ashley n. millerleadership portfolio

ashley n. miller

mille3an@cmich.edu 248.755.2564

Leadership 402 Site Information | 2011-2012 Name of organization: The Leadership Institute & Leadership Advancement Scholarship Program Supervisor: Daniel M. Gaken Title: Leadership Institute Director Email address: gaken1dm@cmich.edu Phone: 989.774.2698 Address: Powers Hall 130 Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

ashley n. miller

leadership portfolio table of contents

Section I Introduction Section II Leadership Lens Section III Goals & Action Plans Section IV Journal Entries Section V Evaluations Section VI Final Reflection Section VII Epilogue Section VIII Leadership 402 Evaluation Section IX Appendix

Section I | Introduction

Over the next two semesters, I will be working with Central Michigan

University’s Leadership Institute to complete my capstone leadership

project. The site acts as resource on campus for students to practice and

expand their leadership skills. The Leadership Institute hosts several

leadership opportunities and programs to foster this development.

In order to specifically complete my project, I will be utilizing my

involvement in the Leadership Institute’s Leadership Advancement

Scholarship program. Every year, several “Lead Teams” are formed

through the program to complete various projects and responsibilities

within the program. I will be co-chairing the Public Relations Lead Team

this year and using my experience and position to complete my Leadership

402 requirements.

I will be advising and working with fourteen of my peers as co-chair

of the Public Relations Lead Team. Our main task is to document the

activities and news of the Leadership Advancement Scholarship Program.

In order to achieve this, we will create, publish and distribute a professional

monthly newsletter. It will highlight the month’s events, the

accomplishments of fellow Leadership students and other relevant news

and information. Secondly, the team will put together a scrapbook to share

and display at Leadership events.

Specifically, I will be accountable for overseeing the execution of the

newsletter. It will be my responsibility to ensure the newsletter is put

together and distributed in a professional and timely manner. Although it is

not a job responsibility that can be measured by physical output, it is crucial

to additionally lead a productive and motivated team. I hope to ensure this

through executing teambuilding activities and giving positive feedback to

team members.

This location and job is an excellent fit for Leadership 402. Co-

chairing the Public Relations Lead Team is a great opportunity to utilize my

journalism background in a leadership position. Combining two subjects I

feel passionate about will let me approach my experience enthusiastically,

therefore allowing me to make the most out of my capstone project. It will

additionally be beneficial to work at a site that fosters leaders and focuses

on the study of leadership. The organization will allow me to work with my

peers, who are each recognized individual leaders on campus. I look

forward to learning from them and hope they will challenge me to develop

my leadership skills.

Section II | Leadership Lens

After considering the nature of my Leadership 402 project, I

determined the transformational leadership model as the best theoretical

approach. Developing a relationship with my team members is a critical

component of the type of leader I wish to be. I intend to focus on the

performance of each member; however, in order to achieve this, I hope to

motivate and inspire each individual to reach his or her own potential and

goals.

I hope to see success and productivity while working with the Public

Relations Lead Team. I previously aimed for these outcomes when I served

as photo editor of Central Michigan Life my sophomore year. After

studying the behavior of my predecessors, I believed acting as a manager

and applying the transactional leadership model was the only option I had

to have a successful and productive staff. Although I did see results, I did

not have the relationship with my staff I had wanted. I may see the

transactional model as the more obvious lens for success and productivity;

however, I know it is not a good fit for my personality. Although I have not

yet had the opportunity to utilize the transformational model, my previous

experience leads me in the direction of a relationship-oriented lens.

I am also convinced this lens is the best fit after applying Bernard M.

