Running Head: LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

Leadership Philosophy
EDAD 5700
Tess Matsukawa
March 16, 2016

Leadership is a collaborative effort and its purpose is to bring people together for the
completion of a common goal (Komives et al, 2005). As I found myself gathering my thoughts

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to write this paper I was really struck by how my early ideas of leadership were created from
ideas of positional authority, which were setup by social constructs of power and privilege. My
mind used to go immediately to corporate or political leadership, and I now see how this
perception of leadership was centered in capitalistic, sexist, racist framework. I know see
leadership as a means to support other people, leadership is not a single person who possesses
authority and tells people what to do, but is in fact a process of collaboration (Komives et al,
2005).
Through the positional leadership roles that I held in high school and undergrad I
developed the thought process that leadership was positional. My desire to be in positional roles
came through push by my peers to do so (Komives et al, 2005), and I grew into thinking that a
competent positional leader was someone who was boisterous, charismatic, and always in front
of the group. In many ways I strived to fit that. I made sure that I was always the person to lead
meetings, take charge of larger activities and speak for the group. As I moved forward through
my education and was in the process of getting my business minor, my understanding of
leadership gained a corporate perspective. My classes focused on teamwork, and leadership
through managerial and positional roles. The way that I was taught a leader should behave was
taught through a white, patriarchal, western, capitalistic lens. As a multiracial Asian American
woman, the representation I was being taught wasnt authentic to who I was.
It wasnt until graduate school that I came to realize that I could authentically be a leader
in consideration of my identities, and not in spite of them. It was also at this time that I was
exposed to seeing leadership differently. Growing up I had been implicitly taught that leadership
was a characteristic that a person had, something that some people were inherently born with.
This perspective was rooted in a thought processes similar to Social Darwinism, that glorifies

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people who are born with immense societal privileges. Institutionalized power structures have
reinforced created this one understanding of what leaders looked like: cisgender, able-bodied,
wealthy, white men. I believed that I too could be a leader if I emulated western leadership
ideals and assertiveness. In grad school I began to understand that leadership is contextual and a
social construct that is backed by capitalism, white supremacy, and the patriarchy.
I have now moved past an understanding of leadership as creation of a successful
product, but instead as a means of collaboration and community building that can affect change.
Authority, despite common teaching, isnt necessarily needed for leaders to be successful (Daloz
Parks, 2005). When trying to narrow down what makes a leader effective it is extremely difficult
because leadership is all about context of the situation and who you are as a person. Strictly
speaking from own context, I believe effectiveness as a leader is promoted through personal
understanding of both identities, and the power structures that are in play around them.
Furthermore being aware of the different interpersonal strengths that someone brings to a
situation is extremely useful when working to support others. Consciousness of self is key in
promoting the process of leadership and is pertinent in helping to develop consciousness in
others (Astin and Alexander, 1996).
Consciousness of self has been something that has been very pivotal for me as I have
moved in and out of positional leadership roles. It is something that I first developed through
personality and strengths assessments. But as I moved out of student leadership positions that I
held while in undergrad I felt a struggle with feeling like a leader outside of those roles and a
new context. I was challenged with no longer feeling as capable because I was not in a situation
that I felt I had a lot of knowledge about. But it was through understanding the multiple
dimensions of my identity that I was given the language to make sense of what I was

