1. Running Head: Personal Leadership Statement 1
Kayla Lowell
St. Catherine University
Personal Leadership Statement
Group Dynamics and Leadership
Leah Harris
November 27, 2015

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Late general governor John Buchan once said, “The task of leadership is not
to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already”. This
statement is similar to my philosophy on leadership; I believe that a leader inspires
others to explore his, or her, unique personal qualities. Although there are many
characteristics that can determine what a leader is, I believe a leader encourages
accountability, care and compassion, empowerment, courage, honesty, and an
ability to embrace change. “This role used to be thought of as an autocratic,
militaristic model, and now we are seeing the importance of an empowering,
participatory model” (McFarland, Senn, & Childress, 1993). This statement is
important to my philosophy and beliefs, because a good leader can establish the
different characteristics within an individual and encourages growth. I believe the
past “dictator” style leadership is ineffective; It creates apathy, hostility, and negates
change, by discounting the humanistic aspects essential to leadership. “Everybody
does have a leader inside” (Mcfarland, Senn, & Childress, 1993) and I believe a true
leader is able to recognize and cultivate these in others and the following will
examine the necessities and benefits of these aspects, as well as reflection on my
personal leadership growth.
Taking risks willingly and evoking hope are two essential components in the
St. Catherine’s Leadership statement in which I see within leaders (Educating,
2011). Through the development of my skills, I realize that accountability is the
cornerstone in the growth of a successful leader. Being accountable for ones actions
promotes responsibility, while also setting an example of personal accountability for

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others to follow. This characteristic was positively reflected in the Myer-Briggs Type
Indicator I completed. It states that I am “precise, hard-working, and always
prepared” while also “getting others to work within the system” (Briggs & Myers,
1999). For me, I place a high level of importance on things like punctuality,
preparedness, and excision in all areas of my life. Whether it be completing
homework by the due date, being on time for work, financial responsibility, etc., I
believe there to be a “personal accountability standard” that is conducive to a
positive and valuable lifestyle. According to rule six, do not take things too seriously;
which is important to remember when balancing accountability (Groh, 2006). This
in turn acts as a source of inspiration for others throughout all facets of my life. The
ability to inspire others is essential in a leadership role, but it is just one of many
resulting from a sensitive and caring approach.
In the article Redefining Leadership in the 21st Century, it states that, “ We
were impressed by the sensitivity many displayed in talking about the humanistic
aspects of leadership” and a true leader is an individual “involved in the role as a
servant rather than master” (Mcfarland, Senn, & Childress, 1993). In order to elicit
this in others, a more personal, sensitive approach seems more beneficial than a
dictator type. Compassion and care is key; with them a leader is genuine and honest
with their drive and ambition, concerning themselves with always doing what is
right, and encouraging the betterment of others. Another benefit associated with
these characteristics is the ability to communicate. A leader must be able to clearly
communicate, as well as listen. Effectively listening to others helps a leader draw
out the individual’s unique strengths, which in turn allows a source of

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empowerment and motivation. For me these aspects are overwhelmingly beneficial,
as well as a potential hindrance, to my leadership growth. As evidenced by the
Leadership Style Questionnaire, my approach is democratic. I encourage the
opinions of others, as well as their importance, while also using a variety of
decision-making techniques to seek out the most beneficial results. Couple that with
the MBTI evaluation which states that I am sympathetic, sincere, open to all ideas,
and value oriented and the result is right in line with my personal philosophy and
growth of leadership skills. Inversely, a potential hindrance can occur as a result of
this sensitivity and care. I am a loyal helper and am always putting everyone else
before myself. I am very concerned with the want and well being of those I care
about, which can lead to personal neglect. I also tend maintain an “observer role, as
well as a desire to shun disagreements” (Briggs & Myers, 1999) or confrontation,
which makes for difficulties with things like delivering a tough message when
necessary, assertiveness, and decision-making.
The final component to positive leadership is the ability to courageously
embrace change. “What it really takes to be a leader in the 21st Century is really
handling change” (Mcfarland, Senn, & Childress, 1993). Change is ever present in all
aspects of life because life is constantly changing. Some things we have control over
and others we don’t. Throughout this constant change, growth occurs. A leader is
one who can positively adapt to change while motivating others to do the same. An
important concept here is the ability to communicate the change, as well as
maintaining an optimistic outlook. I believe that this is a skill I possess, but I also
know that I don’t seek change. In my life, I have faced adversity and came out on top.

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I can have change forced upon me and I will adapt and continue forward. My
preference though, is a desire for constant and comfortable; I like familiarity.
In examination of my personal leadership growth, I am left with an
enlightened understanding of the positive and negative aspects of certain
characteristics. I feel I need to work on maintaining a healthy balance of caretaking
others with self-care. I also need to develop assertiveness to my communication, in
order to make my voice heard. Lastly I need to embrace my abilities and skills; not
downplaying them, but taking credit when its due. To continue my path of positive
growth, my long-term goal is facilitate a three-hour food safe management course by
May 2017 with intentions of being more comfortable and confident with my
knowledge. To reach my goal I complete, a ServSafe training course January 11,
2016. By attending this course, I will be certified to teach others the material needed
to handle food well, as well as taking a risk in an area I know little about. As a
second objective, by the end of June 2016, I will actively participate in every
discussion during my Occupational Assistant Courses by giving a personal thought
or question. With this goal, I will become more confident with my public speaking.
This is an area were I can give and receive feedback, which is necessary to being a
leader.

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References
Briggs, K.C., and Briggs-Meyers, I. MBIT Form M Self-Scorable. Myers Briggs Type
Indicator. Gainesville, FL: Center for Applications of Psychological Type.
1999. Print.
Educating to Lead and Influence, St. Catherine University. Retrieved November 10, 2011
from http://www.stkate.edu/pages/aboutstkates/leadership.php
Emergency Field Coordination Training. (2005). Leadership Style Questionnaire
[Participant Handout]. Retrieved from
http://ofd.ncsu.edu/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/Leadership_Style_Questi
onnaire__Reading.pdf
Groh, K. (Producer). (2006). Leadership: an art of possibility [DVD]. Groh
Productions
McFarland, J., Senn, L., & Childress, J. (1993). Redefining Leadership for the Next
Century, In McFarland, J., Senn, L., & Childress, J. (Eds.). Twenty-First Century
Leadership: Dialogues with 100 Top Leaders. Long Beach, CA: The Leadership
Press Inc.