Why Leadership?

A few weeks prior, I was not planning on taking a second session class. However with a turn of events, a prior class was canceling out a current one.  I knew I had to take a second session and wanted to make sure I could get a class that was different than all my business and accounting classes.  When I saw a leadership class was on the list of options, I automatically decided on it.  I have taken a leadership class before, during sophomore year, and enjoyed the conversation and the variability it provided to my schedule. I have always seen myself as a leader, but I know my strong personality and drive for perfection can come off the wrong way to some.  I am taking this course so that I can refine the skills I have, and learn new ones.  I want to be able to reach the same accomplishments, but with all types of people involved, not just "Type A's."  Learning to work and collaborate with different personalities is key to thriving in the type of group work I will be working in at my future job.   

         At this point in my life, I feel I do have what it takes to be a good leader.  With that said, I am only one certain type of leader and tend to work better with the same driven people.  I understand that leadership is not a one type, one path, and one personality trait.  It takes many different traits and attributes to form a leader and there will always better leaders for certain situations.  I see leadership as not only having the courage to stand out but also have the capacity to stand down and be a team player.  In my past experiences I have been the varsity captain for my basketball team and in-charge of work and case group situations.  From those incidents I have gained the image that leadership is a balance between give and take.  It takes a lot of responsibility in addition to your own effort and time given to the group.

         My expectations for myself in this class are mostly to “broaden my horizon” on what leadership is and how best to implement it in different situations.  I feel I have a good base on the fundamental attributes but I want to see different types of leadership put into action.  Gaining knowledge on when and how to become a leader will not only help myself, but also help others in the different group situations we will partake in together.  I think it will be initially hard to accept other leading procedures that are different than the one I am accustom to, but that is why I am taking this class.  I do expect to disagree or have different views with my classmates.  I feel that is natural for everyone to have different viewpoints and opinions.  However, I think that differing views are necessary for everyone in the class to see alternative perspectives of the situation at hand.  Disagreeing is one of the main ways I believe we can come to a mutual understanding and conquer barriers that are normally put up in group situations.