Leadership Philosophy
The idea of leadership is fluid and encompasses man different strategies and is variable to the individual. With this in mind, I have been able to witness and explore the various leadership styles that individuals have. I have been a part of many clubs and organizations where I have witnessed physicians and other healthcare workers use their leadership skills to the benefit of others, while also seeing individuals use their leadership powers to take advantage of others. One common style that I noticed in every leader in the medical field was professionalism and communication. Physicians are not just leaders to their peers, but also to their patients as they provide the course of surgery/recovery. Physicians and medical professionals are considered some of the top leaders in their respective fields and shape the approach to leadership in the medical field.
While doing research on the different types of leadership styles, I have realized that each leadership style is a subcategory to the two main categories of leaders, authoritative leaders and leaders who excel in teamwork. The main difference between these two categories of leaders is that authoritative leaders are characterized by a clear hierarchical chain of command and hold primary responsibility in decision-making for a group, while other leaders share responsibility and make decisions as a group rather than alone without any collaboration. Leaders who are not authoritative can be adaptive leaders, transformational leaders, transactional leaders, etc. and are able to work well in groups and be adaptable and dependent on making the right choices for a group, while authoritative leaders can be successful, but can struggle with uniting a group into one and keeping control of a group.
When taking into account my current and past leadership experiences in college and high school, I believe that I would best be considered a transformational leader. Throughout my leadership involvement, I have always found myself to focus on growth among everyone in a group. Starting with Carroll Ballers, being someone that the residents of the Juvenile Detention Center look up to is very important for them to grow as an individual and learn right from wrong. Playing basketball with them is a way to build relationships and get to know each other, while also learning how to work as a team and compete at a high level to win together, and being able to work as a team with the residents is one part of Carroll Ballers that I enjoy. Transformational leadership focuses on growth and improvement in everyone in a team, and also unlocking everyone's full potential or even going beyond it. Along with that, transformational leadership has a positive impact on the individuals, and it is shown at Carroll Ballers as the residents write letters to us during winter and summer breaks to show their appreciation for what we do and thanking us for turning them into better individuals.
Being a S.W.A.T. Leader is also another experience where I was able to be a transformational leader with the upcoming students of John Carroll. Transformational leaders tend to be looked at as mentors and role models due to being able to embody the values and a sense of integrity in a team, and that was something I strived for in that position. During the week leading up to the beginning of the semester, I worked with 10-12 new John Carroll students and took them through various activities around campus to get them familiar with campus and shared my personal experiences in college to get them familiar with life in college. One particular value that I have is a commitment to pushing people to academic excellence, and it was something that I wanted to pass on to the new students so they can excel in their classes. This was done by offering academic guidance to understand degree requirements and course registration processes, and was vital to the students' growth and understanding of college life. Transformational leadership emphasizes that leaders should have a common goal of growth and improvement in a team, and is a powerful model to approach the needs of a successful team.