Prior to enrolling in my Leadership 101 course, I was naive and never questioned the different answers as to what makes a good leader. The image that came to mind of a “good leader” was someone who had resources and was able to influence others. Throughout this course I have come to learn that the term “leadership” has different meanings to different individuals. I have searched to find what is my definition of being a leader and understand the concept of leadership. By exploring this concept, I challenged my initial beliefs of leadership and practiced leadership skills through various activities. William Cronon’s essay on being a leader sparked the skill of critical thinking to define leadership and group presentations induced teamwork and public speaking to embody leadership.
In William Cronon’s essay, “Only Connect…,” he lists ideal human characteristics that demonstrate the values that he believes liberal education should aim to instill in its students. Cronon believes that students who have the opportunity to receive a liberal education should acquire the skill of being able to connect to people and the world around them through writing, listening, problem solving, and viewing their surroundings as an environment they wish to grow with and grow in. When reading this essay, I was eager because the aspect of connecting with others was an overarching theme that was consistent within my initial thoughts that a leader should possess the traits of being respectful, passionate, and persevering. The more connections are formed and knowledge is shared through interactions, the more awareness and open mindedness is gained. By analyzing Cronon’s paper and practicing critical thinking, I was able to understand that an effective leader’s ability to connect with the people around them is the way that they are able to influence others.
With media and technology being one of the main focuses of LDR 101, each group was given advancement in technology and was to make a group presentation explaining the importance of the technology. My group was given the invention of the telegraph. The purpose of this project was to practice public speaking and teamwork, and those were two skills that an effective leader consistently practices. Before working on this project, I believed that a good leader is one that takes charge and has complete control of the situation. As we all began to work, I was exposed to the different styles that people have and all the different things each person has to offer. This exposure showed me that though a good leader knows how to step up, they should also know when to step down and allow others to grow. I was also able to practice public speaking in a comfortable environment. This allowed me to display more confidence in conveying information and emphasized the importance of speaking with a purpose in regards to leadership.
As the course is now coming to an end, a major take away point has been that everyone has the ability to lead. Leadership goes beyond the politics and hierarchical positions, but it is about the ability to practice the skills that enhance one’s ability to form connections.
Category: LDR101
After taking a StrengthsFinder quiz, my results revealed that I have a personality that focuses on the woo, positivity, learner, communication, and achiever themes. When looking specifically at the “woo” theme, I constantly have the desire to meet and win new people over in my everyday life. This trait of mine has been a strength in scenarios such as an interview that I had for an internship at Eastside Medical Center. I was able to get along with my mentor and create a connection with her by engaging in conversations and being confident whilst talking to her. This is a strength because it allows me to navigate through the world and form relations with others. The woo trait would help me in the future by establishing a good impression to potential future employers. From the five strengths that were identified in this report, I would like to highlight my trait of being effective at communication. Along with enjoying getting to know others, I also like to keep relationships going through effective communication. I believe that being able to communicate is a crucial trait a leader should attain, and communication being one of my strengths, shows that in a group setting I like to offer my opinions. This strength also shows that in regards to my work style, I prefer explaining concepts verbally.