Bass’ four components of transformational leadership to my approach as

co-chair of the Public Relations Lead Team. Firstly, “intellectual

stimulation” will be applied while encouraging creativity in the way our

team produces the newsletter and scrapbook. This may include ideas such

as challenging team members to create new story ideas or approach stories

differently. “Individualized consideration” will be constantly highlighted

in my leadership approach. I intend to frequently encourage each member

and foster a supportive environment. Communicating on an individual

level is a crucial element in achieving this. The co-chair and I will apply

“inspirational motivation” by articulating clear goals and a large vision for

the team. I hope my passion for the topic of journalism will be visible and

will help motivate others. Finally, the way I present myself as a leader will

embody the “idealized influence” component of the transformational

model. If I am positive and display ethical standards, team members are

more likely to internalize the same behaviors.

Overall, the transformational leadership model is the best theoretical

approach to utilize for Leadership 402. Considering we will be leading our

peers, it is pertinent to focus on a relationship-oriented model. I believe the

co-chair and I will see the most positive results through employing this

lens. I am excited to be apart of a positive, cohesive group due to this model

and anticipate great outcomes.

Applications of Leadership: LDR 402 GOALS and ACTION PLANS

Leadership Goals and Action Plan Goal #1 & 3 ongoing through June 2012

Goal #2 Complete Scrapbook by May 2012

Goal # 1: In order to build my knowledge on teambuilding and promote and lead a strong, inspirational team, I will be a motivational leader with the Public Relations LEAD team members.

Action Plan #1: I will accomplish my goals through acting as a motivational leader for my team and executing Bernard M. Bass’ individualized consideration theory; therefore, I will give constant feedback and support in order to encourage those on my team.

Action Plan #2: At least every other meeting, I will conduct a teambuilding exercise to ensure members of the team feel comfortable with one another and are motivated to perform their tasks.

Goal # 2: In order to strengthen my skill in being efficient with tasks, the Public Relations LEAD team and I will send a Leadership Institute newsletter and complete a scrapbook for the Leadership Institute.

Action Plan #1: I will accomplish my goal by meeting with my team twice a month and distributing articles to compile a professional newsletter. The team will be broken into groups, such as a group to write features or work on the scrapbook, in order to focus and be effective with tasks.

Action Plan #2: I will send out a Leadership Institute Newsletter monthly and complete a scrapbook to showcase at the Graduation Ball in May 2012 to efficiently serve our duty as the Public Relations team in documenting the Leadership Institute.

Goal # 3: In order to achieve efficient communication with both my team and the other Leadership Advancement Scholars, I will complete and maintain a timely and specific Website with important information for the Public Relations LEAD team.

Action Plan #1: Through creating a blog-style Website with pertinent information such as calendars and meeting notes, my goal will be accomplished. I will encourage the LEAD team to check the Website in order to ensure further communication.

Action plan #2: I will update the Website at least once a week with new information in order to keep the team and others informed of important news. The Website will also open the lines of communication with a comment section for each update.

Section IV | Journal Entries

WEDNESDAY, August 31 I met with my co-chair, Angela, for the first time this afternoon to

discuss our ideas and goals for the Public Relations LEAD team. I am

incredibly excited to work with such an inspirational and responsible

student leader. Although we share a lot of the same ambitions for the team,

we both came with different ideas on how to approach completing them.

We agreed that, first and foremost, publishing the newsletter and

assembling the scrapbook were the two biggest tasks our team needed to

accomplish. We also determined the other goals we would like to achieve

and compiled a list of expectations.

Intended Goals of the Public Relations Lead Team –

• To create a professional and timely monthly newsletter.

• To create a scrapbook by the end of the year to display at the

Graduation Ball

• To earn readership, provide useful information and make the

newsletter more attainable.

• To promote teamwork and practice good communication.

• To utilize all resources, including the Internet.

These goals parallel my personal objectives and action plans extremely

well. After brainstorming with Angela, I began to think about the

importance of readership as it pertains to the newsletter. After serving on

the public relations team since freshman year, I noticed the desire to

acquire new readers was not a visible ambition. This year, I believe

reaching out to a wider audience is absolutely obtainable through two facets

of my objectives.

