Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DEVELOPMENT
Outcomes & Evidence
Progress Inventory*
MINOR IN LEADERSHIP STUDIES
Center for Student Leadership Development
Memorial Union
University of Rhode Island
*The Outcomes & Evidence Progress Inventory is the intellectual property of the Center for Student Leadership Development (CSLD)
at the University of Rhode Island and cannot be reproduced in part, or in its entirety, without the written permission of the acting
Assistant Director of the CSLD.
OUTCOMES
Outcomes (Self-Leadership, Interpersonal and Organizational, Leadership Theories, Inclusive Leadership,
Critical Thinking)
Targeted Classes
Experiences
Evidence
GENERAL INFORMATION
Regardless of your major, you can minor in Leadership Studies.
Requirements may be satisfied by completing 18 or more credits related to leadership and offered by more than one department.
Twelve (12) of the 18 credits must be at the 200 level of instruction or above. A course grade of “C” or better must be earned in each graded course. At least 12 of the credits
must be earned at URI.
No course may be used to apply to both the major and minor fields of study. Courses in General Education or for other minors may be used for the minor* (*this does not
apply to students in the College of Business). With the exception of internship credit, all courses for the minor must be taken for a grade. The Introductory class must be taken
before the internship and the capstone course.
Application for the minor must be filed in your academic dean’s office no later than the beginning of the final semester or term.
Approval of the minor does not guarantee that the suggested courses will be available to you on a schedule correlated with your graduation plans nor guarantee space in any
required course.
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 3
CORE REQUIREMENTS- 9 Credits
Required Element Class options Notes
Introductory Course HDF 190: FLITE Only offered in spring for first-year students
3 credits or
HDF 290: Modern Leadership Issues Offered Fall and Spring for sophomores & juniors
Internship HDF 417: Leadership Internship Requires 40 hours/credit with a min. of 80 hours & a max. of 120 hours of documented
3 credits or internship experience for graded credit
Experience through Office of Experiential Learning & Community Engagement
or
Internship Class in Academic Major The only time the major and minor can overlap
Capstone HDF 412: Historical, Multi-ethnic & Alternative Leadership Offered only in the fall with preference given to seniors
3 credits or
COM 402: Leadership & Motivation Offered in the spring and summer with Dr. Leatham
or
BUS 441: Leadership Skills Development Offered in the fall and spring with Dr. Cooper
or
HPR 411/412: Honors Senior Seminar Must be in Honors or have GPA of 3.3
Portfolio HDF 492: Leadership Minor Portfolio Taken last spring semester of enrollment (some exceptions)
1 credit
AAF 300: Civil Rights Movement in the US COM 402: Leadership and Motivation (capstone option) HDF 416: Leadership in Organizations
BUS 341: Organizational Behavior COM 407: Political Communication HDF 417: Leadership Minor Internship
BUS 342: Human Resource Management COM 415: The Ethics of Persuasion HDF 437: Law & Families in the U.S.
BUS 441: Leadership & Motivation (capstone option) COM 421: Advanced Interpersonal Communication HDF 450: Introduction to Counseling
BUS 443: Organizational Design & Change COM 422: Communication and Conflict HPR 118: Honors Course in Speech Communications
BUS 448: International Dimensions of Business COM 441: Race, Politics and the Media HPR 203: The Prepared Mind
BUS 449: Entrepreneurship COM 450: Organizational Communication HPR 412: Honors Seminar (capstone option)
COM 100: Communication Fundamentals COM 461/462: Managing Cultural Differences in Organizations MSL 101: Introduction to Military Leadership
COM 202: Public Speaking CSV 302: URI Community Service MSL 201: Leadership & Military History
COM 208: Argumentation and Debate GWS 150: Introduction to Women’s Studies MSL 201: Military Skills and History of Warfare
COM 210: Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Influence GWS 310: Race, Class, Sexuality in Women’s Lives MSL 202: Leadership & Team Building
COM 221: Interpersonal Communication GWS 350: International Women’s Issues MSL 301: Leadership & Management
COM 250: Small Group Communication HDF 190: First‐Year Leaders Inspired to Excellence (FLITE) PEX 375: Women in Sport ‐ Contemporary Perspectives
COM 302: Advanced Public Speaking (introductory course option) PHL 212: Ethics
COM 308: Advanced Argumentation HDF 290: Modern Leadership Issues (introductory course option) PSC 304: Introduction to Public Administration
COM 322: Gender & Communication HDF 291: Rose Butler Browne Program Peer Mentoring Program PSC 369: Legislative Process and Public Policy
COM 351: Oral Comm. in Business & the Professions HDF 412: Historical, Multi‐Ethnic, & Alternative Leadership PSC 504: Ethics in Public Administration
COM 361: Intercultural Communication (capstone option) SOC300/WMS350: Women and Work
COM 383: Rhetorical Theory HDF 413: Student Organization Leadership Consulting THE 221: Stage Management
COM 385: Communication and Social Influence HDF 414: Leadership for Activism and Social Change THE 341: Theater Management
HDF 415: FLITE Peer Leadership
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 4
BECOMING A POSITIVE LEADER THROUGH DEVELOPMENT & INVOLVEMENT
Wilson, 1998 (URI Memorial Union / Center for Student Leadership Development)
Revised after the publication of Exploring Leadership: for College Students Who Want to Make a Difference by Komives, McMahon and Lucas, 1998.
