Final Reflection on Leadership

Before starting this program I always had to make an effort to take on leadership roles. It
wasnt very natural for me to just take charge and volunteer to lead in a group personally or
professionally. I think it makes me a little uncomfortable to make decisions for others and that
might be why I shied away from those roles. Being a part of a very small class here at TUN, I
realized that I had more opportunities to become involved. Thats really how I felt about
volunteering to be involved in the ACOTE accreditation visit during first semester. The
opportunity was provided to attend the meeting and because its a topic that I feel invested in, the
accreditation of this program, I decided to be a part of it rather than sitting on the sidelines. I
would have never had that opportunity during my undergraduate time since it was a much larger
university. I feel that I started my leadership involvement in this program as being more passive,
as with the above example during first semester, and have progressed to much more active
leadership positions. For example, running for Vice President of our chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon
has been a much more active position for me. I am really grateful that we have been motivated to
take on leadership opportunities here, because I may have not found out my skills as a leader
until later on in life. Its made me understand that being a leader isnt just about holding a
leadership position in a larger group; it can be in any avenue in which you utilize leadership
skills. Working in groups with my peers has been a great way for me to understand and develop
my own leadership skills. It has especially helped me learn how to be an effective communicator;
an essential leadership skill.
During this last semester in OCCT 650, the most valuable assignment for me was
completing the Strengthsfinder assessment which gave me results on what are my top five
strengths. This information was included in my Leadership Development Plan under the
strengths subsection. That was a very eye opening experience for me because I both agreed and

Final Reflection on Leadership

disagreed with some of the results. More importantly, our class engaged in an online discussion
board about one anothers results. That was a great opportunity to see how others view your own
strengths. Some of my insecurities related to being a leader were disputed by my peers by them
highlighting what I have brought to group scenarios throughout the program. I know that my
strengths as a leader include bringing harmony and empathy to situations, and helping others
maximize and develop their skills. It was nice to hear that some of my peers agree. But I also
recognize that I need to boost my confidence as a leader; which should come with time. But
again, I feel thankful that these past two years has given me the chance to begin utilizing my
skills as a leader.