Running head: LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY AS AN EDUCATOR 1

Being Present: My Leadership Philosophy as an Educator

Jessica Avila-Cuevas

Loyola University Chicago

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Being Present: My Leadership Philosophy as an Educator

Sheryl Sandberg once said, “leadership is about making others better as a result of your

presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence” (Harvard Business School).

Reflecting on my journey as a higher education professional, I find this quote to be more salient

as I proceed in the next steps and ventures in my career. I was never able to articulate my

leadership philosophy until learning about the varied theories and frameworks involved in

leadership. I will be using three frameworks of leadership that best define my leadership

philosophy and inform my experiences as an educator in higher education. As Sheryl

Sandberg’s quote resonates with me and the groundwork that has been presented in taking this

leadership course, I have established my leadership philosophy as an educator in higher

education.

Servant Leadership

Prior to taking this leadership course, the only concept I knew of was servant leadership.

When I first learned of the concept of servant leadership, I defined it as someone who puts others

first before themself. Northouse (2018), however, states that “servant leadership emphasizes that

leaders be attentive to the concerns of their followers, empathize with them, and nurture them.

Servant leaders put followers first” (p. 227). As someone who works in higher education, I value

my constituents within and outside my function area of college admissions. As someone who is

actively aware of the needs of the students I serve and the ways in which my colleagues can

grow within this profession has been manifested through my efforts as a servant leader. I will

further explain how I have demonstrated some of Robert K. Greenleaf’s characteristics of servant

leadership.
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While some believe that college recruiters are perceived as gatekeepers of their

institutions, it takes a lot of empathy and awareness in understanding a high schooler’s efforts in

applying and enrolling to college. According to Greenleaf, servant leaders stand in the shoes of

another person attempting to see the world from that person’s point of view and they understand

oneself and the impact one has on others (Northouse, 2018). As a first-generation college

student, I understand the barriers that exists when trying to access and navigate the college

admissions process. Various processes such as completing the application and applying for

financial aid are strenuous to first-generation college students. Therefore, I take extra time in

providing support to students so that they successfully go through the process. For example, I

met with a student and their family to help them complete the FAFSA (Free Application for

Federal Student Aid) so that they can qualify for financial assistance. As a first-generation

student, there were limitations where my parents were not aware of the procedures that took into

place when applying for financial aid. Therefore, I wanted to ensure that the student and their

parents were aware of this process regardless if they decided on attending the institution I

worked for. This example exhibits how I demonstrated empathy and awareness as a servant

leader.

In addition to serving students, I demonstrate commitment to the growth of my

colleagues for which I help build community in the workplace. According to Greenleaf, “servant

leaders are committed to helping each person in the organization grow personally and

professionally… servant leaders build community to provide a place where people can feel safe

and connected with others” (as cited in Northouse, 2018, p. 230). Although I do not have a

particular leadership role within my organization to manage staff, I have been able to find my

voice in my department so that I can contribute toward the growth of my colleagues such as new
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staff. Personally, professional development is essential so that the person can feel validated and

can transcend themself to finding their sense of belonging in the workplace. Higher education,

in particular college admissions, may experience a lot of turnover due to the limited

opportunities for professional development. As someone who is actively involved in various

types of professional development opportunities, I want to showcase this to my colleagues and

encourage them to join various types of leadership and/or membership roles so that they can find

their sense of belonging in their careers. In addition, I have found ways to build community in

the workplace through various efforts such as team outings. My current position in admissions is

a remote job where six of us from the Chicago area work from remotely. Although we do not get

to work on a college campus, I believe bringing people together occasionally uplifts staff morale.

One example of how I helped build community was when I encouraged my coworkers to go to

campus for an athletic event. Although not work related, we were able to be outside of our work

environments and build camaraderie. These two characteristics have been manifested through

my efforts of servant leadership as I try to encourage coworkers to grow in their roles as

admissions counselors while building community as staff members.

Transformational Leadership

As someone who holds saliency in targeted or marginalized identities, it comes natural

for me to advocate and show awareness to people, in particular students, who hold similar

identities as I do. As an educator whose salient identities as a Latina, first-generation college

student and U.S. citizen, I have utilized my voice in various ways to become a transformative

educator. According to Burns (1978), transformational leadership is a process of “inducing

followers to act for certain goals that represent the values and the motivations - the wants and

needs, the aspirations and expectations - of both leaders and followers” (as cited in Dugan, 2017,
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p. 190). This type of leadership can be bidirectional where both the leader and follower can

grow from each other. Thus, I can utilize my agency as an educator to transform ways I can

contribute toward the success of college students.