You need to have your own act together before you can lead others:
2. Lead Yourself
Time management
Organization
1. Know Yourself Self care
Self discipline
Lead Others Strengths Perseverance
Weaknesses Develop and maintain family,
Values PROGRESS
interpersonal, and intimate relationships
Needs Academic, social, personal goals and
P Styles
R objectives
o Learning
O o Teaching
G o Personality P
R o Membership R
E o Leadership O
S G
RE-EVALUATE R
S
former stages E
as you progress S
4. Develop and Refine
Skills S
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
15
18
25
26
27
28
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
57
58
59
60
71
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 7
73
75
85
86
87
88
89
90
93
95
96
98
99
108
109
111
112
113
114
115
117
118
119
120
121
122
125
127
128
130
131
132
133
134
135
138
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 8
139
140
150
151
152
153
154
155
160
161
Evidence: My Calendar
6. Student will express a personal code of HDF 190 My Tree of Purpose In HDF 190 I took the VIA values test and took some of our top results to create
leadership / membership ethics “my tree of purpose”. I chose three values that define me, the first one is something
that grounds you, the second keeps you going and growing, and the third is what
will help you succeed in the future. Personally, I feel that honesty is the value that
grounds me, we need to be honest with each other in order to establish trust. If we
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 10
can’t be honest with each other we are just wasting time. The value that keeps me
going is love. The love of family and friends is very important for support and
encouragement. They make sure you continue to grow and be the best you can be.
It’s also important to show love back and be able to support the growth of others.
The value that I believe will help me be successful is my perspective. Being able to
see things from someone else’s view to be a bigger person. If you aren’t open
minded and only choose to see things your way, you’ll constantly run into problems
when interacting with other. This would be especially important in a work place.
Outcome Target class Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice
19. Student will show knowledge of the
“Authority and Bureaucracy” theory of
leadership Weber
20. Student will describe personal application
of the above theory (Weber)
21. Student will show knowledge of the
“Scientific Management” theory of
leadership by Taylor
22. Student will describe personal application
of the above theory (Taylor)
23. Student will show knowledge of the
“Management by Objectives” theory of
leadership by Drucker
24. Student will describe personal application
of the above theory (Drucker)
25. Student will show knowledge of “Theory HDF 492 Independent Research From my understanding of MacGregor’s “Theory X and Theory Y”, the model
X and Theory Y” theory of leadership by focuses on the motivation of members/employees of an organization under two
MacGregor different management styles. Theory X refers to an authoritarian style of
management while theory Y refers to a more participative style. Managers/leaders
following the theory X style are more authoritative because they believe people are
naturally unmotivated and don’t like work. Because of this belief, they feel rewards
and punishments are constantly necessary to ensure they complete their work. This
part of the theory requires overseeing members closely with tiers of supervisors and
progress reports. On the other hand, theory Y managers/leaders trust that people
take pride in their work and enjoy the challenges it brings. This style is more
collaborative and supportive. While these managers do use praise, it is not a reward
vs punishment tactic like theory X, instead it is to create open communication.
Theory Y is all about positivity, team work, and empowerment and has become the
more popular style of leadership. It is also possible that managers use a mixture of
these styles. The success of each style also depends on the needs/desires of each
member and what kind of motivation works best for them.
