Who am I as a Leader?

 When I think about leadership and what it means to be a leader, I typically align myself with the servant leadership model. In this model, the servant leader focuses primarily on the people they "serve" (whatever group or organization they lead) and their group's wellbeing. They also focus on uplifting the whole in good of the organizationn. This type of leadership also aligns with my goals of utilizing trauma-informed practices (TIPs) and restorative approaches.

TIP informs my decisions as a leader in a few different ways. As someone who serves students, I use TIP in my sometimes difficult conversations with students. In my office, I also look at how the structures of the organization help or harm the people who work for it. 

Overall, much of my work involves short-term solutions and decisions. Part of my role at the Center for Student Conduct is to review and analyze incident reports from police and residential life and meet with students to talk about alleged policy violations. During the summer, we are able to talk more long-term and the goals and visions we have for the year. I think our long-term goals influence and impact how we work towards the short term.

I appreciate directness in communication. Brene Brown once said, "clear is kind," and I find that being direct yet kind is the most efficient and uplifting form of communication. Clarity, directness, and honest confrontation also challenges the white supremact culture of indirectness, conflict avoidance, and passivity. I try to be direct, kind, and give honest and caring feedback for folks I supervise or work with. This also loops back to my leadership style.

When making decisions, I think of a few things. I think about who and what is at stake, potential short-term and long-term impacts, and who may be experiencing privilege from power or social identities. I tend to lean towards a more logic driven approach, but I do not ignore or avoid feelings that come up for myself and others.

Currently in my roles, I do not have a labeled leadership position. In the past, I've served as a House Manager when working for AmeriCorps in Phoenix. This role originally taught me TIP and is an experience I use everyday. At work now, I see myself as a leader for undergraduate students, and a leader at the University at large. I hope to lead conversations with students confidently and with care. I'm looking forward to tapping into some of my leadership skills and learning more in this course!