George Lucas: My Leader

George Lucas said, “A lot of people like to do certain things, but they're not that good at it. Keep going through the things that you like to do, until you find something that you actually seem to be extremely good at. It can be anything. ” I find this quote to be a life model.

I kept to what this quote is saying and it has led me to the Electronic Engineering Technology field of study. I found that this is what I’m good at.I find that George Lucas is a leader/hero to me, even though he is not in the electronic engineering technology field, because of the ways he brought new technology to the film industry along with the way we film, his generosity of helping education, and video game technologies. I am pursuing the Electrical Engineering Technology program with the focus on Renewable Energy.

I chose electronics engineering technology because I’ve always had the passion to fix electronics or make something from nothing.EET is what I’m good at. I just need the education to say I do. I feel as if this is what I was destined to do for life. Also, I know I can do great things with a degree in EET.

My passion grows every day and I plan on changing the industry or even the world someday for the better. My expected graduation date is May of 2016. After I graduate I will continue my education further after obtaining a job that will bring me to the next level of success. Lucas grew up where I did, in Modesto, CA.

He has a passion for racing and cars, he obviously likes film, and he wants to improve education. I share the same passions as Lucas does. I love cars. I have a 1972 Plymouth Duster I am currently restoring. Film and movies have always been close to my heart because of the details that some of the great film makers out into their movies. Education is something that needs to be expanded.

I will dedicate my time after college to help out at local schools as much as possible.And, if I come in to some money I plan on donating it to education in America. Specifically in to George Lucas’s Education Foundation. “The George Lucas Educational Foundation is dedicated to improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives. ” (Edutopia, 2013) It all started with Star Wars. He wanted to make his movies different than any other of that time.

So, he had to find ways to do that first he removed credits from the beginning of his movies. If you were to watch Star Wars now you would notice that there are no credits to anyone until the end. “As the camera tilts up, a vast spaceship appears from the top of the screen and moves overhead, an effect reinforced by the surround sound. It is such a dramatic opening that it's no wonder Lucas paid a fine and resigned from the Directors Guild rather than obey its demand that he begin with conventional opening credits.

” (Ebert, 1999).Pixar started as the Graphics Group that Lucas started in 1979 for computer graphics which was only one third of the computer division at Lucasfilm, which the people working for Lucas made a program called REYES (Renders Everything You Ever Saw) which was an early model to RenderMan, what Pixar uses to this day. In 1982, LucaArts was born, a video game developer for Lucas. LucasArts started to use the SCUMM engine (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion), what is the basis of all video games at that time to the early 1990’s. Effective leaders need to have the ATROC traits.Adaptable, Trustworthy, Resourceful, Optimistic, and Considerate.

“As a leader, you’re on stage every day. You must be real and believe what you say, because followers will quickly pick up on the ‘real you’ behind any act! Set the example with your actions. “ (Rose, 1998). I see that trust is a huge part of Lucas’ leadership style. For example, the movie American Graffiti (his second film) he paid all actors and the crew a regular salary to do the entire movie, but, they would also take part in the earnings from the box office.

“American Graffiti cost 1 million dollars to make, and made more than 100 million dollars.So after the fact, I took a part of the profit from the movie and gave it to all of the actors and the people who had worked on the movie. And they all became millionaires. I can’t afford to pay a lot of money in advance – but if it pays off for me, it pays off for you.

I have done this with all the movies I have produced since. ” (Lucas, George Lucas on leadership, salaries and company culture, 2009) In addition to the last statement, I too have my personal strengths as a leader. Confident, honest, and keeping the work environment as the work environment, even if a friend is working for me.I have a strong feeling towards equality and I believe if everyone is being treated with respect and equal work load than no problems should arise.

“Strengths that I found I have as a leader are confidence, honesty, passionate, and focused. ” I have a few traits to work on. I am too laid back at times and that can put you behind schedule on your work. Personal strengths can support success by applying them to all your work you do in life. “I believe that personal strengths, if used in the right environment, can be very rewarding to you and the team you are working for.

George Lucas as leader or hero to me is who and how I want to be when I graduate from DeVry in a few years. I feel as if I was meant to look up to Lucas as a role model from the time I was a child. Something that Lucas has said has been a quote I look back on to from time to time. “Everybody has talent; it's just a matter of moving around until you've discovered what it is. ” (Lucas, Creator of "Star Wars", 1999) Well, I believe I discovered that talent and that’s why I’m getting a degree so I can pursue my talent as a career in the Electronics Engineering Technology field.