HDF 190:

FIRST YEAR LEADERS INSPIRED TO EXCELLENCE

LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO

Carly Egrie
SPRING 2015
cegrie@my.uri.edu

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Strengths
Opening Statement
Section 1: Self Leadership
Section 2: Leadership Theories
Section 3: Inclusive Leadership
Section 4: Critical Thinking
Section 5: Interpersonal/Organizational Leadership

SLIDE #3
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Signature Strengths
Achiever
Positivity
Strategic
Responsibility
Relator

Values in Action Strengths

Forgiveness
Gratitude
Honesty
Hope
Kindness

OPENING STATEMENT
In HDF 190 I have learned more about myself and who I am as a leader than I
thought was possible. Ive discovered my top strengths, the things I value
most in life, and how I can use these two assets together to grow as a leader. I
have realized that leadership doesnt have to define the person at the top of an
organization, but that leadership is within all of us and we can decide how to
use it. I plan to spend the rest of my college career developing into a better
leader and preparing myself to lead in everything I do in the future. Even the
smallest gestures, such as smiling when passing someone, show you are a
leader; because its always better to be the person who smiled, than the
person who didnt smile back.

SECTION 1
Self Leadership
9. Student will demonstrate practice of the personal values statement
Target Class: HDF 190
In HDF 190 we did the VIA Assessment to find out what our values were. From this assessment, the value of Gratitude
stood out to me most. To me, gratitude means being thankful for the good things that you are blessed with, but also
learning from the bad experiences you have in life. I see gratitude in myself every day, even if its just for something as
simple as the sun being out. One personal experience where I saw gratitude most in myself was through a close family
friend of mine. Frank was one of my dads best friends and watched my brother and I grow up. Frank experienced a lot in
his lifetime. He had a metal rod in his back, a fused ankle, only 8.5 toes, tricep reconstruction, and many other injuries that
made his life difficult. Yet, Frank look passed all of his problems and instead used them as fuel for his life. Frank was a
Physical Therapist, and not just any Physical Therapist, but one of the best in our area, and the manager of 11 NovaCare
Facilities in South Jersey. Besides devoting his life to helping other people with injuries, he was constantly smiling. You
could never tell Frank was in pain because he was always beaming with happiness and laughter. Although Frank was like
Superman, all super heroes have a weakness. His happened to be cancer. Frank was diagnosed with cancer and it quickly
took a toll on his life. I saw it rapidly break him down and it broke me down as well. Yet, the last day I got to see Frank he
didnt say anything to me, but simply gave me a thumbs-up, his sign to me that everything will be okay. Frank passed
shortly after that and it was very hard for my family. What I got out of this experience was a lot of gratitude and even more
motivation. Frank quickly became my motivation and to this day is the reason I want to be a Physical Therapist. He also
made me realize that you cant control the bad things life throws at you, but you can laugh at them and make the best out
of them. Frank made me extremely grateful for everything that I am blessed with and for everything that has happened in
my life or has yet to happen. I thank him for making me realize that life is a learning experience and you have to be grateful
for what gets thrown at you, good or bad.

SECTION 2
Leadership Theory and Models
27. Student will describe personal application of the above theory (Greenleaf)
Target Class: HDF 190
In HDF 190, we recently learned about the Servant Leadership theory. After learning about this theory, I have
realized how many times Ive used this theory in my life. I am always willing to volunteer and love helping others in
any way I can. One instance where I saw the Servant Leadership theory in my life was this past Christmas. A local
church was holding a free brunch for the homeless and people in the community who were struggling. I decided to
devote 3 hours of my Christmas to serving food to people who dont have as much as I do. I now see all of the
characteristics of a servant leader in myself, especially during that experience. I was a listener and realized that there
are people out there who need help. I was very empathetic of these people and knew I wanted to devote myself to
helping them. I realized that they have it much worse than I do, but with my trait of healing I knew I could make their
struggles a little less painful, even if it was just for that afternoon. I raised awareness to my family and actually
persuaded them to come with me and volunteer as well. My conceptualization made me realize that there is so many
people who need help but are often overlooked. This experience allowed me to foresee the fact that I want to help
people in need for the rest of my life. By devoting my Christmas day to serving the less fortunate, I showed my
stewardship and proved that I am committed to serving others needs. I also showed how I was committed to the
growth of others. I put my interests and desires away for that day and spent it helping others in need. Finally, I built a
community along the way. I talked to everyone I was serving and made sure to give them little bursts of positivity to
keep their spirits up. This experience was honestly life changing. I realized that people who need help are so grateful
and accept the smallest gestures. Just giving them the time of day made them feel great and that is why I felt so great
after. The best gift I received last Christmas was the smile I saw on the faces of all of the people I helped.

