Leadership Action Plan
During the course of this semester, I believe I have personally made large strides in my capability to demonstrate and effectively use the relational leadership model, not only in ILV meetings and activities, but in the course of my daily comings-and-goings and in friendships. Honestly, coming into the semester of SLC 101, I did not think much of nor believe the relational leadership model would stick in my life and be applied. My personal opinion on the topic of leadership was something that was difficult to discuss and even more difficult to try to write about and define using terms and definitions, such as empowerment or inclusivity. I even had a hint of personal feeling that being bogged down by talking about leadership and learning terms and phrases in a class setting might hinder one’s ability to focus on building relationships with those in your groups and actually practicing leadership! However, this has been completely proven wrong. SLC 101 has given me opportunities to not only learn what the model represents and describes in its 5 phases, but be able to practice it in writing, acting, and talking with classmates, Anna, friends, and the CL’s.
The relational leadership model teaches that we should include all people, no matter who they are or what they look like, empower and encourage those people, give them a common purpose and goal, be guided by ethics and rules, but work in a process-oriented, driven way. This was my misconception, in that using terms did not hinder my ability to lead, but instead gave me insight and focus to maintaining relationships and remaining in groups that exhibited all the aspects of the model, and to evaluate the current groups I was in to make sure they were practicing all the skills necessary to thrive. The leadership philosophy I adapted in class has certainly shifted- for the longest time, I had always wanted to be the true vocal and active leader in my group, even going to the extent of pushing others away to make sure the work was done my way. The relational leadership model and the class certainly has changed my behavior since the beginning by allowing me to rely on others more, be open to all ideas, and encourage all group members to be active and participating. When reflecting upon my personal leadership strengths and weaknesses, there are many of both that come to the forefront. First, I believe my strengths come from my ability to empower others, persevere under tough conditions, be very process-oriented, and never settle for losing. I believe these qualities are best explained through my love of sports and some of my actions on the sports court or field. Encouraging and strengthening my teammates through praise and getting loud is one of my favorite things to do, and getting someone else a basket sometimes feels better than scoring one yourself! Sports also allows me to be myself in an environment that is tough and requires perseverance, being process-oriented, and never losing the will to win. These abilities allow me to excel and succeed in sports and translates easily to leadership groups and teams outside of sports. These strengths give substance to my leadership skills, but also have many downsides that translate to areas that need work or growth. I have personally identified inclusivity, public speaking, and bluntness/hardness as three traits that will require growth for the spring semester and further. First, I believe myself and many people in general can work on becoming more accepting of others who are different and putting aside preconceived notions. Coming from a rural and very white area, inclusivity and being accepting was not taught and practiced very often- but NC State is a very diverse and accepting place! During my years in Raleigh, I feel I can learn that no matter how different a person may look or act, they are never worth not treating them equally, fairly, and positively. Along with working on inclusivity, I believe I can work on my bluntness and speaking to others in a better tone or creating a better environment for positivity. I am sometimes quick to say a sarcastic comment, and can definitely grow in this area. Lastly, I believe everyone can improve their speaking in front of people and confidence in public engagements. This is one area I hope to gain opportunities to improve in the future. Using the village in the spring semester, I feel that many opportunities to take advantage of working with many types of people and those with differing backgrounds but similar work ethics and values. I hope to remain involved in the village, create meaningful change at NC State, and complete work that proves to help village members and get those in the community involved as well. The spring semester and village itself will also allow me the opportunity to put into practice the model and what we have learned in class in my personal life and in activities in the village. I am involved in a number of clubs and organizations, and the knowledge from SLC 101 and my personal identified strengths and areas of growth can certainly be used in these places. The village provides many experiences that I have done before and can certainly be used for stepping out of your comfort zone, learning new things, and making an impact on the community.
Lastly, I will develop two action steps in order to continue my leadership for far into the future, and personally challenged myself. First, I will pledge to actively practice inclusivity and search out opportunities to get in touch and involve myself with those who think, act, and believe substantially different things than me. Doing this will expose many different cultures and ideals I don’t even know about, get me in places where inclusivity is tested, and help me become more well-rounded and knowledgeable in general. If inclusivity is not practiced and each person just hangs out with those that only affirm and share their beliefs, we deny ourselves knowledge, connection with other people, and experiences we would never be able to get to do. Expanding my horizons and strengthening my inclusivity is of paramount importance to myself in the near future, and something I pledge to do sooner rather than later.
My second action plan revolves around my area of growth in public speaking! In the future, I hope to improve this by seeking out and accepting more roles to speak in front of even small crowds to practice comfort, confidence, and voice projection. I will soon get a great test in this area because this Thursday, December 6th, I will be MC’ing at CRU’s Thursday night meeting at Providence Church. This will be in front of a lot of people, but I hope I can use this experience and others I gain to become a better public speaker.
The village and SLC 101 have given me great perspective on the process and implementation of leadership in my daily life. Certainly, I can grow as a leader, follower, and person in the spring semester and beyond during my years at NC State and can only hope my experiences and opportunities allow me to step outside my comfort zone and practice the relational leadership model.