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Birth
I was born on May 15, 1987 in Colorado. -
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Obeying
My first perception of leadership was to obey. My parents were the source of my life, and in order to lead I needed to obey them. God was a strong presence in my life, as my parents are Ministers, and with the sources of the Bible and chruch I served to obey. My parents truly were the model in which I saw leadership. They have always been American Baptist Ministers, and every Sunday I would see them lead the chruch in sermons. I saw one (or two people) who led, and everyone else followed. -
Learning through Modeling
This would be the first time I can remember understanding what my parents were doing. I could understand the process in which they stood before the congregation and taught them lessons. This event just solidified my beliefs in being a leader by following. I observed the congregation and their reactions to the sermons, and how they followed the word of God. -
Wendy's (First Job)
I got my first job in 2004 at Wendy's. The workforce environment was very bureaucratic. I was under the control of managers, who were under higher above control. There was no collaboration, there was teamwork, repetitive tasks, and mass production. At Wendy's, you were considered a "good" worker when you obeyed and followed the directions. This event, or happening, served to reiterate my perception of leading as following, and following well. -
Vision Centered
My view on leadership began to shift. I added to my belief that leadership must also be centered and focused. While I was at Judson College, I finally figured out what I wanted for myself. I defied what I had been told to do in a way, and used my goal to focus my leadership and decisions. This is when I realized that leadership can be driven by me, and that focus can motivate. -
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Visioning
Added vision and goal orientated leadership to my view of leadership. This would serve as a new layer in my beliefs of leadership, that there must be a goal in order for a leader to rise. -
Consequences
At the end of 2006, I had decided to transfer to North Park University. As I was packing my things on the last day at Judson College I realized that making choices and leading has its consequences. I realized because I had decided to lead my own life by my own vision, I was giving up the things I had at Judson College. I had established great relationships with friends, professors, and the community. I was choosing to leave that, instead of develop that. -
Moving (Risk)
After working toward finishing my Bachelors, I had to find a job and an apartment. I moved to Oak Park, Illinois. This was the first time I added taking risks to being a leader. I was moving without a job, and took a risk in doing so in the pursuit. If I had not done this, I may never have found my job with Ombudsman. Making decisions is leadership, but taking risks is important. This is when I added 'risk taking' to my leadership beliefs. -
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Making Decisions and Taking Risks
As someone once said, "fortune favors the brave." Once knowledge and experience has been gained, with a goal and focus in mind, leadership becomes about making decisions. These decisions can be as simple as where you'll move to next, or what job to apply for. The decisions can also be more complex. My belief about leadership, is that those who lead are able to make decisions that can be risky, or unique, that are based on resources the leader has. -
Ombudsman Sioux Falls
After moving from Chicago to start a new center in Sioux Falls, I learned how leadership can be tested. I learned that leadership must be built. It is something that adds to one layer and then another. Using my experience from previous years, I led by being a resource to those around me. I also was able to see how important care is for a leader to exhibit. This event signifies when I understood leadership as a layer of beliefs, and that caring is one of the most important aspects for a leader. -
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Caring
A leader is someone who shows care for others. Once I had more experience with students, and being part of a school, I added to my beliefs that leaders are people who show care for others. A leader has to have good intentions, and must work with good intentions when problem solving. When working with others, it is crucial for a leader to show care for employees. In many experiences, I realized was able to follow leaders in my life due to their demonstration of care for me.
