Leader in the Field

Coming to the University of Oklahoma I had no idea what I wanted to major in. After discussing my strengths with other students and talking to other people about what I am most interested in, I have decided to have a triple business major in energy management, accounting, and financing. I am very good at math and a career is any natural gas company has a very stable and bright future. 

A prominent leader in my future career field is Lisa Owens, Chief Operating Officer for the oil and natural gas company Clearwater. Clearwater is located in Oklahoma City and is recently building a new office building located near Penn Square Mall. Mrs. Owens is responsible for all financial reporting for the company, she oversees the contract department, gas control department, and accounting department. She describes it as the "day-to-day" operations of the company. She started working in this career field directly out of high school while attending college in the evening. The industry had the most employment potential at the time in the state of Oklahoma. She started working in the field when she was only 18 years old and has now been working in it for 25 years. 

Being such a prominent figure in the company, there are many qualities that allow Mrs. Owens to be a successful leader. She considers her most important leadership quality as her desire to have things done on-time and correctly. She lets her employees clearly know her expectations she has of them. Trying to meet with them one-on-one is also very important to her so she can be on a personal level with them to better the company. The employees give her important feedback that allows Mrs. Owens to make better changes to how Clearwater is run. Mrs. Owens also emphasizes the importance to each of her employees of understanding what and why they are performing each task and not just knowing how to carry out the task to get it done. She said "if you understand your job, you can perform it in less time and more accurately." One other important quality is organization. Having expertise in many different areas allows a small company like Clearwater to run smoothly. 

When asked about her view on leadership, Mrs. Owens responded by saying communication is the foundation to running her company. Using not only communication with her employees, but with customers as well allows the company to meet deadlines required with marketing natural gas daily. Electronic communication also provides a document verification of transactions between parties in case of any misunderstanding that may occur. 

Since the gas marketing industry is constantly changing, it is important to be able to apply different types of leadership and using what works best for the company at the time. Lisa Owens has used her organizational and communication skills, along with her experience in the field to lead Clearwater to be the successful company that it is today. Mrs. Owens is an inspiration to the leader I one day hope to be in my career. 

Lisa Owens (left) with her mother

The Clearwater Enterprises company logo

For more information on Clearwater, click here. 

Attitude

Attitude
noun

1.

manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to aperson or thing; tendency or orientation, esp. of the mind: anegative attitude; group attitudes.

In my opinion, attitude is a small thing, that makes a huge difference. One person's attitude can loose championships; one person's attitude can bring down an entire project; one person's attitude can affect the views of others and their willingness to participate in something. And since attitude is something we personally choose to be, attitude problems are something that can easily be fixed.

When it comes to group tasks, the leaders attitude is the driving force. Having a negative attitude causes your followers to be uninvolved and not enthusiastic about a cause. If the leader doesn't seem to be interested and committed, why should everyone else be? On the other hand, having a positive attitude can take your group to new heights. Positive attitudes can lead to accomplishments and extreme levels of enthusiasm throughout the group members. 

When I think of positive attitude role models, my mind directly goes to my old high school cheer sponsor, Erikka Tipton. Her smiling face, drive to win, and constant pushes of positive words and thinking lead our squad to be the best in the state. No matter what day of the week it was, or if she was having a horrible week due to her 2nd pregnancy in 1 year, Tipton never seemed to let us down. She was hopeful, and so were we. I will forever be grateful for her commitment and positive zeal. 

"Our Attitudes are Our Most Important Assets" is a quote that all organizations, groups and employment positions should use towards their followers. One person's attitude can sour the group, but positive attitudes can work towards a common goal and change the world.

Problem Solving Strengths

Activator

Communication

Futuristic

Significance

Strategic

These are my 5 strengths, and I could not think of 5 better words to describe the kind of person that I am. Activator; I am quick to get on projects and get excited at the thought of starting new things. Communication; I could probably convince a wall to donate time or money to what I am passionate about. Futuristic; I never let what has happened in the past affect my ideas and plans for the future. Significance; I like to be told "good job" and be put in high-stress, top positions when it comes to committees or groups. Strategic; I can solve my way around any problem - bring on the obstacles!

When it comes to problem solving, I believe that strategic and activator are my best assets to getting things done. Being strategic allows me to see beyond what is set in front of me and come up with the best plan of action to proceed. There are many times when I am presented with a small or large task that needs to be completed and unexpected obstacles prevent me from doing so in the original plan; being strategic allows me to learn from my mistakes, and from others, and get done what needs to be done! Being an activator helps me to inspire not only myself, but others to get projects done. When faced with a problem, having a good attitude and pushing myself and my group to continue on makes a world of difference. I am able to brainstorm ideas and take the many steps to turn small ideas into huge outcomes. Being an activator has been the thriving source driving me to be so passionate in philanthropic work. 

I believe that my aspect of significance is my biggest set back when it comes to problem solving. I am someone who likes to be in the spotlight, not for the glory, but at least for an 'atta girl when the day is done. I have a hard time taking the little steps when all I can think about is the BIG picture; which is why futuristic may also affect my ability to solve some problems. Seeing the BIG picture is always needed, but I need to focus on the little steps it takes to get there. 

The hardest thing for me when it comes to solving problems with others is trying to view things from other's perspective. Sometimes I need to step back, take a deep breath, and realize that others may not be as passionate about a particular subject as I am or that others may have ideas that correcting our problem could greatly benefit from. This is why my strength of communication is something I know to work on to better the problem solving process when working with others.

Do WHAT you can, WHERE you are, with WHAT you've got. - Theodore Roosevelt