Center for Ethical Leadership. (2007). The four –v model. Retrieved from
http://www.ethicalleadership.org/philosophies/ethical-leadership
38. Student will describe personal application HDF 190 Volunteer Work After reviewing the “4 V’s” theory in HDF 190, I can see how I apply it to my life.
of the above theory (Grace) Through my volunteer work at a local elementary school, I can see my values,
vision, voice and virtue. I believe in helping others and trying to make this world a
better place through values such as kindness, teamwork, etc. My vision for this is to
help shape the kids of the future and make sure they are getting the skills they need
to become their best. I show my “voice” by not only taking action and working with
these kids but sharing my experience with friends to encourage them to help too. As
for virtue, I’m not just saying I want to help I’m “practicing what I preach” and
doing what I believe is right and will help better our world and the kids’ future.
Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2013). Exploring leadership: For
college students who want to make a difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
42. Student will describe personal application HDF 190 Recently in HDF 190 my small group participated in the marshmallow challenge. In
of the above theory (Komives et al) this challenge we were given one yard of tape, one yard of string, one
marshmallow, and twenty pieces of uncooked spaghetti. Our goal was to build the
highest structure without taping anything to the table or hanging anything and to
place the marshmallow at the top. In the end my group actually did have the highest
structure but the process was by no means easy. I feel that this challenge allowed
me to implement my relational leadership knowledge. I feel the component I
embodied most was inclusive because in the beginning I stayed quiet and made sure
the group was letting each person give their ideas before proceeding. During that
time, I also used empowerment to encourage the group to share ideas. I also feel I
was purposeful by keeping the groups spirits up in times that we weren’t sure if our
plan would work or if we would finish in time. During the challenge my group
members and I showed aspects of being process-oriented by giving and receiving
feedback from each other to come up with the best plan to build a structure. As for
ethical, I try to be ethical in everything that I do and my group members show the
same trait, so during the challenge and most other things we do, we act socially
responsible and uphold moral standards. Because of my group’s and my use of
these components, we were able to work well as a group and build a structure that
stayed standing.
Evidence: Article (reminds me of the kids I work with since I didn’t want to
disclose any of their real situations)
45. Student will demonstrate knowledge of PSY 113 HDF 413 reading and class Experiential learning goes along with the constructivism I learned in PSY 113. The
the Experiential Learning Model (Kolb) HDF 413 discussion concept of experiential learning is that people learn through their experiences.
Revised Kolb has a cycle; concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract
conceptualization, and active experimentation. They learn more by actually doing
then seeing or hearing. Learning by doing something is beneficial because you see
what is successful and what isn’t and then grow from that. Reflection is a big part
of experiential learning. By reflecting on and conceptualizing the things you have
done, you can make changes each time to improve and become the most
successful you can be. From there you can then begin to take it to new levels,
experiment with new things, and learn even more.
I gained more of an understanding of how the cycle works in HDF 413 and the
discussion my class had. We originally didn’t understand that you go through each
stage of the continuous cycle because we figured some people learn by watch, some
learn by doing, etc. Now I understand that you first experience something during
the ‘concrete experience’ and think about what happened, how did you feel, etc.
This is also known as the “what” part of the process. Next you would move on to
the reflection part of the process called ‘reflective observation’, also known as the
“so what”. You’ve had time to reflect on what happened and continue to reflect on
what comes next, how to improve, etc. while observing others’ experience. Next
come to “now what” in the form of ‘abstract conceptualization’. During this part
you’ll have conclusions about your previous questions and will be thinking about
how to apply what you’ve learned. This bring you to ‘active experimentation’ where
you bring what you’ve learned and experienced to life. For example, you might
bring it back to your organization and try out what you’ve learned or use it to come
up with new ideas. Since organizations are always changing and improving, the
cycle is continuous as you continue to have new experiences.
50. Students will describe personal HDF 492 D.R.I.V.E. In my experiences with the club D.R.I.V.E, it has given me the opportunity to step
application of the above theory. (Komives back and observe and be a part of the process of leadership. This club has specific
et al) positions of leadership but works as a whole to achieve its goal through group
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 23
leadership. I was able to engage with and learn from members that had a range of
experience with leadership, activism, and diversity. This organization challenged
my self-awareness and allowed me to grow as an individual. When it came to
working towards our goal to diversify campus and promote higher education, it was
all hands on deck. Myself and others were able to let go of control and lead as
members, everyone on the same level, collaborating toward a goal. When you are
not in a direct leadership position, there are still so many chances for growth and
new perspective on the process.
