Talitha Maloy
Leadership Statement
October 20, 2023
Anyone can be a leader. Merriam Webster describes leadership as, “The act or an instance of leading (providing direction or guidance)” (Merriam Webster. Leadership. 2023). Leadership is guidance, but more than that, it can be a partnership. When I think of leadership, I think of a person who both can guide and listen to the group they are leading, while also knowing when to just listen and watch. I’ve never had an important role when it comes to leading others yet, I know who I would want to be and what I would want to emulate as a leader.
Strength and Knowledge. Leaders are supposed to be knowledgeable and most importantly, strong. They can make hard decisions and know exactly what decisions are best. I strive to gain all knowledge available to me in order to work to the best of my ability. I also work to gain knowledge in order to be qualified to guide and direct those placed under my care and supervision. Being able to be Autocratic is an important skill to have and one that I work to use to my advantage.
An open ear. Leaders who can listen to the ideas of those in their group are far better off than those who try to do everything alone. I see the advantages of working as a team as there are times when you cannot do things alone. Great ideas can come from anybody and allowing them to share those ideas and listening to them can foster better outcomes for all. I also want to be a leader that is respected. I cannot do that unless those who follow me feel as if they are valuable and not just a body to be ordered about. Democratic leadership has brought many countries far in life, just like the US. The Founding Fathers knew the importance of gaining the opinions of all and so do I.
Perceptiveness. The ability to observe and allow growth in a group is the main task I see in leadership. If you cannot guide them and then allow them to use that knowledge on their own, then you have failed as a leader. A knowledgeable leader can create a knowledgeable group. A leader needs to be able to see when their group has enough experience to work on their own and to allow them to do so. Once this is accomplished the entire group can work together in a partnership in order to reach their goals. However, the leader will always be there to instruct the group when they are unsure or to provide instruction. I tend to take more of an Abdicratic approach in my own leadership. I prefer to observe those I am guiding to determine their level of skill but also allow them to grow on their own while making sure they know to come to me for help.
All of these characteristics fit together to make who a leader is in my mind. One that I wish to emulate when it is my turn to lead. I wish to mix all of these in the same way that mixing all the necessary ingredients together can make the perfect cake. If you miss one ingredient it will fall apart and no one ingredient is more important than all the rest, instead, they work in tandem to provide the best results.
For me, I know I prefer a Co-Leadership style when I approach situations where there is a group needing to be led. Knowing that if something goes wrong, I have another pair of capable and knowledgeable hands ready to help gives me a piece of mind and allows some of the weight to fall off of my shoulders. There is no weakness in needing help, I find there is a great deal of strength instead. No one likes to admit they can’t do something on their own and finding out that you can’t is a tough pill to swallow. However, as my mother always told me two minds are better than one and it is good to know where I could fail, another could prevail. Teamwork makes the dreamwork in my opinion.