LEADERSHIP

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Courage is a leadership value that is of the highest importance. However, without the fear factor, courage cannot even be defined. Courage is taking action in the face of fear. Without fear, leaders can be narcissistic, dangerous, or reckless. I think that there is value in accessing all outcomes: including the worst-case scenario. Looking at all outcomes, what can give the best and worst results can help me enhance my decision-making process. It allows me to become a risk-taker and a more thoughtful decision-maker when I consider all possible results. I am learning to value all of what makes me who I am and not necessarily define any of it as bad or negative, but traits that can be accepted, embraced, refined and balanced as my leadership abilities shift and grow.

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Believing in oneself is viewed as one of the foundations of success. In my personal experience, it has been about trial and error. Understanding that sometimes what appears to be a failure is not the final word, but a stepping stone to success. Emotional intelligence helps my growth in this area. I keep my eye on the prize, pressing towards my goals and having a positive inner dialogue: while minimizing the negative internal chatter as much as possible. I avoid dream killers and stick with like-minded individuals. I set time frames for my long-term, medium and short-range goals with the necessary steps to accomplish them. Regular assessment is necessary to stay on task and not live my life by default. 

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I am discovering the importance of embracing every aspect of leadership. I can be a swimmer or a lifeguard depending on the day and the situation. I believe to be a good leader, one must also be a good follower or at least be flexible as needed. Although I am an authentic and servant leader by nature, I can be situational, authoritative, middle-of-the-road, protective, and minimally controversial, depending on the matter at hand. For example, with my students, I am mostly a life-guard beckoning them to the shores of life, impressing upon them their untapped abilities. But I am also a swimmer, keeping the pace with the class, with the semester’s objectives in our sights as we extend and stretch ourselves moving to the finish line. This joint endeavor helps build their trust in me as their educator, builds their self-confidence, self-belief, and values system. With my peers, followers, leaders, and professional community, I am also both, sometimes a swimmer in a relay swim, moving in tandem with the same goals, switching roles to get the team to the finish line. 

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MENTORSHIP

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Learning and teaching coexist harmoniously in my mind and manifest as a passion for education. As a result, I continue as a 61-year old graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree and a  teacher of an amazing group of students. I take a practical approach as an authentic leader and use teaching as an opportunity for educating and mentorship. I lead my students by example, letting them understand their value while helping them develop their goals, pursue their dreams, and bring value to their communities.  I keep it real in the mentorship of my students through honesty. I tell them the truth. I first let them know that I understand that life brings challenges, but those challenges do not define you. I let them know that I relate to them at ground-level, as a student, not just as their teacher. That I, too, deal with deadlines, overloads, stress, and everyday life demands. I let them know that you can experience being overwhelmed, push forward, push through, and succeed in the end. I relay to them examples of where consistency and self-discipline in the face of adversity paid off in my life. I build relationships with them by sharing my story. They know of my humble beginnings as an immigrant, working my way through college, owning my own business, graduating with two master's degrees, maintain a robust GPA, and continuing to pursue an education at 61. This transparency allows me to maintain mutual trust, respect, and build connectedness with them. I share my passion for education and compassion for their struggles. I keep it real by bringing my humanity to them.