I attended the Sharing the Dream Conference, which is the first and only statewide

conference that brings together educators and allies who work with and support undocumented

students. After attending the conference, I assessed the institution I worked for and how it can

best serve this student population as it claimed itself to be an undocumented student-friendly

campus. I realized that there was not an admissions resource website for prospective

undocumented students to utilize and understand our admissions procedures. With the assistance

of the dean of admissions and the communications department, we were able to launch the

resource page for self-identified undocumented student to understand the process as they applied

and enrolled to the institution. This type of leadership approach can also be considered as

culturally relevant leadership. According to Bertrand Jones, Guthrie, & Osteen (2016) the

“intrapersonal experiences are ongoing interactions of an individual’s identity, capacity, and

efficacy in the leadership process” (as cited in Guthrie & Chunoo, 2018, p. 43). As the daughter

of immigrants, I wanted to utilize my agency as a U.S. citizen while growing as a professional in

higher education on how I can support this student population. Once I developed skills and

knowledge concerning policies and legislation related to undocumented students, I was able to

voice out how my department's website can provide inclusivity to this group of students.

Authentic Leadership

As a professional in college admissions, I have struggled to define my leadership capacity

in predominantly White professional settings. Torres (2018) states that there are “instances in

which Latina leaders may feel that they must conform to the dominant leader identity
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characteristics that historically did not represent underrepresented and marginalized” populations

(p. 138). The intersectionalities I hold as a Latina who grew up in a low-socioeconomic

household are not represented to the dominant culture within the realm of higher education. Not

only do I identify as a first-generation college graduate, but I also identify as a first generation

employee. Navigating in a dominant culture while also trying to navigate toward leadership

opportunities in higher education has been exhausting. This is due to the limitations that hinders

me to exemplify authenticity through my leadership potential.

Dugan (2017) argues that authenticity becomes a reflection of dominant standards where

the prototype usually links to White privilege and masculinity. Such standards are perceived as

the prime example of what authentic leaders should be. Since this characteristic is ingrained in

our society, a group of followers may judge or think less of a Woman of Color as a leader based

on certain stereotypes when she presents herself in a space, even though she is utilizing her very

own authentic leadership. Clarke et al. (2013) state that when “minoritized people are forced to

manage how they ‘show up’ within an environment, it constitutes emotional labor” (as cited in

Dugan, 2017, p. 285). As a Woman of Color, I had to “show up” in order to perform a certain

way that others perceive as an authentic leader, but in reality I am acting and not being my

authentic self. One example of this is the way in which I present myself in front of others as a

co-chair of a committee from a professional organization. Although the membership of the

organization is diverse, those with leadership positions, such as my position are mostly White,

especially White Women. During board meetings, I do not speak up because I may be perceived

as the obnoxious Latina rather I listen, observe, and provide feedback that would be well

received from my followers. Even if I were to “perform” a certain way, this performance may

not be validated due to the fact of my presence as a Women of Color. Unfortunately, this
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performance creates a toll for me as it produces limitations of my authenticity and makes me feel

less genuine about myself.

Since authentic leadership is a process, Northouse (2018) states that there are factors that

influence authentic leadership, such as resilience. “During difficult times, resilient people are

able to bounce back from challenging situations and feel strengthened and more resourceful as a

result of them” (Northouse, 2018, p. 205). I am currently establishing my authenticity in spaces

where I can be clear about my leadership capacity while utilizing my sense of self through the

intersectionality of gender and race.

My Leadership Philosophy as an Educator

Regardless if I will take on a leadership position in a particular job function or continue

to do the work I do, I have to recognize and exemplify what my leadership philosophy is in order

to be an effective leader and educator. Therefore, my leadership philosophy is based on the

people that I serve. I must also understand my identity, capacity, and efficacy in the leadership

process by becoming more authentic to myself before exhibiting transformational leadership to

those who I want to serve. Finally, building relationships and community while establishing a

positive and inclusive environment would allow authenticity in my leadership process.

Conclusion

Reflecting on Sheryl Sandberg’s quote, I see a parallel to my leadership philosophy and

the importance of being present in order to grow as a leader and leaving an impact through this

leadership process. Komives, Owen, Longerbeam, Mainella, and Osteen (2006) state that

“leadership development involves engaging with learning opportunities in one’s environment

over time to build one’s capacity or efficacy to engage in leadership. This developmental

approach entails moving from simple to more complex dimensions of growth” (p. 402). While
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leadership is a process and my philosophy of leadership may be altered as I grow in this field, I

know that I must be present in understanding my environments in order to leave an impact. I

view my leadership development and my philosophy statement as a lifelong process that has

been informed through my experiences and will continue to change and develop as I transition to

the next step of my career.

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References

Dugan, J. (2017). Leadership theory: Cultivating critical perspectives. San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass

Guthrie, K., & Chunoo, V. (2018). Changing the narrative: Socially just leadership education.

Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Harvard Business School. (2013, April 6). Sheryl Sandberg (MBA 1995) speaks at the HBS W50

Summit [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6xZRaITLgk.

Komives, S. R., Longerbeam, S. D., Owen, J. E., Mainella, F. C., & Osteen, L., (2006). A

leadership identity development model: Applications from a Grounded theory. Journal of

College Student Development, 47 (4), 401-418.

Northouse, P. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice, 8th edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Torres, M. (2018). ¡Pa’lante siempre pa’lante! Latina leader identity development. In

Guthrie, K., & Chunoo, V. Changing the narrative: Socially just leadership education.

(pp. 127 - 143). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.