a leader i admire...

 At my last role, there was a leader close to my age that I aimed to be like. She was called a "Team Lead" and helped mentor and supervise the other AmeriCorps. 

What I admired about her was her ability to lead without us knowing she was "leading." She always offered guidance and support but encouraged and empowered us to make decisions. At this role, we served pregnant women experiencing homelessness in the Greater Phoenix area. I think about a time at work when a mom was told to leave because of a policy violation, but we found that there was no evidence for the policy violation. We were upset because we felt like we had no say in the decision. This leader, who served as a liasion between supervision and us, empowered us to share our feelings. She validated what we felt and gave us the tools to how to say it. She let us make the decision, and helped us formulate our feelings and points. She had a skill in not taking over and letting us be the deciding factors.

She was also a great listener. She practiced reflective listening and empathy with affirmative responses and body language.

I think she embodies the servant leadership style I strive for. She always put our goals first (with firm boundaries) and helped us achieve the goals we made. I think to her leadership style often as I reflect on my own.