Definition: Putting forth a significant effort in order to strengthen those who trust that you will give them guidance, and trusting them in return. 

 

Criteria:

• Placing value on opinions and thoughts other than one’s own

• Trusting those who follow your leadership

• Investing time and thought into the choices made for the betterment of the group

• Exercise fairness and self-evaluation

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Artifact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Evaluation of Artifact:

 

            This photo was taken before a performance, when I was captain of my cheer squad in high school. It represents my idea of leadership, because it displays how close we grew to become as a group and as a team. There was one time in particular, where we were unprepared for a performance that would be in front of the entire school. With tests and football season fueling everyone’s stress levels, it seemed that over practicing our routine was doing more harm than good. I wanted the team to feel motivated and confident, but the more we tried, the more people messed up and the more frustrated we became as a squad.  

            After thinking over various ways to encourage everyone, I realized that I just needed to try a new approach. So, I decided to initiate a dance party during one of our practices, where everyone could just let loose and be silly. Then, we sat down in a big circle and talked to each other for the majority of our practice time. When we practiced our routine after that, the entire mood was livelier and we made fewer mistakes because we weren’t focused so much on perfection.

           Trying to lead a group of people that are stressed and discouraged is ineffective. This experience taught me to be constantly aware of others' emotions and to be cognizant of the issues that go unvoiced. The ultimate point of  realizing that the key could be as simple as taking time to just relax. People can only take so much and concentrate on one task for so long before it becomes monotonous and without feeling or drive. I treated my team with the same respect that I would expect from them in return, which is how I feel everyone should be treated in any given situation. Being approachable and willing to receive critique is the most important quality of being a leader, in my opinion. In addition to that, ensuring that others know that they can give you critiques and ask questions without feeling uncomfortable is paramount as well. If I am called to lead anytime in the future, my one hope is that I may set a positive example for others and create an environment that people not only want to work in, but also be in.