Leadership Philosophy

I have always been a shy and timid person. As a result, when I was younger I found myself being more of a follower who did not want to attract attention from others. Back then I thought being a leader was someone who was always at the center of attention. I did not see the appeal to this because there was so much pressure on you. Everyone’s eyes were on you, everyone asked you the questions because you were deemed to be the most knowledgeable, and everyone looked at you to make all of the executive decisions. Despite this initial perspective of leadership, throughout high school I slowly came out of my timid shell and sought leadership roles. Through my roles of being President of the National Honor Society and Senior Class President back in high school, I began to see my key principles of leadership develop. With these roles I was aware that all of my actions made an impact on those around me and therefore, I wanted to be a positive role model to my peers. I noticed that to be an effective leader you have to be organized, meticulous, determined, compassionate, open-minded and respectful. Having these qualities are key principles of leadership because it creates an inclusive and functioning team. Furthermore, I also realized that my passion for helping others made me an effective leader because it showed my team members that I cared for them and in return they would care for me.

As I continued to grow as a leader, I began to see that leadership is always evolving which means that there is always room to improve one’s leadership skills. Over time I saw that being able to reflect upon your own experiences and seeing where your weaknesses and strengths are will ultimately make you a better leader. The reflection process is essential because it lets a leader know where to move on from there and also allows them to be able to share their experiences with others. This sharing of experiences is another key element of leadership because it makes leaders become more versatile. It is also vital to understand that collaboration is involved in leadership because having a supportive community will lead to the group’s ultimate success.

Furthermore, I think a leader is someone who is genuine and intentional with their actions because this also shows that they care about the group’s goals. I think a leader should also be able to inspire others by showing their support, but also be able to provide critical feedback. A leader is always pushing their team members to their highest potential. To me, anyone can be a leader because it is not about having a title or the authority in the group. Being a leader means that you are equipped with various leadership competencies that you utilize to empower others.