Insights and Takeaways from my Leadership Journey

???????????From the 1920’s to the 21st century, definitions of leadership have evolved and grown in countless ways. Throughout the course of this semester, I’ve had the privilege of hearing from executives, students, and professors regarding their ideas on leadership in the supply chain industry and beyond. Additionally, 2023 has been one of the most professionally transformative years of my life and in honor of the year and semester ending, I’d like to reflect on the leadership lessons I’ve learned at the University of Arkansas. In this article, I will review the lessons that have impacted my view of leadership in addition to my plans for consistent improvement in the future.

The Development of my Definition of Leadership

???????????Beginning my college career, my definition of leadership didn’t really exist. I never thought too hard about what comprised a leader and how one got to that position. Thinking back, if I had to define a leader at that time in my life it was likely just a charismatic person who could make intelligent decisions and communicate that to a group of people. While this remains some of the most important pillars of my current definition, through my coursework at the University of Arkansas, I’ve realized that there is so much more to leadership than solving problems and communicating those solutions, some of which I’d like to explore in the following article.

Lessons from this Semester’s Coursework

???????????This semester I had the privilege of taking Donnie Williams 's Honors Supply Chain Leadership Colloquium class. This course is a seminar style class that has students learn about and discuss various leadership styles and includes a weekly discussion surrounding leadership facilitated by a corporate supply chain executive. Throughout the course of the semester, we’ve reviewed several leadership theories, heard from talented executives, and taken detailed questionnaires to provide insights on our own personal leadership styles. There have been many lessons but the three that stuck out to me were to listen to your predecessors, know your purpose and stay in tune with your professional leadership style and development.

Listen to your Predecessors

???????????Something that was repeated by almost every guest speaker our class, and heavily emphasized by speaker Bob Reed at Tyson Foods , was to find good mentors. After hearing the same piece of advice this many times, you take it with you and personally, I began to think about this in depth when reflecting on our in-class discussions. Dr. Williams shared with us the concept of trait vs. process leadership early in the semester when beginning the course. This theory examines whether certain individuals have innate qualities that differentiate themselves or if leaders can be developed. This led me to ask myself the same thing and I realized that the reason I am where I am today is in large due to the amazing mentors that I had along the way. The skills that I’ve learned to get me to this point were the result of someone guiding and teaching me with no other motive than to help another individual. The altruism that runs so deeply in mentorship has led me to believe that leadership can absolutely be developed when you have a solid support system to guide you and you identify your inner purpose early on.

Know your Purpose.

???????????A piece of literature that had a lasting impact on me was an excerpt from the book ‘How Will You Measure Your Life?’ by Clayton Christensen. To summarize, Christensen describes how throughout his career he noticed that his most ethical and fulfilled colleagues were the ones that had strong morals and a dedicated sense of purpose. As an early professional preparing to enter the work force, I found this sentiment inspiring. This recalled Shelley Simpson ’s discussion that touched on having a sense of purpose communicated through a mission statement. This mission statement exercise had the audience highlight what their purpose was and how it contributes to their daily goals and objectives. The process of identifying my own personal mission statement had me establish what my purpose is and why I do the things that I do. This is one of the major tenants of the book ‘Start With Why’ by Simon Sinek that highlights the three steps associated with purpose; why, how and what. Through these educational experiences, I’ve found that I aspire to be a leader with a set of strong core values that people are eager to ask for help when needed. In order to become that type of leader, I must first evaluate my current strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Understand your leadership style.

???????????While we learned that extraversion is the factor most strongly associated with leadership, I would argue that emotional intelligence and self-understanding are equally, if not more important. When engaging in class activities regarding my personal discovery, the Clifton Strengths Finders examination resonated with me during this course. Upon receiving my Clifton Strengths finders results, I found myself very pleased with some of my top traits. Throughout my life, I’ve always classified myself as an extrovert and my test results largely affirmed this assumption, specifically in the communication category. My top two traits were winning others over (aka WOO), in addition to communication. I found that my main weaknesses include a lack of self confidence in my own work. I often doubt the quality of my work even when my results are satisfactory or above. To use these insights to my advantage, I must take effective change and trusting my instincts and decisions is a step in the right direction. This will be something I will need to practice throughout the entirety of my career if I want to do well in management and leadership roles moving forward.

Personal Leadership Development

???????????While my professional development at the University of Arkansas has been extremely transformational, my experiences outside of my education have also heavily impacted my leadership style. From my first job to past internships, every position I’ve held has molded me into the leader I am today. Going back to the beginning, I was raised by a single dad who was a lieutenant commander in the Navy. Being raised by my father taught me a great deal about sacrifice, dedication, and most importantly direct and effective communication. Subconsciously, I adopted the same communication skills and habits and soon found myself leading with a very direct communication style. However, one characteristic that I didn’t develop at a young age was empathy: one of the most important aspects of success in business leadership.

??????????Throughout the semester, we’ve discussed empathy in a lecture setting in combination with local leaders. Empathetic leaders possess qualities that allow them to be in tune with not only the needs of the organization but their teammates. This allows for a deeper sense of connection within the team and organization, leading to improved productivity and key performance indicators. The heightened emotional intelligence enables individuals to better resolve conflict resolution and inspire action in those around them. This was likely my most impactful takeaway from the semester and I am proud to say that I’ve begun to lead with empathy in my everyday tasks, getting better by the day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my exploratory journey of leadership throughout my life and at the University of Arkansas has offered a profound learning experience. I have evolved to appreciate and acknowledge the nuanced complexities that come with leadership in the workplace and look forward to using these tenants in my future career.

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