Firstly, maintaining an online presence will greatly expand our

readers. In years past, the newsletter has been sent directly through the

Leadership Advancement Scholarship LISTSERV or posted on the former

Leadership Institute website. I am hoping if the newsletter is posted in a

digital format, other people will have access, including Central Michigan

University faculty, current and potential Leadership Institute students and

others worldwide. Secondly, I hope utilizing my particular leadership lens

and serving as a transformational leader will inspire those on our team to

write interesting and captivating stories to maintain and continually attract

current readers. I look forward to developing these goals and my leadership

model throughout the next two semesters.

FRIDAY, September 16

Angela and I received our team placements yesterday and decided to

meet before our first meeting to discuss how the team will operate.

Fourteen Leadership Advancement scholars were placed on our team.

Unfortunately, this number was much smaller than we were initially

anticipating. Looking forward, however, it might create more of a tight-knit

team and allow me the opportunity to get to know each team member

better. The “individualized consideration” element of my transformational

leadership lens will especially benefit from this small group. This will

provide me more time to encourage and communicate with each individual.

Angela and I determined that dividing our team to either focus on the

newsletter or the scrapbook will be most effective. During our first

meeting, we will allow members to choose which group they would prefer

to participate in based on their interests. They can also volunteer to help

with both. Considering my journalism background, we thought it would be

best if I led the newsletter.

Additionally, Angela and I divided managerial responsibilities.

Considering her scrapbook team will be more active in the spring semester,

she will take care of email correspondence with the team and managing

attendance. I will take care of our electronic presence and putting together

the scrapbook. I am anxious, but excited, for our first meeting on Monday,

September 26.

WEDNESDAY, September 21

In preparation for our first meeting, I brainstormed a list of story

assignments for our first newsletter. I intend to open discussion with my

team on Monday and add any additional stories to the newsletter they

create. I believe our group will be most efficient if we operate like a

newsroom. Each team member will receive a story assignment per meeting

and will be given a deadline on when to turn it in. The time they are given

to work on each assignment will depend on the designated issue release

date. After the articles are turned in, I will edit and compile the stories to

assemble the product.

Although this newsletter originated as a Leadership Advancement

Scholarship letter, I would love to see it reach a range of leadership

students, faculty and others across the country. I hope our coordinator can

use the newsletter as an example of the success and involvement of

Leadership Institute students. Therefore, it is extremely important to me

that the newsletter is both technically and visually professional. In order to

accomplish this, I plan to teach my cohort how to write specialized articles.

I hope my background in photojournalism, design and writing will aid

teaching my team members and enhance the final product.

My third goal will supplement putting together a professional

newsletter. This goal aims to strengthen lines of communication through a

team website that features pertinent information for the Public Relations

LEAD team. I will include story assignments and deadlines, tips and

guidelines for writing articles and contact information. While serving on

this LEAD team in the past, I remember feeling unsure what was expected

for each article. I hope this website will help ease this frustration and

potential confusion. I will encourage the team to frequently check the

website for new information. There will additionally be a section for

comments to allow for questions or group discussion.

MONDAY, September 26

I met my LEAD team for the first time tonight. Our team is composed

of almost exclusively freshman, so I am incredibly excited that this will be

one of their first group experiences in the Leadership Advancement

Scholarship program. After a round of introductions, Angela and I opened

the meeting by presenting our team objectives. We also discussed

mandatory policies, such as attendance.

My first goal outlines my desire to build my knowledge on

teambuilding and promote a strong, inspirational team. In order to achieve

this goal, I thought an appropriate action plan would be to execute

occasional teambuilding exercises. In order to start the year on a strong

note, it was critical to hold a teambuilding activity today. The first step in

making sure a team is cohesive, strong and trustworthy of one another is to

get to know each individual. Angela and I chose to play the picnic name

game to ensure we knew names. (This element is personally really

important and dictates the success of my goals. I hope to memorize names

by next meeting and know a little bit about every individual.) I think the

activity was highly successful; the team seemed comfortable and

interested.

