SELF IMAGE AND SELF WORTH Before we even began to talk about leadership, we discussed how we saw ourselves. Self image and self worth have a big role in how we interact with others. If one holds themselves to a high self worth, others will be able to see that. This helps when going into a leadership role and can affect the outcome of a project. Overall, I do believe that we can sabotage ourselves through this idea. I know that I have struggled with it in different aspects of my life. It is something that I am becoming more aware about, hoping that I can work on this to become a better leader and live a fulfilling life.
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO LEAD When faced with an obstacle, it is important to take the steps needed to lead. There are many different characteristics that a leader can have, some that make them more successful than others. One of those being initiative. Without stepping forward and grasping that leadership role, nothing will get done. Personally, I sometimes feel out of my comfort zone when I step out and lead. Though this feeling is uncomfortable, I know that it is normal. This past year especially, I have had the goal to take initiative in many aspects of my life and I feel that it has been worth every uncomfortable moment.
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS Building relationships is an important aspect in life. I believe that any career path will have to make connections with others. Particularly in the education world, building good relationships is key to the success of your classroom, whether it be connections with your students, with your colleagues, or with the parents. All-in-all it is a key skill to work on. We worked on this skill a lot in our junior ELA class. Coming in, we were friendly towards each other, with minimal connections made. Throughout the year, we grew close by learning about each other and bonding over what we were going through. Making these connections made it so much easier to work with those around us. It also made it easier to receive help, knowing that they had been there before and weren't going to judge, and to take directions, knowing that it was coming from a good place.
TEAM BUILDING SKILLS Team building skills goes right along with making connections and building that relationship. As a leader, it is important to take initiative to lead but to also do your part as part of the team. The better connected the team is, the better they will work together. Being on the University of Mary swim team the past 3 years has shown me what it means to have team building skills. When the whole team is working together, success occurs. But when there is turmoil, the team falls apart. It has helped me see the importance moving from a high school team to a college team. All of our differences are important and accepting them and lifting people up for them is part of building a great team dynamic.
PERSONAL REFLECTION In life, it is important to have goals for yourself including where you want to be and what you want to achieve. As a leader, it is important to have those goals, not only for yourself, but for your team as well. It is important to be able to reflect upon your role in life. This reflection, if willing to act upon it, can lead to growth that is necessary for success. Showing this growth as a leader will inspire those around you to grow themselves. I feel that personal reflection is necessary in all aspects of life. It can come in many forms and be found at so many different times. I think the hardest part of self reflection is acting upon the results. Change can be difficult, especially change from within. This is something that I continue to work on and struggle with, as I don't always confront my emotions, but is necessary as I strive to reach my potential.