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experiencing and be able to talk about it (Jones and Mcewen, 2000). This also lead me in
developing an identity as an activist that is an identity that I attributed to myself outside of being
told that I was, or given a positional title. To some extent I feel like I had some semblance of this
when I was in undergrad. I attended a primarily white institution and I felt a burden to become
to confront injustices, I need(ed) to be that token representative, that if Im not there, no one
else is going to say it, so I should do it (Linder and Rodriguez, 2012).
Identifying myself as a leader for social change wasnt something that I developed
confidence for on my own, but was something that I grew in passion and understanding for
through learning from my socially conscious peers. It was through finding a common purpose
with the professionals and friends that I have met through graduate school that has led me in
creating a sense of congruence between the my own values and beliefs to the way that I live my
life (Astin and Alexander, 1996). The creation of my activist identity has very much followed
the framework of the Social Change Model and has been a major part of what I see makes an
effective leader. In line with this model I am also a firm believer of controversy with civility,
which pushes the ides that differences can be accepted and resolved through open and honest
dialogue (Astin and Alexander, 1996).
My growth in seeing myself as a leader has moved through the course of validation
through adult role models, having meaningful involvement, moving deeper into self-awareness,
and being challenged in different contexts (Komives et al, 2005). For so long my understanding
of what it meant to be a leader came from a context that didnt represent or support my identities.
I saw myself only as a leader in a positional sense, but not necessarily outside of that. I didnt
know how to incorporate my identities into my identity of a leader. Often times a felt that I had

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to compartmentalize who parts of myself in undergrad in order to fit was needed of me in certain
positional roles (Linder and Rodriguez, 2012).
Much of my time in undergrad I felt that I was moving with the constant tension
between invisibility and tokenization (Linder and Rodriguez, 2012) that existed in the unsafe
places on campus where I had no one to talk to about the racism and exclusion that I was
experiencing. I moved into trying to assimilate and internalizing my oppression. But it has been
through unpacking these experiences in grad school that I have found my passion for supporting
students who experience exclusion in systems of higher education. Finding safe spaces, and
understanding power and privilege has given me the ability to make sense of my experiences and
be able to see what role I can play in helping others.
I have gained a sense of empowerment and confidence in my own leadership ability
because of my educational growth. I am no longer trying to fit an ideal of leadership that is
centered in having authority over others and I have less interest in leadership as a means of
promoting capitalistic pursuits. I feel that I have found skills as a leader through my own
authentic way of living. I see the purpose of leadership as a means of bringing people together to
promote social change.
The idea of leadership as a process of collaboration is idea that is accessible and less
rooted in systemic power and privilege. It is also an idea that validates so many types of
leadership that are more than corporate or government leadership, but leadership in families,
grassroots movements, and student groups. It is within this understanding of leadership that I am
able to take on the identity of a leader.
It has been through understanding my own identities as a multiracial, Asian
American woman that I have found my most authentic style of leadership. A style that is

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centered in encouraging the development and growth of those around me (Bolman & Gallos,
2011), and focusing on conversations around power and privilege.
My positional leadership roles prior to grad school, didnt involve much of my political
passions or salient identities, but dealt with the need for tasks to get completed. It was through
student leadership roles that I learned how to create a vision for a team and to delegate tasks. I
learned how to manage, I wasnt thinking as much about the development of those within my
staff, as I was thinking about the end result.
Ideas of creating expectations for those that I work with and recognizing the desired
growth of those around me (Kouzes & Posner, 2003) became apparent to me when I supervised
my peers in undergrad, but I wasnt really until I came to SU where I developed a fuller
understanding of this. The Jesuit framework of cura personalis brought me into the human
resource leadership framework. Seeing the importance of developing my own self outside of
intellect and managerial capabilities became a focus for myself, my peers, and the students that I
work with. In essence I moved away from a capitalistic and corporate view of leadership and
grew in appreciation for how I was helping others grow in their vocation and personal reflection.
Vocation and personal reflection were not always a part of my leadership frame work and
for much of undergrad I was focused more on not thinking about my identities, because I did not
feel particularly positive about them. I went to undergrad at a rural, conservative, and
predominately white institution in Colorado. Tokenizing myself through making jokes about my
race was a way of protecting myself against the overt and covert racism that I experience
regularly. I internalized my oppression and struggled to find community to talk to about these
experiences. As an Asian woman I struggled with being undervalued when it came to being