We gave our team the option of working on either the newsletter or

the scrapbook. I was thrilled when a few members volunteered to work on

both cohorts for the first issue. When we broke into groups, I thought it

was important to apply the “inspirational motivation” element of my

transformational leadership lens. I made sure to articulate clear goals and

the large vision to our team. I highlighted my desire to practice good

communication and teamwork. I also tried to emphasize my passion for the

topic of journalism in an attempt to motivate and inspire others.

Considering the LEAD teams began relatively late this year, we were

able to put together lots wonderful material for our first issue. We assigned

fourteen different stories, including five event coverage articles and

numerous features on leadership students and groups. After each member

chose their assignment, I explained how to compose a professional article

and the type of information it should contain. My teammates asked

numerous questions and genuinely seemed to care about their individual

product. Finally, I introduced the concept of our team website. Everyone

wrote down the URL address and appeared interested in utilizing the site. A

few people expressed their relief that article guidelines would be posted as a

reference.

I believe the first meeting was very positive. I walked away tonight

with a confident feeling that this will be a very successful year.

THURSDAY, October 6

Yesterday marked the first deadline for my team to turn in their

articles. Angela and I sent an e-mail to serve as a reminder on Tuesday

afternoon. I emphasized the importance of each individual turning in their

assignment in a timely manner to ensure the success of a group as a whole.

We also offered our help and encouraged members to visit our website by

including the URL.

Unfortunately, three members did not turn in their assignments. I

sincerely hope this will not be a problem this semester. Reflecting on the

past three years writing on the Public Relations LEAD team, I know this has

been a reoccurring problem. Angela and I will attempt to eliminate the issue

by making each missed deadline an absence. (The Executive LEAD team

will handle and discipline frequent absences accordingly.)

I also ran into a second issue yesterday. There was confusion among

the team on who they should be sending their articles to. Since Angela took

the responsibility of distributing e-mails, some members assumed they

should forward their assignments directly to her. Angela additionally knew

many of the team members prior to the first meeting due to her class

standing and residence in Barnes Hall. I think some of our members may

have sent their articles to her due to these reasons. Although this issue was

a communication error on my behalf, it will be easily resolved. As time

continues, the nature of my relationship-oriented leadership lens will

ensure I will get to know each member on an individual basis.

TUESDAY, October 11

We officially released the first issue from the Public Relations LEAD

team today. I greatly underestimated the time it would take to put the

product together. Overall, I spent about 12 hours editing the articles,

finding visual content and designing the pages. As I aforementioned, it is

extremely important to put out a product that is both visually and

technically professional. I firmly believe presentation is huge component of

how the reader perceives the newsletter. Therefore, I preferred to stay

away from simply emailing out a .PDF file. While also considering my

desire to reach a large audience, I chose to load the newsletter online for

others to virtually view. This virtual element allows readers to view and

interact with the product like a physical newspaper. I really hope our team

will receive a positive response for this change. I also think this move will

attract a larger audience due to its easy ability to share.

SATURDAY, November 12

I have spent a lot of time contemplating my third goal and action plan

concerning the team website. I do not believe this goal alone holds enough

substance to be one of my top three objectives. After talking with my team

during the last meeting, I do not think my teammates will use the website

as originally intended. I initially created the site as a means of

communication. Although a few expressed that they visited the site to read

article guidelines, no one appeared interested in using it for comments or

checking it for updates. As a whole, the team, including me, finds it much

easier to use email as a means of communication rather than the site.

Therefore, I think it is appropriate to resolve this issue while I still have

significant time to work on my project.

An overarching goal that is important to both Angela and I is to attain

additional readership outside Leadership Advancement Scholars.

Unfortunately, I realized the importance of this after I initially created and

turned in my goals and action plans. I believe the most efficient way to

achieve maximum readership is to use a medium that reaches the most

people – the Internet. Setting a goal that utilizes the web would encompass

my previous goal, while simultaneously highlighting this overarching

objective. Thus, I believe the following is the most effective goal to employ

throughout the remainder of my Leadership 402 project.

