Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reflective Leadership
Reflective Leadership
Jessica Avila-Cuevas
Sheryl Sandberg once said, “leadership is about making others better as a result of your
presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence” (Harvard Business School).
Reflecting on my journey as a higher education professional, I find this quote to be more salient
as I proceed in the next steps and ventures in my career. I was never able to articulate my
leadership philosophy until learning about the varied theories and frameworks involved in
leadership. I will be using three frameworks of leadership that best define my leadership
Sandberg’s quote resonates with me and the groundwork that has been presented in taking this
education.
Servant Leadership
Prior to taking this leadership course, the only concept I knew of was servant leadership.
When I first learned of the concept of servant leadership, I defined it as someone who puts others
first before themself. Northouse (2018), however, states that “servant leadership emphasizes that
leaders be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them.
Servant leaders put followers first” (p. 227). As someone who works in higher education, I value
my constituents within and outside my function area of college admissions. As someone who is
actively aware of the needs of the students I serve and the ways in which my colleagues can
grow within this profession has been manifested through my efforts as a servant leader. I will
further explain how I have demonstrated some of Robert K. Greenleaf’s characteristics of servant
leadership.
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While some believe that college recruiters are perceived as gatekeepers of their
institutions, it takes a lot of empathy and awareness in understanding a high schooler’s efforts in
applying and enrolling to college. According to Greenleaf, servant leaders stand in the shoes of
another person attempting to see the world from that person’s point of view and they understand
oneself and the impact one has on others (Northouse, 2018). As a first-generation college
student, I understand the barriers that exists when trying to access and navigate the college
admissions process. Various processes such as completing the application and applying for
financial aid are strenuous to first-generation college students. Therefore, I take extra time in
providing support to students so that they successfully go through the process. For example, I
met with a student and their family to help them complete the FAFSA (Free Application for
Federal Student Aid) so that they can qualify for financial assistance. As a first-generation
student, there were limitations where my parents were not aware of the procedures that took into
place when applying for financial aid. Therefore, I wanted to ensure that the student and their
parents were aware of this process regardless if they decided on attending the institution I
worked for. This example exhibits how I demonstrated empathy and awareness as a servant
leader.
colleagues for which I help build community in the workplace. According to Greenleaf, “servant
leaders are committed to helping each person in the organization grow personally and
professionally… servant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe
and connected with others” (as cited in Northouse, 2018, p. 230). Although I do not have a
particular leadership role within my organization to manage staff, I have been able to find my
voice in my department so that I can contribute toward the growth of my colleagues such as new
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staff. Personally, professional development is essential so that the person can feel validated and
can transcend themself to finding their sense of belonging in the workplace. Higher education,
in particular college admissions, may experience a lot of turnover due to the limited
encourage them to join various types of leadership and/or membership roles so that they can find
their sense of belonging in their careers. In addition, I have found ways to build community in
the workplace through various efforts such as team outings. My current position in admissions is
a remote job where six of us from the Chicago area work from remotely. Although we do not get
to work on a college campus, I believe bringing people together occasionally uplifts staff morale.
One example of how I helped build community was when I encouraged my coworkers to go to
campus for an athletic event. Although not work related, we were able to be outside of our work
environments and build camaraderie. These two characteristics have been manifested through
Transformational Leadership
for me to advocate and show awareness to people, in particular students, who hold similar
student and U.S. citizen, I have utilized my voice in various ways to become a transformative
followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations - the wants and
needs, the aspirations and expectations - of both leaders and followers” (as cited in Dugan, 2017,
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p. 190). This type of leadership can be bidirectional where both the leader and follower can
grow from each other. Thus, I can utilize my agency as an educator to transform ways I can
I attended the Sharing the Dream Conference, which is the first and only statewide
conference that brings together educators and allies who work with and support undocumented
students. After attending the conference, I assessed the institution I worked for and how it can
campus. I realized that there was not an admissions resource website for prospective
undocumented students to utilize and understand our admissions procedures. With the assistance
of the dean of admissions and the communications department, we were able to launch the
resource page for self-identified undocumented student to understand the process as they applied
and enrolled to the institution. This type of leadership approach can also be considered as
culturally relevant leadership. According to Bertrand Jones, Guthrie, & Osteen (2016) the
efficacy in the leadership process” (as cited in Guthrie & Chunoo, 2018, p. 43). As the daughter
higher education on how I can support this student population. Once I developed skills and
knowledge concerning policies and legislation related to undocumented students, I was able to
voice out how my department's website can provide inclusivity to this group of students.
Authentic Leadership
in predominantly White professional settings. Torres (2018) states that there are “instances in
which Latina leaders may feel that they must conform to the dominant leader identity
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characteristics that historically did not represent underrepresented and marginalized” populations
household are not represented to the dominant culture within the realm of higher education. Not
only do I identify as a first-generation college graduate, but I also identify as a first generation
employee. Navigating in a dominant culture while also trying to navigate toward leadership
opportunities in higher education has been exhausting. This is due to the limitations that hinders
Dugan (2017) argues that authenticity becomes a reflection of dominant standards where
the prototype usually links to White privilege and masculinity. Such standards are perceived as
the prime example of what authentic leaders should be. Since this characteristic is ingrained in
our society, a group of followers may judge or think less of a Woman of Color as a leader based
on certain stereotypes when she presents herself in a space, even though she is utilizing her very
own authentic leadership. Clarke et al. (2013) state that when “minoritized people are forced to
manage how they ‘show up’ within an environment, it constitutes emotional labor” (as cited in
Dugan, 2017, p. 285). As a Woman of Color, I had to “show up” in order to perform a certain
way that others perceive as an authentic leader, but in reality I am acting and not being my
authentic self. One example of this is the way in which I present myself in front of others as a
organization is diverse, those with leadership positions, such as my position are mostly White,
especially White Women. During board meetings, I do not speak up because I may be perceived
as the obnoxious Latina rather I listen, observe, and provide feedback that would be well
received from my followers. Even if I were to “perform” a certain way, this performance may
not be validated due to the fact of my presence as a Women of Color. Unfortunately, this
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performance creates a toll for me as it produces limitations of my authenticity and makes me feel
Since authentic leadership is a process, Northouse (2018) states that there are factors that
influence authentic leadership, such as resilience. “During difficult times, resilient people are
able to bounce back from challenging situations and feel strengthened and more resourceful as a
where I can be clear about my leadership capacity while utilizing my sense of self through the
to do the work I do, I have to recognize and exemplify what my leadership philosophy is in order
people that I serve. I must also understand my identity, capacity, and efficacy in the leadership
those who I want to serve. Finally, building relationships and community while establishing a
Conclusion
the importance of being present in order to grow as a leader and leaving an impact through this
leadership process. Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, and Osteen (2006) state that
over time to build one’s capacity or efficacy to engage in leadership. This developmental
approach entails moving from simple to more complex dimensions of growth” (p. 402). While
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leadership is a process and my philosophy of leadership may be altered as I grow in this field, I
view my leadership development and my philosophy statement as a lifelong process that has
been informed through my experiences and will continue to change and develop as I transition to
References
Dugan, J. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass
Guthrie, K., & Chunoo, V. (2018). Changing the narrative: Socially just leadership education.
Harvard Business School. (2013, April 6). Sheryl Sandberg (MBA 1995) speaks at the HBS W50
Komives, S. R., Longerbeam, S. D., Owen, J. E., Mainella, F. C., & Osteen, L., (2006). A
Northouse, P. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice, 8th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Guthrie, K., & Chunoo, V. Changing the narrative: Socially just leadership education.