Week 10 Journal

Week 10 Session One March 23, 2020 8pm

Checklist for Benjamin Otálara

Ambitious

Conniving

Fearless

Bold

Studious

Disloyal

Benjamin Otálara displays character traits that do indeed make him fit to be in the type of community that I would cultivate. I admire his ambitiousness, how in the very beginning he takes off from the life he knows to seek something new and thrilling. I want people around me that are willing to take risks, to travel far. I would ask “Does this person’s ambitiousness add to the group or will it become a problem as he seeks a thrill for himself alone?”

Benjamin Otálara is also conniving. Bandeira was gracious enough to allow him to join his community but he was power hungry and decided to betray him. He silently paid attention to Bandeira and plotted on him. I would not want someone like him in my community because in a community everyone should want the best for one another. If someone has a problem with the leader or leaders, then that person should speak up and say something instead of going behind backs for personal gain. I would ask “Can I use this person’s tendency to be conniving to my community’s advantage, or will it hurt us in the long run when he turns his back on us and uses his conniving nature against us?

Benjamin Otálara is fearless. He walks into fights of people he does not know. He travels far for danger. This is a good trait to have when it comes time to fight for something that the community needs. However, it can hinder the community when the person does not use discernment and is fearless when he should be using caution. I would ask “How many times will this community need someone to exhibit fearlessness over caution?”

Benjamin Otálara is BOLD. He went straight to Bandeira’s right hand man to betray him. He had shown no signs of disloyalty, yet Otálara revealed his plan to supplant the respected leader anyway. While it is important to have people that are outspoken and bold in their approach, I would not want someone in my community that was so bold that they were willing to go behind people’s backs to their right hands. I would ask “Is this person too arrogant in their boldness?”

Benjamin Otálara is studious. He learns how to heard cattle, ride horses, etc. In this way, he reminds me of Cyrus who also moved to a strange land and became a master of things he previously had no clue about. This is an example of how people can have the same character traits and one can be a great leader while the other might not be. Being a great leader is not necessarily determined by the qualities a person has, but more so how a person uses those qualities. I would ask “Is this person too smart for their own good?”

What has your interaction with such a person been?

I have not had an interaction with someone the exact same as Bandeira. However, I have had interaction with someone similar who is conniving at times, disloyal to some, and always very bold.

Have you found them off-putting or seductive?

At first, I was drawn to them. I liked how bold they were and seemingly unafraid of being their self.

Were they able to manipulate you in some way?

Yes, a few times, I trusted this person and they proved over and over that I could not trust the, but I caught myself feeling bad about myself because of something they said that I found out later to be twisted.

Now that you have a clearer impression of this character type, how will you deal with such people in the future?

I will pay close attention to this type of person in the future. Before I give them any real power, I will observe how they operate. I think that is the best way to deal with those type of people, by knowing them.

Could a good leader employ this kind of person to a good end?

Yes, I think people are nuanced. Just because someone has bad qualities, does not mean they cannot be used for good purpose.

Can any of these Otálara’s traits be strengths? If so, in what situations could you imagine them being of use?

Yes, Otálara is bold and fearless. I can imagine Otálara being good in a revolution. In a revolution, being bold and fearless is celebrated. Even Otálara’s disloyalty could be of use where revolutionaries need to get on the inside, close to the reigning leader.

Week 10 Session Two March 25, 2020 4 pm

• Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
• Otálara is preoccupied with the fantasy of unlimited success, power and beauty in his quest to “supplant” Bandeira. He sees Bandeira’s life at the top and he wants to be better than him.
• Requires excessive admiration.
• Otálara needs to be seen by the other members of the group. That is why he stops taking orders from Bandeira and starts doing his own thing and giving out commands as if someone made him leader.
• Has a sense of entitlement (i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations).
• He is definitely entitled and has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment even though he has done nothing to deserve it. He thinks he is somehow equal to Bandeira but for no real reason.
• Is interpersonally exploitative (i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends)
• He tries to take advantage of Bandeira’s bodyguard by telling him of his plans to supplant Bandeira. He also takes advantage of Bandeira’s girl.
• Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
• Bandeira has done nothing to Otálara for him to treat him that way. He had no regard for how his quest for power might hurt Bandeira, specifically how he slept with his girl.
• Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, as indicated by repeated performing acts that are grounds for arrest.
• It is clear that Otálara refuses to conform to the social norm of the group which is to obey Bandeira’s orders.
• Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.
• He is deceitful in how he tries to take over and utilize Bandeira’s bodyguard.
• Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.
• He fails to think about the possibility of Bandeira’s bodyguard turning on him and remaining loyal to Bandeira.
• Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.
• He has no regard for how Bandeira might feel or how wrong it was to put the bodyguard in such a compromising position.