Goal # 3: In order to achieve efficient communication with my team and reach the maximum amount of other Leadership Institute students, the Central Michigan University community and others across the nation, I will maintain a strong web presence with our newsletter products and important information.

Action plan #2: I will create a virtual newsletter to post online with relevant and interesting information that affects the entire Leadership Institute community. I will share these final products through email and other social media mediums, such as the Facebook and Twitter communities to reach a larger audience. Action Plan #2: In order to achieve efficient communication with my team, I will utilize the Internet through use of consistent emails and use of a blog-style Website with pertinent information such as calendars and meeting notes. I will encourage the team to check the site in order to ensure further communication and learn about new information. The web will enable my team and I to connect and share ideas in unlimited ways.

I firmly believe this adjustment will be incredibly beneficial for our

team. I anticipate harnessing the Internet will give us great the results we

initially hoped for.

THURSDAY, December 1

We released our second issue this past week. Overall, I am extremely

happy with our product. My LEAD team worked especially hard on this

issue. While editing the articles, it was evident that each member put a lot

of time and thought into the articles. I really believe it was the result of a

cohesive and motivated team and a direct product of the application of my

leadership lens.

After Angela and I noticed a problem with deadline last issue, I

thought it would be important to really highlight my chosen leadership

style. I felt connected to Bernard M. Bass’ theory of individualized

consideration to handle this particular issue. I wanted to foster a supportive

environment, so at the last meeting I commended each individual for his or

her work on the first issue in front of the team. I also rewarded the group

with dessert.

I believe communicating on an individual level is a crucial element in

being successful with my leadership lens. To further address the deadline

issue, I sent a reminder email to each individual about the due date. The

bulk of the letter, however, praised each team member for his or her work.

The following is an example:

Hi Gary! Just a reminder, you signed up for the article on the Central News anchors, Sean & Faith Gantner. The deadline for this issue December 10 at midnight. I've enjoyed working with you and getting to know you so far this year! I am so happy you're on the PR Team and especially the newsletter sub-committee. You have been an important and very strong asset to the team. Your articles are consistently strong, and I appreciate the professionalism in your writing. I was very impressed with your last article on the Connections Conference. Your lede (the first sentence) was excellent. You also did a great job using quotes and illustrating the event. Thank you for keeping a tight deadline and for attending all the meetings. Thanks again for all your hard work. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. If not, good luck on finals and I hope you have a wonderful break! -Ashley

I received an answer from almost every individual thanking me for

the compliments and my effort. I believe stressing individualized

consideration and continuing my leadership lens truly fostered this issue.

WEDNESDAY, February 22

While reflecting over my goals, I saw a discrepancy I have not yet

addressed. Angela and I originally intended to release a monthly

newsletter. Although we had great intentions and sincerely attempted to

reach this frequency, we could not keep our quality standard at the level it

needed to be while releasing a monthly product. We decided to release the

newsletters further apart to ensure at least five pages, filled with quality

event coverage and features. Ultimately, this was a wonderful and

extremely effective decision. I believe our readership has been so high on

each issue because the newsletter is not published as often. If we released it

monthly, students may become desensitized and choose to overlook our

product.

This past Monday we released our third issue. I saw the element of

intellectual stimulation evident through this particular product. This past

year, I have encouraged creativity in the way our team produces the

newsletter. This has included challenging team members to create new

story ideas or to approach stories differently. During our last meeting when

we were sharing story ideas, one team member, Veronica, came to the table

excited about a fresh, innovative idea. She suggested writing about various

leadership students’ bucket lists and relating it to the “Buried Life”

leadership speakers who visited campus. Veronica volunteered to write the

assignment and turned in an interesting, well written and, most

importantly, different article. It was definitely the best she had ever

written. Veronica’s hard work was rewarded by landing the centerpiece.

