Competency Level: Proficient
"The Leadership competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of a leader, with or without positional authority. Leadership involves both the individual role of a leader and the leadership process of individuals working together to envision, plan, and affect change in organizations and respond to broad-based constituencies and issues. This can include working with students, student affairs colleagues, faculty, and community members" (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 27).
A compilation of my experiences in this program, undergraduate study, and the time in between, have informed my perspective on leadership and teamwork immensely. In reflecting on all of these experiences, I have begun to use an airplane analogy in thinking about the role I take on in leadership roles, as well as a team member, which are often synonymous from my perspective. I ask that you buckle up for the duration of the analogy. There are multiple components to an airplane, like the captain and the passengers, but I like to think of myself as the wings. I want to provide guidance and be able to balance out the team in case of any turbulence. My overall objective is for those on the team to grow and develop in whatever the goals are for the team so that when we arrive at our destination, everyone has gleaned something from the journey. I do not believe the best way to do this is sitting in the captain’s seat.
Members of the apartment staff team during ONU Homecoming parade that I coordinated.
I work to implement this analogy in multiple staff and student team environments. In doing so, I am able to “encourage colleagues and students to engage in team and community building” and work towards creating “environments that encourage others to view themselves as having the potential to make meaningful contributions to their communities and be civically engaged” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 28). I have been able to do this in facilitating in-service training sessions for 64 residence life staff members focused on self-care, crisis response with a emphasis on mental health, and evaluating personal and professional values to refocus “our why”. Being able to facilitate these meetings also allowed me to communicate the values I hold for my students, our profession, and myself. I was also able to get to know these folks better, which is an integral part of leadership. I have found roles that I have been in a titled leadership position
or have stepped into one, I have had the most success when I am able to have open and honest conversation with others about their identities, backgrounds, opinions, and perspectives and work to understand how that informs who they are.
I have also had the opportunity to “serve as a mentor for others” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 28) in initiation of team meetings with apartment staff members to collaborate on programming efforts and operation processes. In addition to this role, I have also been able to serve as the advisor for Open Doors, the LGBTQ+ student organization at Ohio Northern University. The opportunities I have had to practice and continue my leadership skills have built on my experiences from my time in undergraduate study, as well as my time as an AmeriCorps member. I hope to continue learning and growing in my leadership skills and abilities as I transition into a new role at a different institution, as well as in my upcoming position on the Graduate Student and New Professional Community of Practice Professional Development directorate.
American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors. Retrieved from http://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencies_FINAL.pdf