Mr. Areskin: Summary And Analysis

I had an exceptional college professor named Mr. Areskin who had a great impact on my life. I will never forget him because he ignited my passion for knowledge and languages, including English. He taught me to be confident and believe that there is no limit to what I can achieve through hard work and determination. I wasn’t aware of some of my talents that he discovered in me. Instead of focusing on our failures he concentrated more on our “talents” and “abilities”. Some of the students who were typical “F” students were doing pretty good in his class. Mr. Areskin wasn’t just a professor but a compassionate friend who really cared about us and never exploited his position as a professor. He was a true democratic leader. As the book states
“Democratic leadership style leaders and followers viewed more as equals because two-way communication exists between leaders and followers” (p. 300).
I find the statement “Followers seek to identify with the leader…” rings true. As an effective leader, he had a clear vision what he wanted for his students. I think that’s one of the most important characteristics of a leader. Followers have to see that their leader has clear plans knows where he’s going so they can trust him. I also agree with the statement that effective leaders know how to “ inspire and motivate people to do more than they would normally do despite obstacles and personal sacrifice” (p. 307). Sometimes employees or followers loose their motivation. An effective leader knows how to boost employee motivation and thus, the workplace productivity.