MSLD 641_March 2019

Based on the responses completed on my Personal Balance Sheet, I was able to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses. A reflection of my assessment is outlined below:   My Distinctive Strengths I am a good communicator/speaker I work well with others Creativity Initiative Patience Flexible Quick-study Reliable Kind Generous Leader Organized My Liabilities Time management- My time management is inconsistent and I want to develop a habit of consistency. Because of my current work position, I am able to adjust my schedule as needed; however, there is still this part of me that underestimates the time it takes to accomplish things/arrive at places. Although I’m usually on time, I tend to rush. When rushing, my stress level increases and I run the risk of forgetting things. A lack of strong time-management could easily cause chaos as I take on more leader responsibilities, so I am constantly working on this. Controlling- If I am unwilling to release control, my...

Taking Stock Activities that allow me to grow in my faith, spend time with family and friends, and activities that allow me to create, are the most valuable activities to me. As far as work is concerned, I feel worth and purpose when I help others; I find worth in building relationships with students and colleagues, and I value the sense of accomplishment I feel when I learn something new, or overcome obstacles. In life, I currently enjoy doing things that make me feel alive; I feel alive when I am using my gifts, sharing my gifts, giving to others, nurturing important relationships, and creating in some artistic way. When I am at work, I enjoy my flexible schedule. Because of my flexible work schedule, I feel like I get more accomplished and I feel liberated. I love working with people that I consider family, not just work associates. I love helping students; I love watching students grow, and I love serving them in a way that leaves them pleased and appreciative. Although wor...

Just as our individual changes must be intentional, group development must be intentional. Akrivou et al. (2006), noted that intentionality and shared purpose are the driving forces of change and group transformation (p. 690). In the case of the US Women’s Soccer team, shared purpose was a great contributor to their success.  In addition to a shared purpose, the Women’s soccer team had a shared vision. Their purpose was to not only win, but to support one another and do their part, so that they would be effective team contributors. The Women’s soccer team also had a great bond among the players, and the bond created trust (Holloran, 2013). Although the women relied on each other, they were also disciplined and each trained on her own time; the women worked hard to reach their own potential (Holloran, 2013). As a result of the time each teammate gave to her talents, the team collectively grew and bonded. Akrivou et al. (2006) noted that a group’s shared vision of what they want to ...

When I moved back to the Savannah area (I was living in Atlanta), I needed to get a job right away. After talking with my dad, he let me know that our medical doctor friend had an open administrative assistant position at his practice. Although I did not have a medical background, I a) needed income b) had an administrative background. The newness of living in a different city and working at a doctor’s office, was quite an adjustment; I had to adjust to my new location and work environment. In the beginning, my relationships with co-workers was not great, but it wasn’t too bad. I was able to complete my assignments without disruption and interact with our patients; my relationships with our patients was the best part of the job.   Although I was employed by the doctor and he was my main supervisor, one of the nurse assistants was the office manager; this meant that she was also my manager. Unfortunately, our relationship soured soon after I started. In one of the meetings I...

McKee et al. (2008) noted that in leadership, cognitive intelligence is not enough; emotional intelligence distinguishes great leaders from average leaders (p. 25). Goleman (2015) outlined emotional intelligence in terms of specific competencies: self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and skilled relationship. In addition to outlining the meaning of each competency, I’ve explained my place in each component. Self-awareness When we are self-aware, we know ourselves internally; we are emotionally aware; we know our strengths and weaknesses, and we are self-confident (Goleman, 2015). In my young adult years, I thought that I was pretty self-aware; I was a Counseling major learning about all the tools needed for self-discovery. I was emotionally conscious, and I thought I was confident. However, when I grew up, I realized that I was not as self-aware as I thought. For example, a few years ago, a friend pointed out behaviors that I was not aware; she noted that I intellectualized...

Given my background, I am going to approach this exercise a little differently. I have an undergraduate degree in counseling and since learning more about people, interpersonal interactions, emotional intelligence, etc., I have been a fan of the “soft stuff”. In other words, inspiring others, being in touch with my emotions and others, and leading with compassion, are skills that I’ve been sharpening for years. To be clear, I am not where I want to be and I still have so much more to learn; however, I can see a lot of my personality in resonant leader traits. Still, I feel more detached from the term leadership than I do resonance. I feel that I am a resonant person, but I am not quite confident leading others. I believe I inspire others based on feedback I have received; however, I am not sure how I would inspire those I am leading. When I think of leader-inspiration, I think of one of my supervisor friends. My friend teaches his employees new ways to think and problem-solve; wit...