I’ve just completed my first semester of college and it was incredible. My courses involved taking a Leadership 101 class to test and find what type of leader I will be in a global society. Before I started the course, I was not sure about what leadership meant, how to accomplish it, or what my identity was. But now that I’ve analyzed different leadership styles and pieces, did research on my own leadership style, and on my individual strengths I know how powerful leadership is and can be in regards to making change.
The first thing our pressor did was have us research leadership and types of leadership styles. There are many varied management and leadership philosophies so no single style can be considered the “correct” one. Regardless of all these different styles, self reflection in our class has played an integral role in the shaping of my leadership style. If someone would have asked me what leadership means to me a year or two ago, I would’ve told you that it means having people believe in you and your story. While that is not a bad definition, it doesn’t truly reflect me or my personal beliefs and values about what it means to be a leader. Now, a leader to me is someone who uses their identity and power to better everyone on their team, not just them. A leader is someone who can see both sides of the fence, open up to new perspectives, and adjust the narrative to accomplish all team goals. A leader is not just someone with higher authority, but instead they use their leadership styles to grow the people around them also. I learned all of these definitions through our readings and scenarios that we had in class. For example, we had case studies to complete that asked us questions in regards to what we would do in a specific situation. Most of those studies were about knowing what type of leader I am and acting fairly towards all people. With this information, I learned that I am a laissez-faire (hands on) type of leader. I would rather take action and do things about the situations I cannot control. Instead of sitting back and doing nothing, I would rather do research, talk to people, and try my best to make something happen for the greater good. This was surprising to me because I am a really quiet leader but I’ve never tried being a laissez faire leader in a real life situation but when I did in a work situation, I learned that it was effective for me and my peers. The power of identity has increased my knowledge of leadership also.
The word “identity” is a big word to me. I’ve always been afraid to answer anything in regards to my identity because there are so many different ones. I often answered questions involving my identity based on what I thought the person wanted to hear, which is not effective at all. In my LDR101 class, I learned that the biggest part of my identity is that I am an African-American woman of color. I have experienced many adversities in my life due to me being a woman and also a WOC. However, in order to succeed, I learned that I should use my identity to lead and make the world a better place for all people. Being a woman is powerful, especially in the STEM field. I came to this realization when I took my Strengthsfinder Quest test: A category I had was discipline. This is when I created an analysis and linked being disciplined to the fact that I am a woman ( this connection was personal and specific to me). Being disciplined is one of my main strengths because it allows me to persevere through bad and good. Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts,” and while I never count my failures as losses, I mark my success by my repeated perseverance through adversity. I now am aware that I have the ability to lead in any circumstance that presents itself. My experiences and the stereotypes placed upon me have shaped my aspirations in life. Knowing how to be a good leader was never a clear path for me because I doubted my abilities to learn and grow as a woman. Throughout the end of this course, I have regained confidence in my knowledge. I now understand that I can do anything I put my mind to. I will use my leadership skills, my curiosity for knowledge, and my ability to work both independently and in a group to achieve my goals during college and after.
- Thank you Dr. Brandy for this amazing opportunity and experience. I will never forget you.
