Prompt: How do you lead yourself? That is, how have the speakers and readings influenced the way you are leading your life and thinking about leadership? Reflect on the influences of the speakers and readings on what you think, say, and do each day. What are some of the leadership lessons you have learned and that you are applying in your own life?
As a leader in multiple fields and someone who aspires to be a leader later in life when I begin my professional career, I am constantly striving for ways to improve my leadership skills. Listening to multiple speakers give their own perspectives on leadership, and reveal what they have learned through their own experiences has really helped me to grow as a leader. In my opinion, the most influential speakers have been the women who speak about their lives and who they are as people, not just their professional lives and careers. Their advice on work-life balance, information on the value of networking and mentoring, and most importantly, insight on being a woman in a leadership position and confronting the issues that accompany such a role, have greatly expanded my knowledge of leadership.
I try my hardest to lead in a way that is fair, compassionate, and yet also efficient and productive. I was pleased to discover that these positive leadership traits have also been emphasized by the leaders who have spoken in class. Far from being focused on business alone, many leaders who spoke in class emphasized the importance of human connections, from networking to simply relating to subordinates on a basic level and being open to discussion. Productivity, unsurprisingly, also seems to be a high priority among leaders; engagement in the work that they do and preparation to be as effective as possible were both key points, emphasized in particular by Chastity Kuttrus, an executive coach.
In addition to confirming what I already believed, the speakers have also taught me new things. For instance, prior to taking this course, I had been unaware of the importance of a mentor. As it turns out, mentoring is a key part of advancing professionally and sparks personal growth as well. This made me all the more excited to participate in the Women and Leadership Mentoring Mixer. Although I had been aware of the role of networking in a professional environment, I had never considered it to be something applicable to me, a liberal arts student pursuing degrees in Vocal Music and Creative Writing. However, after listening to several speakers reflect on this aspect of their lives, I realized that these elements are key to many different kinds of leaders. I am interested in becoming involved in nonprofit organizations, and networking and having a mentor were both suggested as ways to begin. I am excited by the possibility of being able to finally explore this opportunity.
Far from merely the bits of advice that I’ve covered in this post, I have learned and changed in many ways from the speakers who have been a part of our class. Each face sticks in my memory, with the unique stories that were shared with us. I feel so privileged to have vicariously shared in their experiences, learned their stories and understood the complex paths that they have traveled, and had the opportunity to share my questions and concerns and get valuable advice in return. With this newfound knowledge, I hope to continue to lead both personally and professionally, and be a more effective leader because of the women who have been generous enough to speak in our class.
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