Leadership is a subject I believed I knew everything about as I entered college. I am the firstborn of four daughters and naturally fit the stereotype. Oldest daughters are known as responsible, bossy, and leaders. I have often found myself in leadership roles (both by choice and not) within school, work, and community activities. However, it was not until I joined the Honors program that I thought about what leadership truly means to me. The program pushed me to explore this aspect of myself that was a large part of my identity, yet I knew little about.

              The first step of this exploration was taking the Strengths-Finder assessment. This assessment provided me with personalized results on my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. I believe this information is an extremely important starting point for any leader’s development. It is vital to understand what skills to utilize and what to strengthen. Without this understanding, a leader cannot know where to begin in their improvement. Then, one can begin to work on their leadership philosophy.

              My leadership philosophy is derived from my experience in the two jobs I had during my college career: Walmart Team Lead and Bridges MN HR Coordinator. These two jobs contrast each other in many ways, which is excellent for evolving a well-rounded theory. The philosophy I have developed throughout my experiences is that leadership should be practiced situationally. There is no correct style that will work for every situation and every follower. This is evident in my differing experiences between my two jobs, as very different leadership styles were necessary there. At Walmart, I often needed to choose between an authoritative and a laissez-faire style due to how each of my staff reacted to authority. At Bridges, I lead large groups in participative discussions but also lead through mentoring. Every situation requires strategic thinking as to what leadership style is appropriate. It is incredibly important while considering which style to use to take in consideration what each individual follower needs and wants. This is why I also believe that a diverse team is essential to a leader’s success. A diverse team pushes the leader to practice multiple forms of leadership, making them a more experienced situational leader. Again, this importance of diversity is highlighted in both of my job experiences, as I have worked with many people with varying backgrounds and demographics. My participation in the honors program assisted me in my leadership philosophy development, but the work is not done.

              Now that I understand what leadership means to me, I need to put my theory to practice and develop my skills further. Because I know as a situational leader that I need to be proficient in every leadership skill, I must improve upon my weaknesses indicated in my StrengthsFinder assessment. The best way to develop these skills is through active practice, which is what I hope to do in my future career.