Leadership Journal: Credibility & Core Values

by | Oct 28, 2024 | essay

 

 

Question: How do you build credibility in your relationships with others?

Question: List 5 core values that guide your life and that you model for others.

Question: Share a story that exemplifies the 5 core values listed above.

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Building Credibility and Core Values

How I build credibility in my relationships with others:

Credibility is built on a foundation of trust, respect, and consistency. I strive to build this foundation by:

  • Being Authentic and Transparent: I am open and honest in my communication, sharing my thoughts and feelings without pretense. This allows others to see me as genuine and relatable.

  • Being Reliable and Accountable: I follow through on my commitments and take responsibility for my actions. I am punctual, dependable, and can be relied upon to do what I say I will do.

  • Being a Good Listener: I actively listen to others’ perspectives, seeking to understand their viewpoints, even if they differ from my own. This demonstrates respect and fosters a sense of being heard.

  • Being Open to Feedback: I am receptive to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity for growth. This shows that I value others’ input and am committed to improvement.

  • Demonstrating Integrity: I act with ethical principles in mind, even when it’s difficult. This builds trust and shows that I am a person of my word.

Building Credibility and Core Values

How I build credibility in my relationships with others:

Credibility is built on a foundation of trust, respect, and consistency. I strive to build this foundation by:

  • Being Authentic and Transparent: I am open and honest in my communication, sharing my thoughts and feelings without pretense. This allows others to see me as genuine and relatable.

  • Being Reliable and Accountable: I follow through on my commitments and take responsibility for my actions. I am punctual, dependable, and can be relied upon to do what I say I will do.

  • Being a Good Listener: I actively listen to others’ perspectives, seeking to understand their viewpoints, even if they differ from my own. This demonstrates respect and fosters a sense of being heard.

  • Being Open to Feedback: I am receptive to constructive criticism and use it as an opportunity for growth. This shows that I value others’ input and am committed to improvement.

  • Demonstrating Integrity: I act with ethical principles in mind, even when it’s difficult. This builds trust and shows that I am a person of my word.

Five Core Values:

  1. Integrity: Being honest and true to myself and others.

  2. Compassion: Showing kindness, empathy, and understanding to those around me.

  3. Respect: Treating everyone with dignity and consideration, regardless of their background or beliefs.

  4. Growth Mindset: Continuously seeking new knowledge and experiences to expand my horizons.

  5. Resilience: Persevering through challenges with determination and a positive attitude.

Story Exemplifying Core Values:

Several years ago, I was working on a challenging project with a diverse team. There were disagreements and conflicting opinions. Instead of becoming frustrated, I:

  • Demonstrated Integrity: By staying true to my values, I refused to compromise on ethical principles, even when it meant facing opposition.

  • Showed Compassion: I listened attentively to each team member’s perspective, acknowledging their concerns and trying to understand their viewpoints.

  • Practiced Respect: I treated everyone with dignity, regardless of their position or whether I agreed with their ideas.

  • Embraced a Growth Mindset: I used the challenges as an opportunity to learn and grow, adapting my approach and seeking feedback to improve my communication skills.

  • Showed Resilience: Despite the setbacks, I remained focused on the project goals and persisted, ultimately finding a solution that satisfied all parties.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of these core values in fostering productive collaboration and achieving positive outcomes, even in difficult situations. It solidified my commitment to modeling these values in all my interactions.

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