Junior year of ELA we worked on developing skills to be effective leaders.
Below are five skill developments and what I have learned.
SELF-IMAGE
Self-image is the idea one has of their abilities, appearance, and personality. Self-image has never been a strong suit of mine personally. Although I wish I could say differently, this is not the case and Emerging Leaders Academy has helped me realize this. At times I have positive self-image; however, self-doubt presents itself quite often. I often lack confidence in my abilities unless I am comfortable in my surroundings. Over the course, ELA has pushed me to work on this, especially when it comes to leading, presenting, and working in a group. I have been working hard to build confidence in myself and my abilities, else I know that when it comes to my professional career, I will struggle. As a professional, I want to be a confident, positive source of support for those that I am working with. However, to get to this point, I need to continue to grow and apply the skills that I have learned in ELA to develop a positive self-image.
TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO LEAD
Emerging Leaders Academy has pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and take charge. I am typically not one to speak out and try to take the lead; however, ELA has allowed me to develop the skills to do it and has also forced me to do it. I know as I begin my career as a social worker, taking the initiative to lead is going to be important. I know that if it comes down to it, I am driven enough to take lead but I know that a lack of self-confidence interferes to with my ability to volunteer to do so on my own. It takes being 100% confidence that I am competent to lead in order for me to take the initiative and lead. ELA allowed me to gain more confidence in myself and my leadership skills by pushing me to be a leader in different projects. I know after the last school year I feel more confident that I am able to take initiative and lead.
CONNECTING WITH OTHERS
Connecting with others is a skill that is essential in almost any job that you have. Working as a Direct Support Professional, this is a skill that is very necessary as you have to be able to connect with the individuals you serve. This is something that I know I have done before because of my job and it is a great skill to have going into social work. With social work I will have to connect with a multitude of individuals including supervisors, co-workers, and the individuals I will serve. Connecting with others is essential to building relationships not only in a work setting, but also in your personal life.
TEAM BUILDING SKILLS
Often times a team works better than a single person. A team requires that all members are active; however, a strong leader is also beneficial in making a team effective. Strong leaders possess many qualities including being open-minded, respectful, and empowering towards team members. Having the skills to work as a team is very important in professional careers, especially social work. As a social worker, having a team of co-workers and supervisors allows for different perspectives on situations. A team also provides you with support when it comes to difficult situations. Working as a Direct Support Professional, we work as a team every day. The individuals we serve have a team that works with them to define their goals and objectives and provide them with the best quality of life. Without the team effort of DSPs, supervisors, plan coordinators, and family members, the individuals we are serving would not receive that best quality of life. In ELA we have also built team building skills. From the beginning of the year to the end of the year, I feel that I grew with my ELA class in learning how to be an active member of a team. Through different projects, I have worked as a team with quite a few of my classmates.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Emerging Leaders Academy has been a great experience and has helped me build skills of personal reflection. Since my freshman year of high school, I have struggled with stress-related depression; however, it took until this year to finally realize that, that is what was going on. I am proud of the growth that I have made both personally and professionally this year. Personal reflection has not only allowed me to evaluate my life currently, but also has allowed me to look back on my life and understand why I am the way I am. Through ELA I have realized that I have not taken enough time for personal reflection throughout my life. I have been working a job since my sophomore year of high school and I have not stopped advancing my education since I graduated high school. I have used the excuse that I am too busy to have time for myself; however, this is not true. ELA taught me that it is essential to take time for myself to be with my thoughts. This is the only way I will be able to continue growing both personally and professionally.