I am Shen Lin, my name is actually the combination of my father and my mother’s last names, as they wish I can inherit their virtues. When picking my English name, my father joked about how he is such a good role model for me that I should be named after him to carry on his legacy. And I said I will take it, so from that point on I am the junior Colin Lin.
I am from Beijing, China, a loud, busy, somewhat crowded; yet a lively, colorful, wonderful city. I came to the States in 08 for my senior year in a beautiful high school located in Colora, Maryland. I loved my one year experience in American high school. Although I was loaded with school work and all the college application stuffs that I needed to do, I still had a lot of fun and really enjoyed having a fresh experience in a different culture to end high school.
I am a junior double majoring in finance and accounting, minoring in leadership and I am considering adding Japanese as my second minor.
I admire a lot of people, but my admiration is more about their characters, skills or competence, I never looked at those great people as leaders but individuals. I guess if I look at them as leaders and pick out one as my favorite leader, I will pick Zhu-ge liang.
Zhu-geliang is a strategist, statesman during the Three Kingdoms period of China. Zhu-ge liang got Liu bei, later his lord's attention because Zhu-ge was a famous scholar at the time. After following Liu bei, Zhu-ge earned acceptance and trust from the generals and other chancellors rather quickly because his extreme talents. Also he built up his reputation utilizing his talents and eventually became the prime minister. Zhu-ge liang got his job due to his competence; worked his way up, leading by example, and finally gained trust and followers' hearts because of his charisma and capability. This path he had gone through is what I believe the best way to acquire leadership.
Also Zhu-ge is an master human resource manager, as a great strategist he knows every general and chancellors' ability and temper very well. Zhu-ge's ability to read people and anticipate what certain person would do in certain circumstances allowed him to put the right people together and place them at the right place. He would arrange counselor either to double up a general's aggressiveness for raiding the enemy or to counter-balance a general's aggressiveness to prevent him from being reckless. I believe understanding followers, knowing their strengths and weaknesses is extremely important. And of course make the best plan after knowing people is also vital.
At last, I admire Zhu-ge liang because he was able to stay true to his values and aspiration. Unlike most people back in his period, Zhu-ge liang kept on practicing what he preached and promised even after he gained great power, which I think is very worthy.
Personal competency, the ability to use right people at the right time , and value are three key components of my leadership. Unarguably, as an master of the three kinds, Zhu-ge liang is my favorite leader.
