FBLA Interview Paper 1

FBLA Interview Paper

Fallon Parker
EDL 270: Personal and Professional Seminar
Drake University
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What makes an effective leader? As one reflects on the leaders that they have experienced

in their life, there may be similarities or differences that can characterize these leaders as

effective or not. As an emerging leader I want to look at three leaders that would allow me to

reflect and think about what kind of leader that I want to be. I chose to interview three very

different types of people with different perspectives on leadership.

The first interview I conducted was Greg Ramsey, Deacon at Walnut Creek Church in

Des Moines, Iowa. Greg Ramsey has served as a Deacon for 3 years; previously he was a youth

minister and group leader while studying at Drake University. As a community leader he offered

a unique perspective of working with community members. The second interview I conducted

was with Amy Kolln, School Improvement Leader and Head Start Coordinator for Des Moines

Public Schools. She has been in this position for two years. Previously she ran her own business

and developed it from a startup company to a booming business. She quickly realized that she

loved helping others grow and become leaders. She listened to Marcus Buckingham and realized

that her strongest traits were being a teacher. She then decided teach in several different areas

and schools before accepting her current position. The third leader I had the privilege to

interview is Brittany Gore, Pharmacist in Charge, CVS, Olathe, Kansas. Her role is to go into

struggling stores and turn them around. She has successfully turned around three stores and is

currently working on her fourth store. Although she said it is a very daunting task her supervisors

have stated that she has excelled as a leader. She started seven years ago at her first store and was

quickly identified as an emerging leader in her field.

Although these three leaders had different ideas of how to be a leader in their field there

were several similarities as what an effective leader looks like in any position one holds. What
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resonated with me is that no matter what field there are qualities that leaders possess. Coming

into this experience I believe I had preconceived notions of what qualities an effective leader

should possess. All three of the interviewees came up with similar ideas of the qualities an

effective leader should have. Greg Ramsey stressed the importance of being approachable,

honest, trustworthy, and a great listener. He stated that being approachable is a key personality

trait that a good leader must possess. He further commented that, People need to feel that you

are someone that they can come to seek council. Often people in the church will come to a leader

with something that is weighing on their hearts. As a leader if you are not approachable then your

church community will suffer. (Ramsey 2015)

Amy Kolln stressed that the most important quality is being a servant leader. The

idea of being a resource for teachers. She believes that everyone is part of a team that strives for

the success of students. As a team everyones perspectives and idea are valued. It is up to the

leader to communicate and delegate the expectations. In order to be a servant leader you must be

a good listener and appreciate your team. Taking the time to build those relationships.

Brittany Gore described a leader who is action oriented and cares about their job. A

successful leader leads by example and would never tell someone to do something they

themselves would not do. A leader will be a delegator and be able to find the strengths of their

team. They need to be a motivator and a communicator. Brittany stated, It is hard to teach

someone how to have the It factor which most leaders possess (Gore 2015).

All three interviewees stated that everyone should have a mentor, a person you can

go to discuss problems, ideas, and share accomplishments. Greg Ramsey enforced the idea by

saying, Having a mentor to observe and to seek council with, has a huge impact on the type of

leader you will become. (Ramsey 2015). Another leader can give you a fresh perspective of
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things or give you an opportunity to reflect on your own practices. Amy Kolln stressed that we

dont have enough time given for reflection and having that person to go to and reflect will help

you grow professionally.

An overarching theme that came out in all three interviews was about the

community you create as a leader. Brittany Gore stated, Dont try and do it alone (Gore 2015).

Leaders have to be able to delegate and give their employees ownership of their work. This type

of environment is created when employees become leaders and are excited to come to work.

Amy Kolln touched on this by saying, Assume the best in people (Kolln 2015). When you

give people the benefit of the doubt and respect them they can go a long way. If you come into a

situation looking for people doing things poorly instead of what they are doing well, you will get

a negative reputation. However if you build those relationships they will help you achieve your

goals. It is important to state your goals so your team will know what type of culture you want to

create. Your staff should know what your expectations. If there are clear expectations then it will

be easier to provide coaching and have reflective conversations to help your team excel.

As a future leader in my field I was curious to hear what other leaders believed was

there biggest struggle in their journey to leadership. Greg Ramsey described his struggle as not

being selfish and letting his own motives guide his actions. He need to give up what he thought

and focus on other people and their needs. He said, You have to have your heart and mind

focused on what your objective is as a leader. A leader in the church has to put their own motives

to the side and focus on what God has planned for all of us (Ramsey 2015).

Amy Kolln said her biggest struggle was balancing work and her personal life. In the

beginning she would work extra hours to get things done. She said she came to a realization that

she needed to cut her hours in order to have time with her family. That balance was difficult at
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first but once she learned how to communicate and delegate the balance became easier. (Kolln

2015)

Brittany Gore said the most difficult part of her job was going into a new store that

already realizes its struggling and trying not to point out all the reasons why the store is not

meeting the companys standards; or coming into a store where the employees have been doing

things the same way for many years and are resistant to change. Change scares a lot of people

but coming into a new situation with a clear purpose and goal helps set up the shift successfully.

The biggest factor that has helped her be a leader in these situations is her ability to build

relationships with her coworkers and able to see the potential of all of her employees. Giving

them a sense of trust in order to boost morale has helped them invest in their jobs and want to

work harder toward their goals. With trust a leader can create leaders that can drive results

because they are excited to be at work. Being able to delegate tasks to workers and utilize your

team is a strength of an effective leader (Gore 2015).

After conducting the three interviews I have concluded that there are some overarching

ideas of how to be a good leader. A leader must be able to listen to those around them and give

advice but also know when to seek council. A leader must be willing to take the time to build

relationships with the people you are leading. Always assume the best in people and build trust in

your work environment. Mentors help support leaders. You can talk and reflect on your own

practices with your mentor. The best take away from my interviews is to be a servant leader.

Your employees shouldnt just be working for you but you should be working for your

employees. No matter what line of work you are in if your employees feel appreciated their work

ethic will improve. They will have pride in their work and strive to be leaders in their field.
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References

Gore, B., personal communication, October 8, 2015.

Kolln, A., personal communication, September 30, 2015.

Ramsey, G., personal communication, September 29, 2015