I believe in a leadership style that encourages and respects those being led.

In order to be a

good leader and have these qualities, one should have role models to look up to. The role models

should encompass all the qualities of a great leader, supporting their teams and guiding them to

success. In addition, a leader should have a supportive team to help him/her when they need it as

well.

In my opinion, the goal of a leader is to lead a team to success and growth. Simply getting

the job done is not enough because the members of the group should all grow together as well.

Kouzes and Posner identify some principles of leadership that resonate with my values, including

Enabling others to act. This principle encourages people to take action by fostering

collaboration and building trust (Kouzes and Posner 18). Leaders should build up their team so

they feel empowered to succeed. By doing this, the whole team will succeed and the individuals

will learn to become leaders themselves.

Working as a team is very important for success and growth. Kouzes and Posner emphasize

that leadership is a relationship (Kouzes and Posner 20). This means that anyone can be a leader

and they must work together to find their own assets to benefit everyone. In my life, this value of

leadership as a relationship is absolutely essential for the groups success and my own sanity as a

leader. Leaders who try to do everything themselves cannot possibly be as successful as they

would be by using their teammates. For example, as the president of the Theology honors society

on campus, I am in charge of making sure events get planned and executed well. The leadership

team puts on a panel each semester to engage in dialogue about theological issues that are

relevant in present day. The process involves many different responsibilities, including reserving

a room, picking a topic, finding speakers, ordering food, and publicizing the event, which is a lot
to do if I try to do it by myself. I often fall into the trap of being a leader who thinks she can do it

best on her own, but I am lucky to have a supportive team to remind me that they are there to

assist me. When I have a leadership relationship with them, I am significantly less stressed out

and responsibilities get delegated to more people. Not only does the event run more smoothly,

but the rest of my team has the opportunity to take leadership roles and to grow as individuals. A

supportive team is essential for a calm leader and a successful group.

Having a supportive team is a blessing, so the leader must remember to act out of love and

mercy. In interviewing my supervisor Andrew, he described the value of mercy in a leader as

important because it makes people respect him/her more. He said that a leader should have

expectations and stick to them, but in the case where things inevitably go wrong, one should be

merciful and forgive the mistakes. Cam Caldwell writes that forgiveness is the choice to accept

and to look past the faults of another and to reconcile a relationship despite a perceived betrayal

(Caldwell and Dixon 93). He says that forgiveness is important for a compassionate leader

because it allows the other person to remain confident and willing to work together without

discomfort. I have had many instances in my own life where I wished for a merciful boss or

leader and where I was grateful to have one.

By looking up to compassionate leaders and bosses in my professional life, I have had to be a

forgiving leader as well. For example, I am an Assistant Camp Site Coordinator at a summer

camp and I have a team of about six other people who I work with everyday for eight weeks, in

the intense summer heat, taking care of fifty children everyday. This makes for a sometimes

stressful and tiring atmosphere, as well as a very enjoyable and rewarding one. In those moments

where the staff gets tired, it is difficult to be patient and respectful. One instance occurred when I

pointed out that one of my coworkers had said something inappropriate to a camper, but I did
this in front of many other campers. My coworker was angry with me because I should have said

it privately to her, and I was angry that she was mad at me. It was hard for both of us to put aside

our disagreement and get along at work for awhile, but I had to apologize and forgive her, even if

she did not feel she did anything wrong. Forgiving someone does not release them from

accountability, but it allows them to have another chance (Caldwell and Dixon 93). The two of us

were able to be close friends by the end of the summer because of the compassion we showed

each other.
I wanted my coworkers forgiveness in that instance, so I had to forgive her first. Kouzes and

Posner identify the principle of Modeling the Way, which is very valuable in times like that

one. This principle involves being a leader by example, showing that you would not ask your

teammates to do something you are unwilling to do yourself. In that situation, I had to show

forgiveness so that my coworker might follow my example and forgive me too. In other times at

camp, I wanted my coworkers to do something to prepare for the camp day, so I would often

have to ask them multiple times to help. They did not appreciate this because they felt I was

being bossy, so instead I began modeling the behavior I hoped to get from them. Kouzes and

Posner write, Leaders deeds are far more important than their words when determining how

serious they really are about what they say (Kouzes and Posner 14). I hoped they would see

what I was doing and pitch in, and it worked when I got some others to model with me.
While I try to be a model when I am a leader, I have many role models who I model my

behavior after. At my internship, Bob and Madge are leaders to everyone they meet. They are an

older couple who lead the choir at Misericordia, but they do so much more than that. They put

their hearts and souls into their service. Kouzes and Posners principle of Encouraging the

Heart describes how Bob and Madge lead. They show appreciation for peoples contributions

and create a culture of celebration (Kouzes and Posner 19). They bring cookies for the residents
in the choir to reward them for participating. They also recognize residents for their hard work,

and encourage and challenge those who need it. They consistently celebrate the small things and

make everyone feel special. I really admire how they treat everyone equally, but also honor

achievements and discourage bad behavior. They are both able to remain caring and loving, but

also to hold expectations from the residents.

Anyone who meets Bob and Madge feels instantly inspired and loved. They are only

volunteers, but they care about their jobs more than anyone else I know. Once Bob had a kidney

stone operation in the morning, and he still showed up to lead choir practice in the evening. They

have never missed practice and they put in so much effort for a job that they do not have to do.

They model leadership by being amazing leaders and showing that they follow their values and

beliefs. They remind me of the importance of accountability and love in any job or leadership

relationship.
Being a leader involves showing you care about those you lead. A good leader should

encourage the team and help them grow as individuals, as well as helping them succeed as a

group. The group should also be supportive of the leader. To learn the best leadership qualities,

there should be a role model that a leader can model his/her behavior after. It is especially

important to remember that a leader should not be bossy, but should be a guide to help the team

succeed and grow.