SECTION 3
Inclusive Leadership / Diversity and its application to leadership
81. Student will show knowledge of effective leadership as it relates to change agency
Target Class: HDF 190
In order to successfully create change, you must be a change agent. Within the Social Change Model, there are
7 Cs that lead up to the 8th C, change. You cant conquer change without accomplishing all of the 7 Cs first. To
be an effective leader and create positive change you must be a change agent. A change agent must first
understand that change is a process and its not just going to happen overnight. One must also understand that
when trying to create change, you are going to experience resistance. An effective change agent must have
strategies to overcome this resistance. Next, there are some qualities that a successful change agent must
encompass. They must be positive about change. A lot of people dont like change because it takes away their
comfort zone. A change agent must be okay with this and be comfortable with the transition and ambiguity. They
also have to be confident and patient because change doesnt happen quickly. Lastly, there are some qualities
that a change agent must demonstrate as well. They should be able to influence a system and show that there is
urgency with their issue. An effective change agent can articulate a vision and explain that vision to others. Most
importantly, a change agent must be willing to take risks to make a difference. An effective change agent
encompasses all of these qualities and is aware of the possibility of failing. They are willing to step out of their
comfort zone and take risks if it means that change is possible.

SECTION 4
Critical Thinking
92. Student will show knowledge of at least five decision making methods
Target Class: Everything!
Decisions are something we encounter everyday. As soon as we wake up we decide what to wear, what to eat for
breakfast, and what we need to do that day. You are always going to have decisions to make, so it is key to be
aware of decision-making methods. One very common method is to flip a coin. If you are stuck between two
options, you just flip a coin and let it decide for you. Another method is rock, paper, scissors. Although this may
seem silly, it can decide who goes first for something or who has to clean up the dishes, and many other things
that you cant agree on. Another great method to making decisions is to talk to other people about it. If you are
really stuck on something, its very helpful to talk to people who have experience in that area. Talking to others
can help you weigh out your options and narrow down the best one. It is also very helpful to sleep on it when
you have a decision that is bugging you. Giving yourself a night to think about it before jumping to conclusions
is very helpful. You dont usually make your best decisions when youre tired or angry. So going to sleep and
letting yourself think it all out will usually result in a better outcome. Finally, my favorite decision making method
is to make a pros and cons list. When I am really stuck between a few things I will make pros and cons lists for
all of my options. I then compare all of the lists and figure out what my best option is. This seems to be the most
successful method because you can compare the options. You also give yourself to look at the good things and
bad things of every side, which is very important in making a decision. There are many other decision making
methods but these are the ones I use most.

SECTION 5
Interpersonal and Organizational Concepts and Skills
135. Student will describe personal examples of building relationships with members as a leader
Target Class: Dance Teacher
Senior year of High School, I had the pleasure of teaching dance classes at the studio I attended. I had also stood out
as a responsible and dedicated student, and my teacher felt as though I deserved the chance to teach. I was lucky
enough to be given this opportunity and was so excited for the job. I assisted the main teacher in a few classes and
was given one class to teach on my own. So Saturday mornings I taught an Acrobatics Dance class to first and second
graders. From the first day of class I could tell I was going to love it. The kids were just as excited about dance as I was
and were all so well behaved. As the year went on I got really close with my little dancers. I had all of their moms
phone numbers and would call them to check up on them every once in a while. My class viewed me and not only their
teacher, but also their role model and friend. I made an effort to build a community within our class. I did a bunch of
team-building activities and made sure that all of the girls got along. I also made sure that they trusted me and felt
comfortable to talk to me about anything that they were struggling with. The girls became close and would cheer each
other on when someone completed a trick that they were working on. I never thought that I could get so close to first
and second graders, but we became a little family. I looked forward to class every week and so did they. For our last
class, I made them all cupcakes and goodie bags and thanked them for being such great students. I gave them each an
award for completing tricks that they had worked hard towards. I was really emotional at my last recital. Not only was I
leaving the studio, but also I was leaving behind a little family that I worked so hard to build. A few of the girls cried
when I got announced as a senior that would be leaving. It was so heartwarming to know that I had made a difference
in their life and that they would miss me. I still visit them from time to time, but I would do anything to go back and
teach them again.