Amoral Daring

• Is the person fixated on daring without any other virtues (e.g., wisdom, compassion, justice) to temper or inform it?

Yes, Olátara is fixated on being daring and a risk taker without ANY wisdom. If he had wisdom he would not have enlisted Suarez without any knowledge of Suarez having issues with Bandeira himself.

• Does this person love risk-taking in an amoral way? Do they love a fight, for example, without caring which side is right or wrong?

Yes, he shows this in the very beginning when he goes into the fight. He was drawn to it as if it were music. He likes danger. It draws him in. It is definitely amoral. He does not have a self compass really.

Unrealistic Self-assessment

• Does this person feel that the stars sometimes align in their favor, i.e., that they are destined for greatness?

Yes, Olátara has this idea that somehow he is destined to be the leader of the guachos.

• Does this person have an unrealistic sense of their own abilities?

Yes, just because he became good at cattle herding and horse riding, Olátara thinks way too highly of himself.

Low Empathy

• Does this person lack remorse for the harm they have caused others?

No, he does not care at all about how Bandeira feels about the betrayal or putting Suarez in the middle.

• Does this person fail to recognize–or does this person minimize–the contributions that others have made to their success?

Yes, he does not regard Bandeira enough to respect him as a teacher. If he did, he would not have gone against him in the manner that he did.

• Does this person equate common social engagement (partying) with authentic friendship?

Yes, he keeps getting drunk without the story and partying with the other gauchos.

• Does this person fail to discern alliances and loyalties among others?

Yes, this is clear when he tries to enlist Suarez to helping him take over the gauchos. He fails to realize that as Bandeira’s bodyguard, Suarez is loyal to Bandeira before anyone else.

• Does this person fail to notice when their ambitions threaten others?

No, I think that Otálara does notice that he is threatening others, but that is where he gets his thrill.

Preoccupation with Status and Dominance

• Does this person seek to emulate the examples of excellence from others for the purpose of advancement?

Yes, it is very clear that he is trying to be like Bandeira. He watched Bandeira closely. This is evident when he sleeps with the red haired woman.

• Does this person seek to hold jobs that confer the most status or dominance and to avoid ones that are seen as more servile?

Yes, this is evident when he begins to refuse orders. It can also be seen when he feels that he is being humiliated when he has to serve the mate.

• Does this person feel humiliated by menial tasks?

Yes, he does not like having to serve the mate.

• Does this person relish the failures and setbacks of their rivals?

Yes, he felt that he was in power and he enjoyed when he thought that Bandeira was in power nominally only.

• Does this person envy those in positions of power?

Yes, that is why he tried to be like Bandeira and have what he had.

• Does this person covet the prestige items of others?

Yes, he coveted the red haired woman.

• Does the person become intoxicated by the prospect of power?

Yes, this is what drove Otálara. He loved the idea of being who Bandeira was.

Leadership Group Conversation March 22, 2020 Sunday, 12 pm

Alexandria

I’ve been getting my family together to figure out a plan to help take care of my grandmother. I’m finding that as I get older the more I have to facilitate certain things and the more responsibility I am given. There are no “breaks” when it comes to the ones you love. I’ve been exhibiting leadership qualities by being patient and sympathetic to everyone’s position in this particular situation. This week I want to work on bettering myself while I have time. I want to practice being disciplined in exercise, in my speech, and in organizing my. various activities and workspace.

Destiny

During the break, I went home to bahamas and helped out a lot there. I realized the community as a whole were doing some incorrect things and I decided to speak up and point out problems. My focus point for the week is to speak up about things im seeing in the nursing home Im currently working at and how we can find effective ways to make residents feel comfortable

Ella

I have been helping my mom cook dinner for the family and basically been trying to keep everyone sane while we all stay in the house.

Commentary

I think that we have all had to change the way we view ourselves as a leader because of the Corona Virus. Part of that is reimagining our everyday lives and how to help our families as we have all been forced to return home and be in a involved in a different dynamic. We have all used our various skills to help our units. This can be seen on a multinational scale like how Destiny is helping in her home country or it can be locally like Ella and I helping our immediate families.