Jose Vera

SLSS-2120
Brandi Mair
04/23/27
The Leadership Continuum

My concept of Leadership has been constantly changing throughout the semester. I came in

thinking that a leader must necessarily be the head of a company, a government, or at least a

movement. Never did I think that there is so much more than just your position and the power

that comes with it.

In school, were told that we must get involved in student activities and seek opportunities to

develop ourselves as leaders. Ive heard this throughout my life in places like the slogan of my

elementary school, in my high schools mission statement, and in the classrooms of my SLCC

classes. The entire concept of leadership is so vastly used that its meaning has withered and

the privilege of being a leader has lost meaning. At the same time, the constancy with which

people talk about being a leader makes it same as we all already are.

I dont consider myself to be much of a leader. My actions focus mostly on my self-interest and

I only occasionally take the time to empower others and help them realize what theyre capable

off. With my position as a student senator, Ive been able to assist others in a variety of

different occasions, but the apparent significance of my actions doesnt permit me to

courageously declare myself as a leader. This might be due to my perception of a senator and

how the position doesnt have much legitimate power.

The most leader-life actions Ive taken have all involved me helping fellow engineering students

with their classes and encouraging them to finish them with a high grade. My actions and
behaviors probably fall under the definition of a leader weve strived to refine throughout the

semester, but theyre not at all the only kind of leader I can be. There are many different types

of leadership and many different characteristics that leaders share, but there are some main

ones that all leaders must have.

You must have some initial inspiration for the idea you intend to fulfill or pursuit. Working

towards it most likely requires some sort of pioneering or leadership and, to achieve it, the best

way would be to collaborate with other like-minded individuals to get the ball rolling. This

concept echoes the phrase that the Ted Talks presenter Simon Sinek insistently repeats

throughout one of his lectures, People dont buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

Sharing the vision that inspires you allows people that believe in the same to get

involved. This could manifest in some partnership for a legislature bill or the start of a company.

Similarly, targeting consumers that believe in the same way as you ensure the best possible

market for your product. The why is more important than the what.

Aside from the idea and the vision, a leader must also be able to take action. There is a

lot of merit to coming up with a great idea, but the most important thing is undoubtedly the

execution of the idea. Steve Jobs didnt just come up with the perfect mobile device, he

gathered the team necessary to achieve it and make it a reality. George Washington didnt just

dream of a free country, but pursued the vision all the until he was the first president of such

nation. The lollipop moment guy didnt just attend the university, he became involved in it

and effortlessly made others feel like they belonged to the university. Everyone has the
capability to become a leader, its just a matter of putting in the necessary work to accomplish

it.

For me, the best way to be a leader is by looking deep into my strengths and thinking about

how they can serve to better serve and guide the people around me. My top strengths are

Competition, Deliberative, Analytical, Futuristic, and Significance. These strengths highlight by

prowess in analyzing a situation, thinking about the future, and taking action. A great use for

this is, for example, in the decision-making process of a company, entity or organization. Not

everyone is so good at this and it is therefore better to have someone with these capabilities

making decisions. This a very tailored situation to my strengths, but someone else can have

situations in which their own strengths set them apart from everyone else.

A person with strengths in Belief and Discipline can have a better time in being a leader in a

religious or dogma-based organization. They will be more likely to stay true to the values of

such organization because of their belief while simultaneously maintaining the necessary

discipline to be an example to everyone else.

A leader with strengths in Woo and Communication can be exception in a leadership position in

which they have to constantly interchange ideas with people. For example, a person with these

strengths would do a better job in keeping a team motivated and feeling like they belong more

than someone so objective as me will. Some good examples of this would be an advisor to

students or a PR representative for a company.

There are many ways to be a leader and there is no specific way that every leader must behave

to be a good one. The amount of leadership styles that exist are vast and someone shouldnt

feel like if they cant talk very well to people, that its impossible to be a good leader. To
compilate what I said near the beginning, its all about the vision and the ability to take action

to achieve that vision.

I initially thought that this class would just be a bunch of superfluous information on how to be

better at life, but I have actually found that the information I have learned is useful and

applicable to my life and relationships. You can be a leader on a big scale just as you can on a

small scale. Your abilities dont dictate if you cant be a leader or not, but rather what type you

should be to be the most effective.