Ashley Brown.

Exemplary Competency – Leadership

 

ACPA and NASPA (2010) describe the Leadership competency as an area that “addresses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of a leader… in both an individual capacity and within a process of how individuals work together effectively to envision, plan, effect change in organizations, and respond to internal and external constituencies and issues” (p. 22).

 

I have had a number of different experiences throughout my tenure at Bowling Green State University that have contributed to my high competency within Leadership.  My position as a Greek House Director has been one of the most influential contributions to my growth in this area.  Particularly, I believe I now can successfully describe and apply the “basic principles of community building” and “create environments that encourage students to view themselves as having the potential to make meaningful contributions in their communities” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 22-23).

 

A part of my role is to build community among the women belonging to the sorority that I advise and mentor.  I have done so by building relationships with the members, organizing sorority dinners, encouraging sisterhood activities, and being present to participate in organic conversations and events.  The members shared that previous Greek House Directors were not present or invested in getting to know the members.  As a result, when the members were faced with difficulties within their role in Fraternity and Sorority Life and the National Pan-Hellenic community, they did not know if they could influence change or how to do so.  In my bi-weekly meetings with the members, I discussed how they could influence change and overall contribute to the Bowling Green community by providing strategies and examples. 

 

Moreover, my recent practicum experience as the Current Student and Ambassador I-Days Coordinator also encouraged my development in this area.  Due to this experience, I can think “critically and creatively, and imagine possibilities for solutions that do not currently exist or were not apparent” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 22).  A part of my responsibility in this newly created position was to make improvements to the interview days’ experience.  For example, because of changes in our funding model, the team anticipated a lower representation of underrepresented applicants.  Although it was too late to create a process that encouraged recruitment of this population, I tried to create a resource to boost their interest in our program.  Therefore, I developed a document that listed available resources in the Bowling Green and surrounding areas with special attention to resources for diverse individuals (e.g. ethnic hair salons).  In conversation with candidates during affinity groups, they shared that they appreciated seeing the availability of resources tailored for their needs and that the knowledge of such information lessened their anxiety in moving to a small town.  This experience also helped me plan and organize our resources to support our goals and objectives for interview days (ACPA & NASPA, 2010).

 

Another large responsibility within my role on the I-Days team was to organize current students and assign them to various volunteer and leadership positions throughout both interview days.  In order to prepare them, I co-facilitated a training for all current students participating in the event at some capacity.  Through the weeks leading to and during the interview days, a number of obstacles and changes took place with very little time to guide and mentor current students through the various scenarios.  As a result, I had to trust that my cohort members had the ability to work together as a team and solve difficult and challenging situations that, if done incorrectly, could have a large negative impact on prospective students’ experience.  This demonstrates how I exhibited “informed confidence in the capacity of ordinary people to pull together and take practical action to transform their [community]” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 22).

 

A practicum experience in the Center for Leadership allowed me to “establish systems [that provided] leadership opportunities for employees in such entities as committees…” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 23).  The purpose of the practicum was to create a new award recognizing women leaders on campus.  In order to create an award that was encompassing of different constituent groups and life experiences, I created a Women of Distinction planning committee.  I identified key stakeholders and then effectively consulted with them to gain various perspectives to make informed decisions regarding the award (ACPA & NASPA, 2010).  My committee intentionally consisted of students, staff members, faculty members, and community members in order to have varied points of views and assist with reconciling diverse viewpoints (ACPA & NASPA, 2010).  I served as the chair of the committee and led weekly meetings, created agendas, and communicated with all committee members daily to ensure they were able to contribute equally.  Each committee member had different restrictions on time and availability, so at times I had to adjust requests or needs to better influence them to participate and contribute.  This experience allowed me to “lead, motivate, influence, inspire, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success [of the project]” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 23).

 

Throughout my tenure, I have identified weaknesses and strengths as a leader and sought opportunities to enhance my skills (ACPA & NASPA, 2010).  Both academic years, I attended the Annual NASPA Conference where I went to developmental sessions on leading from within a group, improving skills as a new professional, and serving as a leader for diverse student groups.  Each of these experiences helped me reflect on the challenges of my first para-professional experience at Bowling Green State University.  Additionally, I took StrengthsQuest for the first time at NASPA and met with a StrengthsQuest specialist who identified how I can utilize my strengths to improve my leadership style and techniques.  Exposure to StrengthsQuest, helped me “identify various constructs of leadership and leadership styles” (ACPA & NASPA, 2010, p. 22).

 

As a result of my development in the Leadership competency, this year I was selected as the Shelli A.  Herman Award recipient by the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.  In order to be considered for this award, I had to demonstrate leadership, excellence, and citizenship in my assistantship.  Although I felt confident in my leadership skills, this acknowledgement was highly valued as it exhibited that others recognized me as an effective leader on campus.  The artifact that demonstrates this competency is a recommendation letter from direct supervisor. This artifact illustrates my direct supervisor’s perspective of my leadership qualities and growth throughout my first year in graduate school.