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. 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 ac provided new ways of seeing the world and my role in it. Throughout the past two years, I have studied Human Centered Design and learned new strategies to unleash human potential, found new ways to transform organizations and achieve a greater level of success as a leader within my organization.
A deep dive on ethics uncovered 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 Imagine, Create, Lead experience, I enjoyed spending time on the Gonzaga campus. This immersion focused on learnings around attachment, dialogue, community and place have changed me and prompted me to "see and see again." The proverbial double-take which influenced the name for my capstone portfolio and will serve as a reminder to others that there are layers in everything. We are not the sum total of what we seem and neither are the people around us.
My Immersion class project was a mosaic step stone that I created from broken pottery, which reflected my takeaways on leadership perfectly. Adaptive leadership is about accepting flaws, while working to create something good, something better than each individual part is on its own. Sometimes it means 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 imperfectly perfect things we can create together with other imperfect, passionate people, bringing their own experiences, values and purpose.
I have learned to listen, discern and decide with thoughtfulness and careful reflection through examples and finding an inner silence. In exploring transforming leadership, I came to understand my true purpose, which led to my capstone project. Today’s leaders must not only communicate their 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. 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 our own purpose requires both agility and authenticity.
Manifested Competency Project
For my capstone project, I presented to a group of women from the Women's Education and Leadership League (WELL).
