Blog #9

Taking this course has taught me a lot about myself as well as my leadership style.  Some topics discussed in class really stood out as having a lasting effect on me and my future.  Before taking this course, I saw leadership as more individualized, but now I see leadership as a reciprocal relationship between a leader and follower.  The Reciprocal Leadership Theories discussed in class and in our book helped open my eyes to this contemporary leadership definition where followers also have an imperative role in the success of a group.  This new way of thinking laid the foundation of which topics in class really helped my leadership capabilities evolve.

I now see that, in essence, leadership is about relationships.  In order to have strong relationships with others, people must value others' opinions and truly listen to their opinions and ideas.  I sometimes find it hard to give someone my full attention when they are talking if I have something else on my mind or am currently doing something else, but the active listening segment of the course has made me realize how important this quality is to have.  Not fully acknowledging someone during a conversation may make them feel as if you are not acknowledging their existence and simply don't care what they have to say.  I will be more cognizant of giving my full attention to people during conversations, and if I truly do not have the time, I can explain to them the situation and ask to speak later.  This is a necessary quality for every kind individual to have, but leaders especially, to create a strong leader-follower relationship.

I also learned about my strengths through StrengthsFinder.  This simple awareness can help me evolve into the leader I would like to become.  A few of my strengths were Communication, Relator, and Responsibility.  I can build off of these strengths in my efforts to become a more effective leader by communicating with and relating to others to form good relationships.  I can also maintain these relationships by displaying my diligence on anything I am working on, which will build trust and show that others can rely on me.  Being aware of my strengths will definitely help in the future because I can confidently tell others what I excel at, whether it be on my resume, in interviews, ect.

Lastly, this class really helped build confidence in myself and my leadership capabilities.  We were able to work in groups, present in class, and interact during multiple activities, which is rare in other college courses.  I felt more comfortable with my peers in this class than any other class I have taken during my college career, which helped me contribute more in class discussions than I otherwise would have.  I am very thankful for the lessons learned in this class which have helped me begin the journey into becoming the leader I hope to one day be.