IMAGINE, CREATE, LEAD 2024

It starts with us.

It's been said that knowing ourselves is a crucial precursor to knowing how to lead and serve others. I have come to see the truth in this simple statement as I have journeyed through this advanced leadership program.

I have learned that the capacity to lead exists in every human being. However, genuine leadership must be cultivated. Some of us are led to lead, and I believe that to be true for me. I am a giver and a helper (enneagram 2). This program has taught me a lot about how I show up and what it means to be a leader.

Communication in leadership was interwoven through every part of the program. Dialogue is, and will always be, one of the most critical ingredients to strong leadership. We might be the most informed and educated individual in the room, with the best ideas, but if we cannot communicate them, inspire others to hear them and listen to the thoughts and perceptions of people (who may be smarter, have different and valuable perspectives and even better ideas) we will fail at accomplishing our goals

Not all leaders approach leadership in the same way. There are nuanced differences in opportunities and in applied leadership strategies that reflect diverse populations. Our race, class, gender, culture and ethnicity shape our experiences and create a framework by which we view the world. For some, generational curses can reinforce behaviors in impoverished families, presenting limitations that cause continuous struggle. I was born into a mixed race family, raised in a conservative community and treated like an outsider for much of my childhood. These experiences shaped me, my worldview and taught me invaluable lessons about acceptance.

My leadership journey began in childhood. However the past two years of learning through this program has provided new ways of seeing the world and my role in it. I feel confident in what I have learned: new strategies to unleash human potential, new inspiration in servant leadership, new ways to transform organizations and achieve a greater level of success as a leader within my organization.

There were two pinnacle experiences for me. 1. The immersion class and project that lies in my garden as a reminder of that time of learning with Gonzaga faculty and my fellow journeymen. The mosaic step stone I created from broken pottery is a beautiful reflection of my takeaways on adaptive leadership. I have evolved in ways that make me more accepting of flaws. I will continue working/striving to create something good, through collective impact. The whole will be infinitely better than each individual part on its own. Sometimes this means moving forward with confidence not, knowing what the outcome will be. The magic lies in looking inside of ourselves for the purpose and meaning of our lives and what we can create together with other imperfect, passionate people, bringing their own experiences, values and purpose.

The second mountaintop experience was the capstone project I led this spring, presenting to a group of local women, in an effort to develop their soft skills. This transforming leadership opportunity could change lives over time. I look forward to future opportunities to serve as a transforming leader, living by example and serving with heart. This is my purpose and my pursuit as a leader.

I want to influence change that brings deeper meaning to my community and lives of others. I am thankful for my personal growth, opportunities to develop my strengths and core values. Authentic leaders understand their advantages but also know and embrace their vulnerabilities, which allows them to connect more authentically with their followers, fostering a deeper sense of shared purpose.

Manifested Competency Project

For my capstone project, I presented to a group of women from the Women's Education and Leadership League (WELL).

Artifacts Collected on the Journey

Organizational Leadership 600

Dialogue and mindfulness, courageous leadership and self-reflection were primary takeaways from this fundamental class, Foundations of Leadership. As the first course on this learning journey, we studied theories of leadership, beneficial and harmful strategies of a leader and organizational communication, as we explored our own experiences, biases and leadership ideals. My critical takeaway in this course came with the opportunity to recognize what type of leader I do not want to be, before identifying what leadership requires of us. Through the required reading, exercises in personal reflection, and class discussion, I was empowered to create my own practical leadership philosophy that could be summarized as: Curiosity, Authenticity, Encouragement, Courage and Strength of Character.

KNOWING OURSELVES is a crucial precursor to knowing how to lead and serve others

While I believe it to be true that the capacity to lead exists in every human being, genuine leadership must be cultivated. Dr. Carey’s Heraclitean Fire foreshadowed one of the most important topics we would endeavor to understand through this program.

Communication Leadership 530

This class, entitled Women, Communication & Leadership, provided an invaluable and impactful opportunity to learn about the ways that leadership and communication are inherently different for women. Since time began, women have grappled with unique challenges and have learned to overcome unimaginable barriers to achieve success outside of the home. As a woman in business (and a woman of color) I can attest to the many difficulties we must navigate. In this course, we studied the history of inequity that women have faced, the unconventional and unexpected leadership styles, tendencies and even speech patterns we have learned to use as we strive to find legitimate success amidst our gendered differences.

I was presented the opportunity to speak to a graduating class of emerging business leaders during the fall/winter term of that year. Timing was perfect to leverage this presentation as a class project. At the commencement event, I spoke about what leadership is, as well as some of the hardships we face as women in leadership. This was a meaningful opportunity to share my personal journey and information learned in this class with future leaders of my community.

Organizational Leadership 515

In this Leadership and Human Potential class, we learned about organizational development, the design process, and the value of appreciative inquiry in systems transformation. We studied liberating structures and innovative approaches to change. We also reviewed several interesting case studies through the lens of understanding the plight of a leader and expectations of problem-solving, it seems that many leaders spin from one emergency to the next, putting out fires, addressing problems and wringing their hands. This class gave us tools to do things differently, for example, focusing on what is working! We discovered that the best leaders know that Appreciative Inquiry (even if they don't identify it as such) fuels productivity and meaningful engagement.

I enjoyed learning about dialogic organizational development to combat repetitious cycles that can hold an organization (or a team) back. Mostly, I appreciated the opportunity to dissect various obstacles in my healthcare organization, and learned new ways to navigate them, holding onto a growth mindset, and embracing new ways to motivate my teams.

