Leadership

What is Leadership?

"Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers." -Robin S. Sharma

Our Experiences with Leadership in Louisville

"Our trip to Louisville has taught me a lot about leadership and being an active citizen. I was happy to see that throughout the trip, many of us displayed leadership qualities. With the various tasks we did throughout the trip there was always someone who would take initiative to complete the task. Whether it be stopping to help someone out with their assigned tasks or the little things like making someone's lunch for them because they were running late." - Luis Gonzalez

"During this service trip, I was able to strengthen my leadership skills as well as gain others such as being more mindful, learning how to empathize, and being a better team player. I learned not to judge our team members ideas, but instead give constructive feedback to improve our work. I also learned the importance to empathize rather than sympathize with the population we were providing the services to. This was significant because it allowed me to understand the issues they were facing and find ways to help them instead of simply feeling sorry for their disadvantages. Lastly, I became a better team player by being more reliable which meant getting up on time, finishing my delegated tasks, collaborating with my team members, and providing consistent quality work at all of our service sites."- Nguyen Nguyen

"Over the course of this service trip, I gave back to the communities in Louisville all while strengthening my leadership skills and grasping a deeper understanding of public health. My team and I closely worked with local organizations and throughout each and every project, we all worked together to figure out how to work the most effectively and efficiently. Every member had something to contribute to the team. I recognized that we all have our own strengths and weaknesses of leadership styles. Some used their loud voices to guide and influence the team, while some of us were more quiet leaders who led through action. Since I was more of the second type of leader, I was more collaborative and encouraging instead of commanding others. I empowered and inspired others to create a positive change. All in all, our teams' leadership strengths worked in conjunction and as a result, we generated a positive and meaningful impact on the community." - Tammy Tran

Social Change Model of Leadership Development

1. Individual

This service trip attempted to empower students to effectively make social changes by starting off with strengthening and/or developing their own personal leadership qualities.

Throughout the trip, each team member used various approach to motivate each other at different work sites whether it is by giving encouraging words or lending a hand when one is struggling.

Additionally, each member was able to establish a trusting relationship with one another and that helped us be more open with each other when sharing our beliefs, goals, values, and ideas.

2. Group

Next, the trip aimed to inspire members to develop collaborative leadership skills rather than altering ideas/plans to each individual desired wants and needs.

At the end of this trip, each team member learned that to effectively maximize our productivity at each work site, we must work toward a shared goal. Consequently, each team member always wanted to actively participate in all of the delegated tasks.

3. Community/Society

Lastly, team members were encouraged to bring change to the common good in order to make society and the world a better place for everyone. Members were connected to the community and society through our leadership experiences, engagement in community work, and reflection upon their experiences.

At the end of each day during the service trip, time was set aside for reflections. Through these reflections, members were able to share their thoughts and ideas regarding service, education, and community aspects.

Applying Our Leadership Skills in the Future

"The Alternative Spring Break trip has taught me a lot and helped me develop my leadership skills. A skill that I have learned and hope to used in the future is the importance of teamwork. I am a type A person who likes to take charge of a situation but that is not always the best way to go about things. I have learned that it is important know your strengths and limitations and work with the group. A team is much more effective that an individual and that is an important lesson I have learned." - Luis Gonzalez

"One of my weakness during this trip was working with children. However, after observing our team members playing with them effortlessly, I realized that being creative and flexible are some great qualities one should have when working with children. While working at the Volunteers of America, I was able to utilize these skills and put them to practice.

As I will be working with children in South Africa this summer, I hope that I will be able to develop creative learning lessons to enhance quality education while being able to adjust my lesson plans based on the students’ learning abilities." - Nguyen Nguyen

"After coming back from this service trip, I now have a stronger value and sense of service and leadership. I became a more active citizen in the community and strengthened my leadership skills, which will transfer outside of the class, to my everyday life, and future career. As an aspiring pharmacist, I know that communication is essential in ensuring the safety of patients. Pharmacists are in direct contact with patients, physicians, and pharmacy technicians on a daily basis. They work both individually and in a team, which is exactly what we did during this trip. It's also important to listen to others and pay attention to their nonverbal cues as well. After completing my assigned duties, I assisted wherever I was able to in other areas. We all made sure to rotate shifts so we wouldn't get tired of doing the same task for hours at a time." - Tammy Tran

• “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself.” - Muhammad Ali