Typical Interpretation of Leadership When one thinks of a leader, they often think of someone with great stature. Someone like Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, or the President. These are great examples of leaders. However, we often have this notion that only these people with such great stature are the only ones worthy of being called leaders. However, anyone is capable of being a leader, something that I have learned at my time at Loyola. To best describe what I mean, the following video will describe the impact of everyday leadership.
What Leadership Means to Me
With this is video in mind, in my opinion, being a leader means leading in small ways while touching the lives of others while they touch yours in ways that often go unrealized. This type of leading involves connecting with others. Thus by discussing important aspects in our lives, trust is built between yourself and others. Even by simply making someone smile when they are upset or asking someone about their day can impact them more than you may know. Through small acts of kindness, you are supporting and encouraging those around you. Encouraging and inspiring others to share their ideas and contribute to a team effort are very important in being a leader. Along with encouraging others, it is important to be able to give and receive constructive feedback. It is important to raise awareness to aspects of yourself that are strong and those that do need improvement. Lastly and most importantly, being a leader means you must lead by example. A leader should never expect to have someone else do something that they would not do themselves.
The Student Leadership Institute
The Student Leadership Institute, better known as SLI, was surprisingly enjoyable. To be honest, I really didn't know what to expect. When I arrived, I was nervous because I didn't see anyone I knew. Soon enough, it wouldn't matter. The people I sat with at my table were extremely nice and talkative. In fact, everyone I met at SLI was really nice and cared about what you had to say. After breakfast, we picked from 4 different workshops. I chose the workshop entitled, "Your Single Story". The workshop explored the problem of simplification of individuals in the eyes of each other and ourselves. We talked about many instances in our lives where there had been someone who has viewed us under certain stereotypes. I spoke about how although I look and am Hispanic, I am multiracial and do not speak any Spanish at all. People often assume I speak Spanish but I do not and once I tell them that, people undermine my ethnicity by telling me I'm not REALLY Hispanic. Others also shared instances where it has been assumed that they act a certain way based on a stereotype but of course, act differently in reality. An important aspect I took away from this discussion is a reminder not judge anyone based on appearance or even things such as where a person comes from.
After the first workshop, we regrouped for lunch then broke off into different groups to talk about how the world's problems are interconnected. They showed us a web of problems similar to the one below.
Before viewing this it had never occurred to me that the world's issues could be so intertwined. However, upon talking more about it, it makes so much sense. We were also asked to consider if change is occurring surrounding these issues. Many of us were split in our opinion but we came to the conclusion that change is happening but in slowly and in small ways. Furthermore, the change that we really want to see most likely will not happen in our lifetimes. However, any change, big or small, is important; something to keep in mind when trying to work towards a bigger goal.
Overall, I had a really great experience at SLI and I am glad to have met such kind, intelligent people. They opened my eyes to different views on different topics, something appreciate greatly. Through this experience, I am better able to voice my opinion, without fear, something I will surely take away to become a better leader. I also have noticed that I am more of optimist rather than a pessimist. While some chose to see that little change didn't make a difference, I chose to see that any change is worth something. Being an optimist is surely a strength in being a leader, or else how would I motivate or encourage others?
Personal Goals for STARS LEAD
By participating in STARS LEAD, I hope to:
1) Become more comfortable connecting with others on a more personal level
2) Gain more confidence when it comes to sharing my opinions or ideas
3) Motivate others effectively
4) Become the person I aspire to be
5) Further explore my values
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR2UnsOuKxo
Web Picture:http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/issues/global/major-global-issues-diagram-lg.jpg