58. Student will describe personal application HDF 492 Chi Omega Executive Board When I took the least-preferred co-worker scale from the contingency model, I
of the above theory (Fiedler) ended up scoring in the middle range. This meant to me that I had the ability to be
both relationship and task oriented. When becoming a member of the executive
board for my sorority, the factor of leader-member relations was known to be good
because the organization has to trust you in order to nominate you for the position.
As for task structure, our sorority is an over 150-year-old organization with many
traditions, therefore, our tasks typically don’t change and come with specific
structure from years of holding similar events, meetings, etc. The last factor, leader’s
position power, is what can vary greatly for members of an executive board.
According to Fiedler’s chart, when there are good leader-member relations and the
task is structured, regardless of strong or weak leader’s position power, the most
effective leader is task-oriented. Because there was trust and a history of task
structure, we were all able to focus on the task at hand and achieve a shared goal
regardless the variety in which teams considered my authority.
60. Student will describe personal application HDF 492 SOLC When working with groups as a facilitator in SOLC, I have found that it is
of the above theory (House) important to identify individual characteristics of ability, attitude, etc. as well as
Outcome Target class Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice
69. Student will demonstrate how cultural
anthropology / paradigms relate to
leadership
70. Student will describe personal example
of using cultural anthropology /
paradigms as a leader
71. Student will demonstrate knowledge of HDF 492 Independent Research In my research of Harro’s “The Cycle of Socialization”, encourages individuals to
the “Cycles of Socialization” (Harro) understand ways in which we are socialized into certain roles, affected by issues of
theory and its uses in leadership oppression, and how we may be adding to an oppressive system based upon power.
The cycle first starts with how we are born into a world of traditions, history,
stereotypes, etc. that we are socialized to continue/think are normal by those closest
to us (family, teachers, etc.). This then shapes our expectations, roles, values and
norms. These are then constantly reinforced by our culture, institutions, etc. both on
a conscious and unconscious level. This leads to continued privilege,
discrimination, rewards and punishments, etc. that result in a range of emotions and
reaction including anger, guilt, crime, etc. From here there are two paths, one can
either do nothing and promote status quo, or they can change, take a stand, and try
to educate other or reframe society. In the center of this all is fear, ignorance,
confusion and insecurity. It can be scary to break the norm but a true leader does
not just stand by and let something continue when they feel it is wrong. Sometimes
being a leader is about disrupting the norm to better a group, organization, or
society.
87. Student will show knowledge of effective HDF 190 In HDF 190 we learned about change agency and how it relates to being an
leadership as it relates to change agency effective leader. A change agent strives for positive change and has an
understanding, motivation, and skill set that allows them to do so. They must
understand that change is a process in which there will be obstacles they will have
to overcome. They should feel comfortable and positive about change and have
patience for it, yet be willing to step out of their comfort zone to achieve change. A
change agent also needs to be willing to take risks, articulate a vision, and have the
ability to persuade others for a common good. Change agents want the best for the
community and are acting to create a better environment for all.
96. Student will show personal application of HDF 492 D.R.I.V.E. I feel as though I have a lot of experience with the Multicultural Change
the Multicultural Change Intervention Intervention Matrix by Pope through my membership in the organization
Matrix D.R.I.V.E. This organization allowed me to move passed just being informed on the
need for campus diversity, to being someone who is actively taking action to
diversify campus and promote higher education. As a group, this organization,
though it does strive to recruit diverse members, goes past just numbers. We work
with diverse students, hold campus events, and bring everyone together to change
societal norms. URI as an institution is an example of this matrix from the creation
of D.R.I.V.E, it was an active change and attempt to restructure as a university by
students and admissions staff. They saw something wrong and created and
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 32
organization and program to continuously work improving diversity on campus and
conversations about diversity.
Outcome Target class Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice
98. Student will show knowledge of principles HDF 492 Independent Research I’ve had to do a lot of research and work on critical thinking for not only
of critical thinking and fallacies (logic is leadership but my future career. From multiple different models and opinions, I’ve
used in this minor) narrowed it down to four important steps. First it is important to understand all
points of view in the situation. Next you should determine the important/relevant
problems and prioritize which to focus on first then get all of the facts. Then
approach the problem in a strategic yet cautious way. Finally, reflect on what went
wrong, why, and what could be done differently in the future. Most models include
other factors for specific situations but all boil down to these core steps. When in a
position of leadership situations can often be unpredictable, there might be a crisis
or conflict that arise. It is important to be well versed in critical thinking and
prepared to calmly manage the situation to avoid further problems.
