REFLECTION 2 LEXIE MILLER

Early life The oldest child I was a leader in telling my younger brother not to do things that he could potentially get hurt doing, like going near the fire place even though it was off. It taught him not to go too close too it in case we ever did turn it on he already knew to stay away from it. I also helped him do things he could not do yet and in the process of that taught him how to do them. Even though I only had one sibling because I was the oldest child I helped my parents with my younger brother which ultimately helped me to be a leader.

CHILDHOOD Was a leader even in games with my friends Even when my friends and I would play a game I was the leader and got everything to run smoothly, which included solving disputes about “who got to be what character playing house.” I was able to find a way to please everyone and make people agree. I could find a balance and find a solution that worked best towards the goal and also find a way to make everyone happy with it.

CHILDHOOD My friends and I were not necessarily the “popular” kids but I was still a leader I was a leader in my friend group, not a stereotypical mean leader of a “squad” but nonetheless a leader My friends looked up to me because I was the encourager in hard times The “mean girls” were the worst to me because they knew I was the leader of my group and that people liked our group and me. They felt threatened by me because they knew that I was a leader people liked and not a leader that forced people to follow and like them as they were. If our friend group had to stand up to theirs I was the leader in that with my friends behind me to help but my friends put me as the leader in those tough situations. All of that being said, this was still in elementary school so the girls were not too mean but they were rude enough

MIDDLE SCHOOL I was the most outgoing one in my friend group so in middle school, with a new group of friends from elementary school, I was still the leader of the friend group. I still was not a typical leader from the movies that was controlling, I was just the outgoing one so I was the one people would always talk to. When a new girl came to our school and sat with my friend group at lunch we automatically became super close because I was the friendliest one, my friends are all really nice but it takes them longer to open up to new people. I think that being friendly and outgoing is definitely a helpful quality for a leader to have because then you are more sociable and can relate to people and therefore they will be drawn to you.

MIDDLE SCHOOL I was also a leader in sports, even if I was not the team captain I tended to be a helpful leader. Both years in middle school volleyball I won the “Warrior Heart” award which consisted of being a good team leader, being positive and encouraging, and caring about others and the team as a whole. Also in volleyball I was the setter who is naturally a leader on the team, even if they are not a team captain. Some setters though were not very good leaders, they either did not lead well or they were negative leaders and I always strove to be a good leader for the team. I believe that all of those attributes of the “Warrior Heart” contribute to a strong leader.

HIGH SCHOOL I was also a leader on my high school tennis team. I have natural leadership instincts in a team setting, especially because I played tennis all four years of highschool. On my senior year I was on jv with mostly underclassmen which ended up being a great opportunity for me to be a leader. I was the team captain for JV and also was naturally the leader of jv before captains were chosen. I was able to encourage and uplift the team but also push them to work harder to be the best they could be. I was not a tough leader but one they also looked up to as an upperclassman but also as a friend. I made friendships with my teammates on and off the court which I believe is something good for a leader to do because if they know they can trust you and that you care about them they will respect and trust you more as a leader.

HIGH SCHOOL I went on the spring break mission trip with my high school every year This lead to many opportunities to be a leader including when we would make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and when my group would make them I would be the leader and help organize who was doing what and we would be very efficient in making lunch. One night on the trip one year an older girl came up to me and told me that I was a great leader she said that I was a “silent leader who wasn’t like “hey follow me” but one that people naturally wanted to follow.” That made me really happy and gave me more confidence in being a leader and continuing to lead the way I do. My senior year I was a small group leader which gave me even more of a leadership role. I got to lead the small group in discussion and take charge when it was needed but also encourage them to step up which allowed me to help teach and encourage them to be a leader. A leader not only needs to know how to take charge but how to delegate and to teach others how to lead.

High school Still in high school I was the unofficial leader of my friend group I was always the one to plan things, if I did not plan it it did not happen. When a plan was being made or we were deciding on something I was the one to make sure a final decision was made and oversee the planning to make sure it actually happened, if I did not it didn’t happen. I was also still the most social out of our group so I was the one to talk to people in other groups. I also made the plans with other groups if we did that because I was the planner but also the one who would talk to more people in other groups. I believe that being able to make and go through with a plan is definitely something a leader should be able to do effectively, along with being sociable and being able to collaborate with other people.

Quotes, in sight, and questions Our book (Northouse, 2016, p.24) tells us that “Leadership involves influencing others, and self-confidence allows the leader to feel assured that his or her attempts to influence others are appropriate and right.” It also tells us (Northouse, p.26) “Leaders who show sociability are friendly, outgoing, courteous, tactful, and diplomatic.” This has taught me that being sociable is very important in being and ggod leader and that I need to continue being the person I am. It also has taught me to have self-confidence in my leadership like I did on mission trip when my friend told me I was a good leader and I did not even realize I was a leader. Two questions this has brought up are 1) What other leadership theories are there? And 2) What are the most important qualities for a leader?

The end Leadership Reflection 2 Lexie Miller September 22, 2016