Change.

I think that so far, this class has been beneficial for me. I think that the discussion questions have been going over well, I think that the only problem has been that there are not enough students in the class to get a really strong discussion going. Sometimes, because we are very similar and share similar experiences, it is hard to find new topics to talk about, without bringing it back to being an RA. I think that having more discussion topics during one class period might be beneficial, because it would give us more to talk about. Perhaps doing one of the chapters and then one or two of the "hot topic discussions".

I think that next semester, the class will be better with more students. I think that so far it has been going well, the only thing that we are struggling with seems to be the size of the class and bringing different persepectives into it. I think that one thing we could try to do is work on applying the theories to our experiences more, with a longer discussion, as well as focusing on our questionnaires that we talk about on the facebook page. I also think the ideas we came up with in class will work too, like hand outs or youtube videos. I think that getting everyone to participate in different ways will help engage the discussions.

I also think that starting a Student Leadership Minor would get more students interested because it is a great thing to learn, however the class itself does not apply to any major/minor specifically. I think that getting people interested in the minor would get a larger group in class and stronger discussions/ participation.

Reflection

By this time you have completed several leadership questionnaires. Taking all of the results combined, what are your greatest leadership strengths/assets. What are your greatest leadership weaknesses. Think about - what are the themes that you are seeing emerge when you look at the larger picture of all of the questionnaries?

I think that there are a lot of things that I have seen emerging through the different questionnaires. First, I know that I am self-confident in my abilities, however there are moments where I second guess myself.

Second, I see that I like to find a balance in whatever skills we are talking about, or that my reaction depends on the situation. For this Skills Inventory I was surprised with my results at first. Then, after thinking about it I realized that I am trying to find the balance between technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills. Although I am still working to improve upon my conceptual skills, I feel that finding a balance between the three that works for me will be a huge strength in my leadership journey. With the styles questionnaire, I realized that I do have a higher score in relationships than with tasks, but again this definitely depends on the situation. With certain things, I focus mainly on getting the goal done, while in most sitations I focus on the people.

With the situational approach, I learned that it definitely depends on the situation. In certain situations I can act one way, depending on the persons needs, and in other situations I can respond in a completely different way.

I think that overall, my greatest weakness is the fact that I constantly question myself. I look back on situations that I have been through and sometimes wish that I could have responded in a different way. I think that being able to figure out what works for me will benefit me as a leader. I think that being able to focus and find that balance between relationship and task orientation would help me as a leader because I think that I would be more successful at what I am trying to accomplish. I think that although forming these relationships within being an RA and in my organizations can be beneficial, I have to be able to look at the bigger picture (use my conceptual skills) and be able to accomplish whatever task is handed to me. I think that being able to balance these two things has been a weakness to me so far, but is something I hope to improve upon this semester.

Pick a situation in the coming week in which you must use situational leadership or delegation - use it/do it, and reflect on how the process/interaction went, particularly if it went well,the outcomes achieved, and your reflection/thoughts on carrying it out.

This week, I knew I had two different events I would have to use situational leadership for. First, I had a mandatory floor meeting. For this meeting we were working on recontracting. For this, I had to be high directive and low supportive. For this meeting, I explained what they needed to do, and they did it. I did not have to walk them through step by step and they did what they had to do. I spent more time focusing on the goal, which was them filling out the contracts, less time focusing on what they were doing.

In another situation, I had to work on being more supportive with one of my residents. I had a resident who was struggling with a personal problem, and most people were treating her in more of the "coaching" stage. They were being extremely supportive, however they were also being highly directive. These people were telling her what choices she should make and what to do. This is not what this resident wanted to hear. This resident just wanted support and someone to listen. I was in the supporting role by listening to her and letting her make her own decisions.

I think overall, both approached were successful. Depending on the situation, I adjusted how I acted in the moment. Depending on what people needed from me, I acted appropriately. I think overall, the mandatory meeting was succesful, because everything got done quickly and efficiently. The other situation with my resident also was successful, because I was the first person to actually sit down and listen to her, without being directive. I think that working on evaluting the situation and how I should respond will be beneficial for me in the future as an RA and in my organizations.

Leadership Skills

Leadership produces change and movement, while management produces order and consistency. Based on your Skills Inventory results, what are some action steps you would like to make to strengthen your strongest two areas as both a leader and a manager?

I think that even though I had strong human and technical skills, they can still be improved upon through my actions. I believe that I can improve my technical skills through becoming more confident and competent in my actions and by being able to meet the different goals I set for myself. I think that my technical skills are something that can be developed because I am a perfectionist at times and I tend to work very hard on things. I think as a leader I need to remind myself of this, because when working with others I can not set the same standards for others as I would for myself, because sometimes I do set unrealistically high standards.

With human skills, I definitely think that I am good at working with people. I focus more on working with others in a group setting to accomplish a goal, than on my own. I feel that this has shaped who I am today, because I enjoy working in groups and getting others opinions on what should be done. I also work to shape my ideas and work to create an idea that is agreed upon by everyone in the group.

As a leader, I am working to expand upon my conceptual skills. Although I like to think that I can always see the bigger picture, this is not always the case. Sometimes I let myself get caught up into something small and try to perfect that, instead of looking and what the final product is and how I am going to get there. I think that conceptual skills, for me, will be the hardest to develop because of my personality and experiences. I feel that I need to work harder to strategically plan and where I should be going.

What is Leadership?

Are you a born leader?
No. In my opinion, leadership is a process. Yes people can have traits growing up that make them a good leader, however, these traits mature as you get older and experience more things. I have gone through the process of becoming a leader, when I was younger I was involved in different teams and day camps first as a camper and later as a counselor. In high school, I was part of groups and then became captain after I got used to the organization, how it was run, and after I figured out what impact I could make. In college, I first got involved in hall council. After a few meetings, I ran for the position of RHA rep. After I got used to RHA rep, I applied for NRHH and the RA position. All of my experiences have been processes that have gotten me to where I am today.

Can you learn leadership?
I really dont see leadership as a learning trait. To me, leadership is being a part of the group, influencing and impacting a group. I think that you can hold a leadership position, but that does not necessarily make you a leader. Holding that position can make you a so-called "leader", however you may not have any impact on the group therefore you are a leader by title but not by actions. Impacting people is not a trait that you can just learn. This concept makes me think of the quote:

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou

What do you mean by a good or effective leader?
I think the most effective leaders would be someone people look up to or look to for answers. Good leaders have energy and work to be understanding of others. Good leaders look to make change, in even the smallest way. Good leaders have to have a good balance. A balance between when to be outgoing and when to be more relaxed in a situation. A balance between being hardworking and letting others also take responsibility. Finally the balance between being persistent/ determined, and from being over the top.

Do you need to be charismatic to be a leader?
In my experience, leaders that have that natural energy tend to be more successful in their endeavours. I dont think that this energy needs to be over the top by any means, however I do feel that people are drawn towards people with that energy. The energy that sparks a movement, or that makes people want to listen. I think that people that do not have this "energy" can also be successful in a different way, as long as the remain positive in whatever they are doing. Attitude is everything.

In what situations can you become a leader? How?

I become a leader in situations that show that a leader is needed. When no one steps up and takes responsibility for something. I think that any time something needs to get accomplished, there is a leadership opportunity that a person can delegate tasks while listening to others about how they want to do something.