Jennifer Tom

My Brand

BE BOLD,
KIND, AND
INSPIRED

A leader is influential, creative, adaptable, and

brave while also embodying
humanistic qualities of being
kind, approachable and
,
compassionate. A leader
does not simply lead but
inspires passion and brings
out the best in others. The
focus of my brand is on the
inner strength that a leader
must have and the importance
of collective effort in forging
new paths to achieve a dream.
This does not require having
the highest IQ score, but
rather, a deep commitment and passion for
something and the courage to shake the status
quo. In my logo and mission statement, I
incorporated my leadership skills as a
relationship builder with the following traits of
input, relator, empathy, consistency, and
restorative in connecting with others and also
building on this theme of challenging ideas and
others for improvement. For my logo design, the
lightbulb symbolizes creativity, innovation, and a
constant search for new knowledge while the tree
represents growth and resilience. The branches
are deliberately drawn to grow beyond the
confinement of the lightbulb as a symbol of
limitless boundaries that requires boldness and
bravery to explore uncharted territory. Finally,
the colors represent the different influences that is
required to achieve a common goal.
Leadership Theory: Kouzes and Posners
Leadership Practice Inventory
This theory emphasizes the following five traits:
modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision,
challenging the process, enabling others to act,
and encouraging the heart (Phipps, 2015).

I believe a good leader should practice what they

preach by setting good examples. This helps
foster an environment with respect and
accountability among others. As a relationship
builder, an emphasis on teamwork by inspiring,
enabling, and encouraging others is important to
me because I like to connect with people on a
personal level. Some of the shortcomings of this
theory is that it does not explicitly address being
unbias and transparency from the authenticity
theory that I also associate with. However, I
decided to choose Kouzes and Posners Leadership
Practice Inventory because although these
characteristics are not explicitly stated in the
principles of this approach, many of these qualities
are required and embedded in the five traits.
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Artifacts:
I was involved in a community based program
called The Down Syndrome Organization of
Southern Nevada Developmental Playgroup where
I collaborated with three occupational therapy
students and program director to develop semistructured play classes to promote social and
communication skills for children with Down
syndrome. Some leadership skills that I
exemplified during this program was initiating
suggestions, carrying out, and co-leading play
activities with my group members.

I was also involved in co-leading an evidenced based fall prevention program for adults and
older adults called Stepping On. This program aimed to promote aging in place and raising
awareness on fall hazards by providing resources and strategies to increase confidence
when engaging in activities at home or in the community. I collaborated with a classmate
and professor in leading the classes and delivered information to members of the community
on risk factors, provided detailed instructions on balance and strengthening exercises, and
facilitated interactive discussion groups. Through this experience, I learned that leaders
have to commit to many preparation work in order to successfully carry out the goals and to
make things appear seamless and effortless.
Reference
PhPhipps, S. (2015). Leading with vision. Administration & Management Special Interest Section Quarterly, 32(4),1-4.
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