WE DISCOVERED methodologies to unleash human potential, new ways to transform organizations and achieve a greater level of success as business leaders.

Organizational Leadership 610

The class, Leadership and Leadership Ethics defined how our social values and ethical dilemmas shape leadership in the 21st century. This examination of our moral values, principles and ethics provided an opportunity to contemplate how we lead and are perceived in the workplace, and what should direct our decisions as they relate to others. The difficulties leaders encounter in terms of ethical decision-making is one of the most crucial areas of focus. Moral sensitivity, moral judgement and moral decision-making laid the framework for this class.

In the reading and the case study on employee activism, I came to realize that sometimes we are called to move beyond what we feel is the correct course of action and lean into what is the compassionate course of action. When there are two “right” decisions, one guiding force has to take the lead. A true leader is someone who practices empathy and self-awareness. Living an undivided life is key to finding success and living authenticity. This 4-step ethical decision-making framework by Ralph Potter was helpful in providing context and direction in the midst of an ethical dilemma.

Organizational Leadership 506

This Leadership and Diversity class explored implications of race, class, gender, culture and ethnicity. Now more than ever in my lifetime, the principles and values of diversity, along with equity and inclusion, are under attack in our country and I believe that understanding the challenges other people groups face, are antidotes to fear and hate. I was fortunate throughout this class to spend time exploring how our personal perspectives are shaped by so many elements of life that are outside of our control because they are what we were born into. Simple social structures, like what gender-based toys children are given to play with, to the types of foods we have available influence the way we grow up to see the world and our place in it. Re-watching the movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, was impactful when analyzed in terms of how we achieve the American dream, and the limited opportunities for social mobility.

This final project presentation demonstrates the learning I gained through this course and how we might better understand the tractable circumstances and struggles surrounding social mobility and escaping poverty.

Organizational Leadership 605

This course offered a refreshing and inspiring communal opportunity to spend time with our program faculty and get to know other students in our program over a three-day immersive experience on campus. I loved engaging in deep conversation about the world around us, hearing personal stories and sharing the ways we all navigate life as imperfect humans. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with interesting and kind people with intentionality, learning (classroom style) from so many incredible Gonzaga professors, and the opportunity to “see and see again.” The learnings around attachment, dialogue, community and place have changed me and given me a new appreciation for the diversity around us. My final creative class project was a mosaic step stone that I created. I felt it reflected my takeaways on leadership perfectly. Adaptive leadership is about accepting flaws, while working to create something good, and moving forward with confidence not knowing what the outcome will be. It's about looking inside of ourselves for the purpose and meaning of our lives and what beautiful things we can create together with other imperfect, passionate people, also seeking their purpose.

"We feel most alive when we are engaging with people, connecting, taking part in something bigger than ourselves. We are on a search for purpose and meaning." - Dr. Adrian Popa

Organizational Leadership 535

The process of learning to Listen, Discern and Decide was uncomfortable at times. I came to realize that I not a great listener; too quick to pass judgement, too quick to respond, and too quick to assume I know what the speaker is going to say. This course showed me how learning to truly listen, shed my biases, and make decisions through a thoughtful and well-informed process as an act of servant-leadership. The learning I experienced in this class will help me become a better leader within my organization, a better neighbor in my community and certainly a better partner, mom and friend. I learned to listen for greater clarity and to value silence. The movies, Babette’s Feast and Lincoln provided beautiful portraits of leadership. In Babette, we explored the actions of a woman whose pain and suffering did not harden her but rather compelled her to serve with kindness and generosity. In Lincoln we caught a glimpse of a man who recognized that listening is not a passive act but a critically important tool for fostering relationships, building unity and driving change. His capacity to listen attentively, not just to his allies, but to his adversaries, was critical in navigating a turbulent political landscape. Through this class, I learned to develop a listening first disposition and a heart of service.

My final presentation on Listening, Discernment and the Art of Decision-Making captures much of the learning and discovery that I was privileged to gain through this course.

Organizational Leadership 518

Through studying various examples of transforming leaders, this class uncovered what is required to lead in a transforming way. We revisited the teachings of Robert Greeleaf and the study of servant leadership, but we also looked at the patterns and behaviors of leaders throughout history and the ways they transformed systems and the people in them.

The primary takeaway for me from this class was the understanding that we are called to serve one another. Plain and simple. We will only be fully content and fully satisfied at the end of our lives if we have invested time serving others and tending to a purpose higher than our own desires. In this class, I appreciated the opportunity to explore my own transformation and study the characteristics of a transforming leader. The excerpt below is from an assignment outlining the key principles and dynamics of transforming leadership.

Transforming leadership is demonstrated when leaders can articulate a compelling vision that resonates with their followers. Today’s leaders must not only communicate this vision but also embody it through action. They must provide a strong sense of direction and meaning, finding ways to inspire followers to commit to collective goals.
Transforming leadership seeks to influence change that brings deeper meaning and is therefore more sustainable through the development of an individual’s personal growth. It requires alignment with the leader’s vision, and core values as well as the wants, needs and aspirations of his or her followers. This requires both agility and authenticity.
Authentic leaders embrace their vulnerabilities and imperfections, which allows them to connect more authentically with their followers, fostering a deeper sense of shared purpose.
Understanding their own purpose and demonstrating integrity is foundational for a leader with inner clarity. The transforming leader understands their own purpose and can articulate a vision that is both persuasive and rooted in personal conviction. Therefore, moral leadership should not be secondary but the primary driver of decision-making for a transforming leader.

Organizational Leadership 615 will be completed in the Summer term 2025