Final Reflection
Through the service action proposal and many other activities that I participated in SLC class or through the village I was able to learn more about myself as a leader. I’ve been a part of Shelton for three years now and I can see a lot of what the program preaches in this village. The activities that students participate in may not go as in-depth as we do during the challenge, but students are still being challenged as leaders. For example, at the start of the year, a lot of people had to learn to step out of their comfort zones. It was our inclusiveness as a collective group that helped us grow as a village and has kept us strong through all the village work. Many more experiences such as these have helped us create what we hold close to us as leaders.
From the start, my suitemates were the ones that made me feel more comfortable here at state and have really helped me become a better leader. All of them are generous and hard-working individuals that have a bright path ahead of them. I consider myself a social person but for me to be fully comfortable in an environment I need personal connections. I can say that I have made that connection with each of the suitemates. They’re all always there to talk with me and have supported me through many of the obstacles that I have faced in my first semester. If it weren’t for these people back in my suite, I would probably still be a lost freshman on campus. We’ve had a lot of fun experiences together, such as paintballing and going out to eat at the bistro, which has created a stronger bond. Steven and I have gone to play basketball numerous times, Jack helped me create music that I have written for three years, and Colby has been there to play video games all the time. There are so many more things that I could list off, but the important part is the value that they hold. Without others being there to talk to when I’m stressed or without others being able to go out to toss around the football I wouldn’t be the same leader I am today. These moments that I’ve had with my suite have taught me how to be responsible, caring, compassionate, and goal-driven. The time that I have spent with these people has helped me understand how to utilize these skills and why they are so important. Through inclusiveness, my suite was able to empower me to be a better leader.
When looking at the service action proposal the main part of the model that I figured out was my ethic code. Through the process, the one thing that shed light on my ethic code was when I interviewed Mr. Sagili. Mr. Sagili is the president of the Anuraag Foundation, which is a foundation that works to provide the proper education for disabled kids. I’ve been involved with this foundation since 6th grade volunteering at different booths set up in Cary and at the 5ks that they host. I decided to contact the foundation again for the proposal because I wanted to see what I would get from it as an adult and I got more than I expected. When talking with Mr. Sagili he spoke like a true leader. He answered my questions with confidence and it was easy to see why the Anuraag Foundation has been successful in its mission. His unwavering confidence in their mission comes from his strong ethical code and how he differentiates right from wrong. The confidence in one’s ethical code comes from experiences and hours of personal analysis. He has taken the time to analyze what he believes in and to tie that in with his own experiences, which has created this will to succeed for disabled kids’ education. This burning passion made me realize that I need to do the same to grow as a leader. If I’m able to figure out what I believe in and I truly have a passion for what I believe, I will succeed. So my ethics is one part of the relational leadership model that I have to work on. Especially since I’m interacting with more groups, defining my code will go a long way in the workforce.
Through this proposal, I have also identified my strengths. As a leader, I feel that I am passionate and can communicate well. Throughout the whole process, I was able to keep in close contact with Mr. Sagili and was able to get more information out of him through my communication skills. For example, I was able to set up an extra meeting with Mr. Sagili to understand his cause on a deeper level to help me understand his codes’ origin as well as more content for me to use for the research proposal. Passion is definitely one of my strengths as well because when talking with Mr. Sagili I shared the same drive that he has and I was getting fired up over the problems disabled kids face. I understood where Mr. Sagili was coming from and hearing his story made me want to do as much as I could for this organization. I definitely felt that this passion went on to the proposal that I wrote and is a noticeable aspect of the proposal.
As the semester continues in order for me to get this proposal running is to communicate consistently with others that could help me and to stay organized. Setting up a talent show is not easy so it’s necessary for me to take this project step by step in order to ensure success. I would definitely work through the village and for me, the only thing I need from the village is the support of all the villagers. I don’t mind if people don’t get involved with the project but I know that I got a group of people that have my back and will be there to support me. As a leader, it helps me maintain my confidence as I go on to do something I have never done before.
This process that I have planned out emphasizes my Talent Theme strength of communication. Making sure that everyone is on the same page throughout the process is key and will heavily rely on my ability to keep people in the loop. If I’m able to keep up with tasks and different people involved with my project, I will be able to run a successful operation. With this in mind, two steps that I would need to make as I take on this challenge include: getting in contact with people and to start dividing tasks. This big project will most likely require the help of many individuals. It’s important from the start to divide the tasks to avoid mayhem and to help run a smooth operation. Getting in contact with venues or potential participants from the start will help us get an early start on finalizing the show’s date and will give us a definite timeline. These two steps are crucial to run a smooth operation and gives us breathing room if complications arise.
I do believe that my leadership philosophy has changed since the start of the class. Before I felt as though leaders have to prove themselves through successes only, but now I believe that leaders are not only that. Leaders need much more than successes to prove themselves to their followers, in my opinion, I now believe that actions do speak louder than words. Passion is a palpable quality and a leader is not formed through successes rather they are made through their passion to bounce back from failure to make themselves better. Without passion, a leader is just a man calling the shots, but who is not respected in their group. With passion, a leader is a man that holds the team together and is able to accomplish so much more.