My Leadership Philosophy

Leadership is something that has always come naturally to me. As the oldest of five children, and the oldest of over thirteen cousins just on one side of the family; I had declared myself the boss early on and found it easy to accept responsibility for things and tell others what to do. I always thought leadership was naturally inherited from whatever experiences one has as a child and their upbringing. Well, this class broke down that barrier and allowed me to see how that belief is very archaic. It was eye opening to realize that leadership is so much more than just trying to be over everyone else and telling others what to do. It also gave me more of an understanding on what makes a truly great leader. From which, I hope to continue to develop

That was when I realized that the idea of leadership to me is taking ownership and being empowered to help the organization you belong to no matter what, regardless of being new, or being the lowest on the totem pole. A janitor for instance, can demonstrate leadership and ownership, sometimes people on the bottom can showcase these skills at a better understanding than say a manager. Leadership is a concern that includes everyone, and this would be quite the game changer if more people realized this concept and how they can make a huge difference just with themselves.

One perception of leadership that has remained unchanged of mine is that leadership requires responsibility and open mindedness. To me, those pillars are what separate the leaders from the followers. When people never step up and own what is going on or what they are doing then how can any change or definition within the organization occur. Another is that to be a leader, you must be open minded and constantly evolving. When someone in charge is closeminded or refuses to learn then many problems and overall hinderance can

Of course, I also gravitate towards the dreamers in the crowd, the people that have big ideas and bigger hearts. To me, leadership is composed of so many things and so many ways to be a good or different leader. So, passion would have to be the biggest defining trait. One cannot guide others without some kind of investment as well. The reason this has been shaped is from past experiences with work and clubs. I feel like the people that are kind of meh about the group are not as inspiring as the people they really dive into the situation. When I recall good managers, I had in the past, they were usually very into the group, as in knowledgeable about what was going on and always seeking ways to improve or inspire the