99. Student will demonstrate proficiency of HDF 492 Six Flags As an employee at Six Flags, we are trained in critical thinking to respond quickly
critical thinking to problems in the park. While guest complaints may not be considered a crisis
compared to other problems, the company does not want public conflicts or
complaints and requires leadership to handle them efficiently and in a timely
manner. I am often called over by a team member when they receive a complaint.
These situations can get loud and aggressive as the park does serve alcohol to
those of age. It is my responsibility to quickly yet patiently hear out both sides,
differentiate fact from fiction, prioritize the issues at hand, and work with them to
resolve it. These situations often get tricky because it is a lot of “he said she said”
and paying guests do not like to feel as though they are being ripped off or
dismissed. When a compromise or solution can be made it is important to prioritize
that over who was right or wrong or continue to dwell over what happened so the
conflict does not escalate. I have also found is important to keep a calm demeanor
and tone no matter how the guest is speaking. Yelling and accusations never solves
anything so it is important not only to be calm myself but also to try to get the
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 33
guest to a point where they can be calm.
Outcome Target Additional Experiences Descriptive notes regarding learning and practice
class
109. Student will demonstrate knowledge of COM 100 COM 202 I learned different techniques for active listening in COM 100 and and was
active listening techniques reminded of them in COM 202. First of all, it’s a lot easier to be an active listener
when you eliminate as many outside distractions as possible. These include
phones/electronics, other conversations, other interesting things, etc. You should try
to eliminate as many as possible by turning your phone on silent and putting it
away, going to a private space, closing blinds, etc. Another helpful tip is to maintain
eye contact not only so you don’t become distracted, but also to let the person know
you are listening. You can also show them that you are listening by nodding,
smiling, short acknowledgment phrases like “yes”, “oh”, etc. Most importantly,
listen to understand rather than listening to respond. Instead of getting your own
response ready or thinking about how you can connect it to your own life, focus on
their entire message. Once they are done you should be able to repeat back what
they said or summarize their main points. In conversations, it’s often helpful to
repeat back to them what their main point was as clarification to show that you
heard and understand them. These techniques will help with your active listening
and allow you to learn more and become more understanding.
112. Student will describe personal application HDF 492 Chi Omega More often than we would like, group communication can be a problem within my
of functions of group communication sorority. With so many members, voices, perspectives, and opinions, it can be easy
(Hirokawa) to have faulty decision making. The size of the organization increases the
importance of good group communication. When working with different
committees and teams, it is important to fact check, have multiple people (and
therefore multiple eyes and ears) on a task to ensure correct information is received.
As an organization, leadership teams take communication style tests to
acknowledge the best ways to effectively communicate with each other. While that
can help, it is also important to remain focused on facts, data, history of events, etc.
Skipping steps in communication, chain of command, and/or decision making can
prove very problematic for final results and success. The best way we ensure we
have information correct is by taking tedious meeting notes, asking questions,
clarifying, etc. During my meeting with event teams, especially if they have run
into a problem, I ensure I take all the steps to avoid faulty information and decision
making but taking the process slow. I’ve found it is important to avoid everyone
talking over each other or getting carried away in details before we have all of the
facts. Once everyone is calm and focused and we have the information, I prefer to
have members make lists of objectives and alternatives that we then share and
compare to reach the best decision on how to move forward.
Summary of Crucial conversations – Tools for talking when the stakes are high by
Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Swizler. (2013, June 09).
Retrieved from https://slooowdown.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/summary-of-
crucial-conversations-tools-for-talking-when-the-stakes-are-high-by-kerry-
patterson-joseph-grenny-ron-mcmillan-and-al-swizler/
151. Student will describe personal examples HDF 492 Chi Omega Executive Board From serving on Chi Omega’s executive board I have definitely learned the
related to maintaining accountability as a
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 47
leader importance of accountability. I first established accountability in training by not
only outlining my director’s responsibilities but also my own so that the members
knew that I was working hard for the organization as well. Sustaining
accountability involves communicating information and updates in a timely manner
to members so they never feel out of the loop, lied to or deceived, etc. Another big
part of accountability is owning up to your mistakes. If it was my fault that, for
example, a deadline was missed, I found it important to acknowledge it, apologize,
and fix it. It shows that I make mistakes too and how mistakes should be handled,
and it shows that I am fair and trust worthy, I won’t pass off blame or make
someone else solve my problem. Not only does it show accountability but it sets a
good example for others.
