How I have changed... Three semesters have now passed since I started the Scholars Public Leadership Program. When I started this program, I had a really vague idea about leadership. I was president of clubs in my high school so I was used to leading people. However, I never put that much thought into leadership. In this program I learned about qualities of an effective leader like empathy, vision, organization, etc. I learned that to be an effective leader, it is important to work on your personal skills. Additionally, I interacted with other Scholars on a daily basis, worked on debates and speeches. This helped me improve my communication and teamwork skills. I used to be extremely nervous about public speaking. Over the past two years, I practiced talking in front of a lot of people. Now, I get less anxious and I feel more confident about public speaking.
What has influenced me… I was influenced by the importance of empathy. I learned how important it is to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. As a leader, it is important to listen and understand what others have to say. When you are addressing a social issue, it is essential to understand what the people affected by the issue are going through. I think about empathy all the time now. I make sure that I am aware of perspectives that are different from my own.
How my understanding of leadership has changed… I used to think that leaders were the most powerful in a team. This program has made me realize that leadership is a team effort. Team members play an important role in leadership as well. In a team, everyone’s opinions matter and should be heard. I have realized that leadership involves encouraging people to speak out and feel comfortable in voicing their opinions.
My leadership style… I would describe myself as a servant leader. Servant leadership is when a leader’s first goal is to serve. This type of a leader focuses on the well-being of the community. I follow servant leadership by being empathetic and listening to the people I serve. I think it important to encourage communication in a group and work together for the greater good. My strengths as a leader include listening and organization. I am careful about making sure everyone’s voices are heard. I also make sure the team is organized so things get done in a timely manner with minimized confusion.
What has caused my understanding of leadership to change… In my first year of the program, I wrote a position paper about why Congress should pass legislation to create a program similar to DACA. This essay changed my understanding of leadership. I chose to include this essay because it made me realize the importance of conducting thorough research. As a leader, it is important to accurately understand the social issue you are trying to address. DACA is a complicated program that affects the lives of undocumented citizens. I was able to learn about effective solutions and problems in the current DACA program by researching the issue in depth.
Position Paper:
In my second year of the program, I wrote an essay on my personal leadership philosophy. In this essay I talked about how Walt Disney displayed effective leadership in his career by staying determined, taking risks and collaborating. I emphasized that his leadership closely aligns with my own leadership philosophy. I chose to include this essay because it changed my understanding of leadership. I realized that you shouldn't underestimate a leader's ability to inspire others. It is important for leaders to effectively communicate their vision in order to inspire others to follow their lead.
Leadership Philosophy Paper:
In my Public Leaders and Active Citizens class during my first year of the program, I completed a self-reflection. In this assignment, I read about how to create an effective leadership development plan. Then, I created my own plan and specified my personal enablers and blockers. This assignment specifically changed my understanding of leadership because it taught me to create clears plans and set goals as a leader. When you write down reasonable goals and plan out how you will lead, it makes the process less overwhelming. It is also easier to measure how effectively you are leading by checking if you are meeting your goals.
PL Reflection:
How I have applied what I have learned to my life… An element of leadership I learned in this program and applied in my real life is authentic leadership. Authentic leadership is when a leader leads by example. This type of a leader focuses on honesty and transparency in a team. I have used this style of leadership at my tutoring job. I expected my students to come to class on time and prepared. I led by example by also showing up to class ready.