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elected for leadership roles, and it was through proving my worth in lower level positions that I
gained power. Which frequently was untrue among my white male counterparts.
When I came to Seattle University for preview days the conversations around privilege
and oppression was like an exciting breath of fresh air. From that point forward I have grown
immensely in understanding identities and my limitations. Through being in this program I have
learned the language to make sense of my own experiences, and appreciate the complexity of my
own identity. Which is important to me as a leader in the broader community and within student
development as it helps me connect to other students who have experiences and identities similar
to mine. I want to empower students in their identity development, and being a source of support
and care for them in challenging times (Bolman & Gallos, 2011). Knowing my privilege also
helps me to know when it is best for me to listen and create space for those around me. As a
professional I see myself as someone that needs to make sure that the voices of the marginalized
are brought to the table.
My privilege as an able bodied, cisgendered, straight, native English speaking, person of
middle class wealth has brought me to the educational and financial opportunities that I have
today. As I talk about being perceived as I leader, much of that was due to these identities. It
was less about me overcoming obstacles, but more based in the success that I obtained largely
because of the societal privileges that I was born with. In knowing this I hope to challenge and
dismantle systems that have created these power differentials.
Coming straight from undergraduate school I struggled with feeling confident. I was
working to develop leadership potential in students who were close to the same age as me, who
understood the institutional context of Seattle University, and we're very competent in their
student affairs understanding. Coming from a small, conservative, university, I hadnt been

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exposed to a formal social justice education. Many of the professionals that I worked with did
not have a background in student development, so I was unfamiliar with much of the vocabulary
and terminology used around me when I came to SU. Despite all of this I was lucky in have
come into the program with a cohort that was incredibly supportive of my development through
positivity and offering up their own struggles as affirmation to my struggle (Kouzes & Posner,
2003).
My supervisor in this role was also extremely helpful in affirming my belonging in the
office and in my graduate program. She helped me to reflect on my past experiences and also set
high expectations for my success. This helped me to reach beyond my self-doubts, to more fully
realize my greatest strengths (Kouzes & Posner, 2003). This was something I sought to do for
my students that I was going to supervise in the coming year.
During winter quarter of my first year of graduate school I found out that the work of my
office, supervisor, my student staff, and myself would be changing drastically. The other
graduate student that I worked with, who became a mentor of mine, was also going to be leaving
the office. I saw this as a time to prove myself and a time where I really needed to give myself a
lot of positive self talk. I was moving into a time of uncertainty for the entire division of student
development, and I was losing someone who had been a support to me in the daily work that I
did in the office.
With my fellow graduate assistant leaving the office I was tasked with leading my student
staff into spring quarter, which is the most program heavy for our office. This also came with the
knowledge that the work that we all were doing was about to change. But within this time of
uncertainty I took this as an opportunity to think about how I could make this change the most
beneficial for my students. I used the framework of human resource leadership (Bolman &

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Galos, 2011) to think about how I could encourage my students to bring their best talents to work
that could be catered to skills that they want to gain for their future careers. The five sections of
open communication, empowerment, effective teams for collective action,
supporting/coaching/care, and hiring the right people, have all been a part of the leadership
strategy that I was unintentionally utilizing (Bolman & Galos, 2011).
As we found out that the function of our office was going to be changing it was important
to immediately communicate all the shareable information that I knew along with how I was
feeling in the midst of the change. I did not unload on my students, but I allowed myself to be
transparent and honest with them as a means of establishing trust and building a connection
(Kouzes & Posner, 2003). I wanted to lead with emotional intelligence by being honest and thus
allowing them to feel like they could openly express their concerns.
We had our struggles, but despite this, my students felt comfortable bringing it up to me
based off of the report that we had established through our weekly one-on-ones. A student spoke
me about how they no longer felt that they were getting the experience that they wanted from our
office due to the changes, which turned into a dialogue about how we could create the work that
they wanted to do. This student had been with the team for over a year and was a vital source of
input about on campus experiencse when working on projects. We talked in length about their
interests, career vocation, and how the work that they would do could lead them to where they
wanted to be. These conversations lead to increased autonomy and empowerment on their part
to accomplish tasks that they were explicitly interested in (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).
Effective teamwork has played a huge role in the success of my office, especially when
dealing with the early stages of the forming of the Innovation Center. When our office was first
coming together the ideas that we had were meta, and difficult to understand.. It was through the