Council, F. C. (2018, September 05). 10 Easy Ways To Strengthen Your Bond With
Your Team Members. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/09/05/10-easy-ways-to-
strengthen-your-bond-with-your-team-members/#679b2a4f3e5d
153. Student will describe personal examples of HPR 411 Chi Omega Executive Board In my experience on the executive board for Chi Omega, I found that members are
building relationships with members as a typically skeptical of new leaders. After a year of getting used to the last exec
leader
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 48
board, they are unsure of how the next will measure up or if they will be capable.
We were nominated by the members but until we proved ourselves, people would
remain skeptical. This was problematic for my position because I needed to oversee
many other positions and had to build that trusting relationship fast. I made sure to
hold regular meetings that followed an agenda with previously sent out topics and
requested information. This helped show my responsibility and consistency to gain
initial trust. I included all directors in decisions respective to their team and made
sure to leave time for feedback and send surveys on events, their experience, and
my leadership after each semester. Following the ninth tip, I also made sure to
implement feedback and acknowledge concerns. I made sure everyone was up to
date on sorority information and our goals were clear. I made sure to actively listen,
reach out to them one on one both in regards to their positions and as a peer. Lastly,
I always tried to have a positive attitude and smile not only to be approachable but
also to help morale.
Evidence: 3 Cs Chart
III, G. N. (2016, October 26). Ten Ways to Build Credibility as a Leader. Retrieved
from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/ten-ways-build-credibility-leader-20954.html
155. Student will describe personal examples of HDF 492 Chi Omega Executive Board In my experience as an executive board member for my sorority, I found credibility
building, maintaining, and repairing his/her building techniques especially important when it came to older members. Coming
own credibility as a leader in as a new executive board member trying to lead others that were older than me
was intimidating and there were definitely some detractors. However, I knew it was
important to take the high road and just do what I could to prove myself. To
establish credibility, I already had a head start with the character aspects because no
one is nominated for a position unless they are trusted and respected. I worked to
gain accountability through honesty, openness, proof of my work, etc. I proved my
Evidence: HDF 190 Group Photo with Edith our Peer Leader
161. Student will describe personal examples HDF 190 Leadership Institute I have a lot of experience with being led by peers but I think the one I gained the
related to being a peer leader and being HDF 492 HDF 413 most from was HDF 190. In this class we had small groups with one peer mentor. I
led by peers think because this group was smaller than my institute team and my HDF 413 class,
Revised Chi Omega Exec Board
my peer mentor was able to have more of a personal impact. Along with all the
things she helped teach us related to the class and leadership theories, she also
taught me how to be a peer and a leader at the same time. This is a hard thing to do
because you don’t want to be too friendly and easy going because people might take
advantage of that but you also don’t want to be too harsh because you are meant to
be their peer in a way that they can relate to you and feel comfortable reaching out
to you for help, advice, etc. I was able to take this experience and use it when I had
to lead my peers. Though I have yet to have a mentor type position, I feel as though
I’ve experienced peer leadership through facilitating retreats where my peers were
participants. For example, I was a facilitator during Phi Sig’s e-board retreat and a
lot of my friends were there. I feel as though I exemplified peer leadership by
keeping in mind my job as their facilitator while still acknowledging that they, as
well as everyone else, can come up to me for help, concerns, etc. and being
Leadership Inventory Revised 08/22/2017 50
supportive during activities. I knew that it was a time to be assertive and lead the
group, not a time to be social, favor my friends, etc.
Revisiting this after having a position on my sorority’s executive board has given
me more perspective. Having been led by peers on the past executive board and
then leading my peers, I have gained even more respect for peer leadership. One
important thing I experienced was the need to remember boundaries and
confidentiality. As a peer leader I wanted to be there for my friends when they were
looking for advice, information, etc. However, when having a position, you have to
remember your responsibilities and obligations to the organization and may not
always be able to help you peers in the way they want. I’ve had to keep secrets,
make decisions my friends did not like but were good for the organization, etc. This
was also a position where I had to be careful not to favor my friends which could
cause conflict among other members and damage my credibility. However, it is also
important to remain a good friend and not let your position/power change you or
make you act entitled. Peer leadership, I’ve found, is a big balancing act between
maintaining a good relationship with your peers while also doing what is best for
them and the organization.