family that lives in the Bronx. Even though Cortez had financial hardships, that didn’t stop her from chasing after her dream; the way she got known was honestly luck.

Fredrick W. Smith is an American business executive that founded FedEx in 1971. Smith came from a wealthy family, and his father was also an entrepreneur; He founded Dixie Greyhound Lines. Fredrick Smith studied at Yale, and in college, he wrote a paper on overnight deliveries, and that is how he came up with the idea of FedEx. FedEx initially struggled; however, with the money he won in Las Vegas, he managed to keep the business afloat.

Lebron James is one of the greatest basketball players. He skipped college to join the NBA. James showed a natural talent for basketball at a young age. He first joined Cleveland and won many championships. He came from a low-income family and worked his way up in his field. James is the youngest player to receive the award for the NBA Rookie of the Year.

I think leaders are made. Being a leader comes through experience, determination, and desire. Even if someone is born intelligent, they must be determined to reach their goals. No matter the case, you have to work for your dreams.

[Author]

Posts