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collaboration of the staff in the Innovation Center that both my students and myself a stronger
sense of connection to our work despite ambiguity and uncertainty. Working collaboratively has
expanded the work that we have all been able to do. Both my students and myself have been
able to grow through the collaboration that has been offered in our new roles and we have been
able to be apart of larger conversations about student experience at SU.
Creating a sense of support, coaching, and care had been something that I have been
consciously working for. Rarely are the one-on-ones that I have with my students just about the
work that they complete in the office, but touch on a myriad of issues that they are dealing with
in their daily life. I have developed in my relationships with them by allowing them greater
insight into my life. I have grown to become a friend and open up (Kouzes & Posner, 2003). I
have found so much value in the sharing of stories with my students as it has built a stronger
passion in this field for me. My joy and love for my work has continued to grow because of the
bonds that I have made.
Lastly, hiring the right people has been very important for our office and is becoming
even more important as our office becomes more inwardly facing to the division. What we look
for in our students has changed, and those that we would have hired last year would no longer be
what we are looking for.
This framework has been very effective for me due to the small size of the team that I
work with. I have the time to focus on building strong relationships with my students and can
easily lead with the heart on this small team without being emotionally drained. The human
resource method is very effective in the environment that I work in, but not necessarily in any
that I move into in the future. Working in education is well suited to the human resource
method as it is centered in development and supporting those around you. It has less of a

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corporate focus on just simply executing a goal, but is centered in care, relationship building, and
empowerment for all involved.
My ideas of leadership fit quite well with the nature of work, but also stands in
conflict. Leading with the heart and encouraging my students to understand their authentic
selves is part of the core of student development (Kouzes & Posner, 2003), but higher education
is also a system that was founded in oppression. Schools with socially altruistic missions are still
businesses. Businesses who want students to be retained because it provides more financial
stability. In coming to terms with this business model, I grapple with a feeling of dissonance.
Am I living into my truth and what I want for the world? Am I being effective in the way that I
am choosing to work to create social change? The more I reflect on this the more it becomes
increasingly apparent to me that I need to make sure that my personal values align with the
institution that I choose to work at in order for me to truly be fulfilled.
As I think about supporting, coaching, and caring for the students I work with, I wonder
how my style of leadership will work when my students beliefs are in conflict with my own.
My leadership style is a reflection of my identities and belief system, and I will find my greatest
challenge in working with faculty, staff, and students who do not respect my identities and
beliefs. A community oriented and human resource style of leadership can be both emotionally
empowering and draining. I naturally want to nurture and serve others. I want to give and create
space for them, but at times I can forget to provide myself space for healing and self-care.
At the core of my human resource leadership framework I need to make sure that the
institution that I work at is similar to an extended family (Bolman & Gallos, 2011). I need to feel
a close connection in beliefs and see the institution for both a structure and people to foster

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relationships with. I need to challenge injustice and actively work to make change the system
from within.

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References
Astin, H. S., & Astin, A. W. (1996). A social change model of leadership development:
Guidebook: Version III. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, University of
California, Los Angeles.
Bolman, L. G., & Gallos, J.V. (2011). Reframing academic leadership, pp. 69-87.
Jones, S.R., & Mcewen, M.K. (2000). A conceptual model of multiple dimensions of identity.
Journal of College Student Development, 41, 405-414.
Komives, S. R., Owen, J. E., Longerbeam, S. D., Mainella, F. C., & Osteen, L.
(2005).Developing a leadership identity: a grounded theory. Journal of College Student
Development, 46(6), 593-611.

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2003). Encouraging the heart: A leaders guide to rewarding and
recognizing others.
Linder, C., & Rodriguez, K. L. (2012). Learning from the experiences of self-identified women
of color activists. Journal of College Student Development, 53(3), 383-398.
Parks, S. D. (2005). Leadership can be taught: a bold approach for a complex world. Boston,
MA: Harvard Business School Press.