My Leadership Journey!!

Wait.. you're kidding right?...


WHAT??! 

This is my last blog??!
I can't believe it! 

This class went by too
fast...



A few months ago as I was scheduling my Winter Quarter classes, I came across the “Exploring Leadership 270.04” class. Knowing that throughout my life, I have always been a dedicated follower in group projects and have never quite pushed myself to take on a leadership role, I signed up for the class, hoping to discover the hidden leadership aspect within myself. I am happy to say that taking the class was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My stereotypical view of what a leader was has been completely shattered with all the precious "behind-the-scenes" knowledge I have attained, and I have so much more insight into what the term “leadership” really means! I am much more confident in striving to mature as a person, as a group member, and as a leader.

Being completely clueless as to what leadership consisted of when I first entered the class, I have always believed that a leader was a person of authority, of power, and of strength. I always thought of the leader to be the "It" guy, the grand conductor of the organization, and the boss who tells everyone else what to do. After learning about diversity, the relational leadership model, and the stages of development, I have realized that leadership is SO much more than just having the power to "control" everyone around you to reach success. Leadership takes understanding, cooperation, and support that goes both ways. The leader works for his/her members, supporting each of their talents and needs, and in turn, the members return the support and the hard work to the leader. I have discovered that the leader is completely useless without a group of determined, motivated, and encouraged members. With this knowledge, I have completely changed the way I have been working as a member within my work environment and the student organization I am currently in. At work, I have always seen myself as just one of the many employees who work at the Schottenstein Arena to provide the best service and experience possible to our guests. Learning about diversity and how each person has a diverse and unique set of talents has made me see that no employee is ever just a "number", and has allowed me to really appreciate each individual by understanding their strengths and unique work methods. Whenever my supervisor assigns each member certain tasks and positions for a specific event, I am now able to see that each member is assigned to a distinct position based on what they do best so that they will be able to let their strengths grow, and that specific people are assigned to work together based on the compatibility of their work methods. In the Hapa Student Association which I am currently a member of, I have always just seen myself as a follower supporting our mission statement, which is to raise cultural awareness within the community. I have realized that although we have a president, each member is their own leader in completing their responsibilities in order to make our events a success. I am much more motivated to contribute more on my behalf to help lead the 2 main organizations I am currently a part of to success, and although I may not hold an official leader position, I am motivated to take more responsibility and leadership of my actions, thoughts, and beliefs.

After taking the Jung Typology test and discovering my 4- letter personality (INFJ), I have realized what my strengths are, and have found out how to use them efficiently when working in a group setting. I have always believed in "fixing" myself and my weaknesses, but after finding out what my strengths were, I have began working on becoming the best "me" I can be by focusing on my talents. I am more aware of my identity, perspectives, and tactics when working with others. I am aware that since I am Introverted, I may not be the most outgoing type, and so I would most likely enjoy working diligently "behind-the-scenes" of a group and would not place myself in a position that requires me to be loud, social, and frequently interacting with others. Since I am iNtuitive and Feeling, I understand that I am great at constantly thinking about what's to come in the future, and that I am also talented at being sympathetic towards others and making others' emotions very significant in decision-making processes. Knowing this, I would not want to join an organization that is strictly business and keeps feelings and emotions out of the workplace. Lastly, since I am  Judging, I am aware that I am a very "by-the-book" person who does things step-by-step, and so knowing this, I would aim towards perhaps the secretary position when applying for the Hapa Student Association executive board next school year.

Since learning about the ever-repeating cycle of Tuckman's Stages of Development, I have begun looking at each organization I come in contact with differently. Learning about the Storming, Forming, Norming, and Performing stages has really opened my eyes up to how crucial the relationship between the members within a group is. I have began viewing each member as each single and crucial gear in making the organization come together and work; if one gear is not moving like it should be, or breaks apart, the whole of the organization will fall apart. And in order to keep these gears moving, encouragement "oil" is needed to keep the gears well-maintained and motivated to keep working! I am constantly changing the way I approach group projects by keeping these stages of development in mind, and aiming to create good relationships through great communication and a positive outlook before jumping into any action. I have realized that taking things step by step, especially the formation, maintenance, and strengthening of a group, is very important!

I will continue my learning about leadership by applying what I have learned in this class to my every day tasks and when working with other individuals. I hope to be able to take another leadership class if I can find the time to in the future! I am much more confident now in leading others, since I have learned about who I am and how I can lead using my new-found strengths. I used to compare myself to others all the time, wishing I could be as smart, as articulate, or as outgoing as them, sometimes being ashamed of who I was. I now believe that being honest about who I am is most important, and I am much more comfortable being "me", now that I know myself better. I also plan on stepping up from my member position in my student organization, and being a part of the executive board! I feel so motivated to take chances and take on challenges, but of course, I must always keep the knowledge I learned from this class with me to make sure I stay in control! 

My philosophy of leadership is mainly creating an open environment where everyone will be able to discover themselves as the unique individuals that they are, and have the ability to plant their talents in the soil of the workplace and watch them grow as motivation and encouragement rains down on them. From those fully bloomed talents, the fruit of knowledge may grow on them, so that new and upcoming members may feed off of them to gain the same encouragement to grow as a person. Learning that everyone is different and therefore should be treated differently from my group book, "First, Break All the Rules" has encouraged me to see the best in every individual and cherish each and every input the members contribute towards supporting the organization. And most of all, my philosophy is finding the enjoyment and passion driving my actions!! I believe that passion is what brings people together and creates that everlasting and strong connection between individuals, and this is what gives the organization a heartbeat to live and grow by. 

Bye bye everyone!! I'll miss you all!