"Leaders are not naturally born."
Okay, so you may have read that phrase and thought.. "WHAT?" or maybe you had no surprising reaction to that phrase and already believed in that notion.
The point that I am trying to make here is.. being a leader is not easy. NOT ONE BIT. It takes years of experiencing and learning/growing from those experiences. Growing up, I expected leaders to be perfect. Now that I am older, I realize that the most effective leaders have made mistakes and are still making mistakes. What makes them different is their ability to LEARN from those mistakes. I am learning that every single experience that I have in this life is valuable and is teaching me something new about myself.
Whenever I hear someone state, "Wow, you are a naturally born leader!" to someone, I definitely believe that the statement is valid--it is important to validate people's feelings, thoughts and emotions, but I also question what that person's definition of a leader may be...
I am currently in my 3rd semester of occupational therapy school, and I am surely tired.
Yet, this semester I have had the opportunity to take a leadership course named, Innovation and Everyday Leadership! This course has allowed me to see the beauty and complexity in leadership. I realize that being a leader should be translated into every area of my life--professionally and personally. I have grown in my understanding of what leadership looks like inside the field of occupational therapy and outside it. Now, let's talk about it..
Let's talk about self-assessments on leadership
I believe self-assessments are great! They help you find a level of groundness and foundation in your way of leadership. Personally, self-assessments have confirmed what I have been noticing about my leadership skills. It also has encouraged me as I discovered different types of leaders. An assessment that I have used to assess my strengths and weaknesses is a platform called, CliftonStrengths. This is a strengths finder test that gives you feedback on how you operate in teams, along with the approach you may have when meeting new people. After taking the test, I discovered my top five strengths: positivity, developer, connectedness, includer, and belief. Most of my strengths included themes surrounding relationship building, meaning I lead with a relationship-building approach. Discovering this has brought much joy and affirmation into my life. I sincerely love building relationships with people and discovering that this is a specific way to lead others has made me more confident in embracing my role as a leader.
Let's talk about servant-leadership
Servant leadership is a form of leading that may not receive the most recognition. Within my
personal experiences, I have grown up seeing authoritative leaders, meaning people who lead with the expectation of giving orders and delegating roles. Servant leadership is a form of leadership that I desire to replicate, especially with the strengths that I have identified within myself—specifically relationship-building strengths. In reference to my CliftonStrengths, 5 of the main strengths that I have identified with are positivity, developer, connectedness, includer, and belief. As I reflect on these strengths, I see how I am naturally drawn to servant leadership as it relates to connecting authentically with people. My favorite way to lead others is by helping others identify the strengths within themselves and empowering them to use those strengths to become a better version of themselves. Emphasizing on people’s unique experiences and characteristics will help them feel included, empowered, and valued. Servant leadership means committing to seeing the BEST and HOPE in others, while also being bold enough to verbally
compliment on those special aspects of people.
Let's talk about community-leadership
I lead through facilitation. Facilitating groups has allowed me to operate in my strength of relationship-building. Being in the community involves connecting with people who may be similar and/or different from you. Community-leadership should be done with intention since you are dealing with a group of people. My favorite part of community-leadership is seeking the GOOD in people. I like to phrase it as, "calling it out"-- i think it is important to call out the GOOD that you see in people. It helps cultivate a more comfortable, inclusive, and empowering environment. Solidifying unity in a community is important--in order for community-leadership to be a success, unity must be present.
Let's talk about business-models
There are 6 different types of business-models. Agency-contracted Directed Service, Client-Paid Direct Service, Ownership and Management of a Multi-therapist Service Business, Product Development, Education Seminar, and Consultation. Business-models grounds companies as it gives them a framework of service. Let's talk about an experience I had at a pediatric outpatient clinic...
During this experience, I encountered a conflicting situation with an occupational therapist and a child's parent. In this situation, the child's mother and the OT were on conflicting terms. The mother of the child did not allow the OT to complete the intervention plan within the therapy session. The mother took full authority over the session, which set the OT behind on goals she intended to complete with the child. A business-model that I believe could help patients, client constellations, and OTs is consultation. If the parent and OT strengthened their relationship by being in constant communication with each other, it would diminish any confusion and distress that may be felt. Consultations help OTs build trust with their clients, while also fully educating them on the concerns they may have. Consultation may be one of my favorite business-models as it gives me the opportunity to connect with my clients one-on-one.
Let's talk about supervision
My ability to meet people and share experiences is a unique trait that has benefited my journey of leadership. As a supervisor, I would take a similar approach—getting to know employees and finding ways to connect with them on an individual level. I enjoy embracing the role of providing comfort, excitement, and hospitality within any environment I engage in. As a supervisor, my hope is to create an inviting environment for my colleagues to dwell in. My professor has also brought to my attention that it important to be cautious about how I am building relationships when I fulfill a supervisory role. Supervisors need to NOT be friends with the person they supervise. It can be difficult to provide genuine and constructive feedback when a friendship is developed. Not to say that I cannot be friends with my supervise, but I should be mindful of my interactions with them by setting boundaries and making clear expectations.
Let's talk about the practicality behind leadership
The chart below reveals some of the leadership activities I accomplished within the semester.
Whew! That was a lot of sections to talk about. I am amazed at the amount of leadership opportunities that I have had the pleasure to embrace. As I have stated before, the experiences you undergo in life teaches and develops you into the leader you are today. I hope to continue to be fearless and take a hold of every leadership opportunity that is presented to me! The more I experience, the more I grow...
Cheers to this never-ending journey to BECOMING a stronger leader.
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