She had created a distinctive front page that attracted a large amount of

readers. This was truly an example of how the transformational leadership

model (and especially the intellectual stimulation element) at work can help

produce amazing results.

MONDAY, April 30

Unfortunately, this newsletter has not gone as smoothly as the past

three. We will not be postponing our final newsletter of the year due to two

factors. We initially intended to release an end-of-the-year paper; however,

Angela and I decided it would wait until next semester. The first

component had to do with little possible content. Had we decided to release

an issue at the close of this month, we would have had enough substance to

fill two pages. After three strong newsletters, I would feel like such a

product would damper our year and success.

The second reason is extremely disappointing. I think at this point in

the semester, some of my team members have checked out. Despite the

efforts I have spoken about in previous journals, about five members did

not turn in their assignments. I have tried earnestly to contact these

particular team members, but at this point, I don’t think Angela or I will be

able to obtain a written article.

Despite moving our release date, we will make the best out of the

situation. It actually might be beneficial to release a newsletter next

semester. Considering LEAD teams typically do not get started until late

September, it might be helpful to release an issue around that time to ease

the stress of next year’s Public Relations team. Secondly, pushing the date

will naturally give us other content, such as this summer’s Leadership

Safari.

Aside from this deadline setback, our very last meeting went

extremely well. We reflected on our strengths and weaknesses throughout

the year and talked about what we would have changed given the

opportunity. I handed out a short, anonymous evaluation to receive some

feedback on my personal performance. I was very grateful for their

responses. The biggest thing my team asked to change is the name of the

LEAD group. They felt as though the “Public Relations” title was

misleading considering our responsibilities. Although this element is out of

my hands, I will pass this information along to the LEAD team coordinator.

Leaving this meeting, I felt extremely proud of my team and all we

accomplished. Despite a few minor setbacks and changes that occurred, I

could not have asked for a more productive year.

Section VI | Final Reflection

Last year, I made the decision to work with the Leadership

Advancement Scholarship’s Public Relations LEAD team to complete my

leadership capstone project. Reflecting over my experience, I could not be

more pleased with my choice.

Application and Outcomes of Goals

Before I received my team member placements or began logging

hours, I determined three goals that would dictate my course of action

throughout the year. Considering my transformational leadership lens, I

thought it was appropriate to focus on building a strong, inspirational team

and acting as a motivational leader for my first goal. This goal was

incredibly successful. I really focused on Bernard M. Bass’ individualized

consideration theory for this particular objective. I made sure to give

constant feedback and support to each individual, both in person and

through personalized emails and letters. I think the encouragement

invigorated my team members to write to the best of their ability and come

up with innovative story idea. Through the execution of team building

exercises at about every other meeting, our team became comfortable and

close with one another. Each member understood the concept of teamwork

and generally desired to complete their responsibilities and assignments so

they didn’t let down the team.

My second goal reflected the tasks our team needed to complete.

Essentially, our team wanted to produce a professional newsletter and put

together a scrapbook to present at the end of the year. Overall, I was

incredibly proud of our final products and believe we were successful in

meeting this goal. It was outlined in my initial action plan, however, that

our team would generate a monthly newsletter. As I discussed in my

journals, this was not feasible considering the content and event coverage

available and our desire to maintain a high-quality product. In order to

reach my initial action plan, other goals would have been sacrificed.

Additionally, my co-chair and I decided to stretch out the release of our final

newspaper to this past September due to content and deadline issues

discussed in my final journal entry. Therefore, my second goal did not

meet my May 2012 target.

My third goal initially challenged me to achieve efficient

communication through building a team website containing

announcements and important information. However, about halfway

through November of last year, I realized this goal needed to be largely

adjusted. My new objective highlighted efficient communication through a

web presence. The goal included communicating with my team and with

general readers.

The modification benefitted and aided our success greatly. I believe I

was very successful in utilizing the Internet in keeping in constant contact

with my team members. With the modification of the goal, I was able to

communicate with my team through e-mail, the website or other social

media methods. Despite the goal change, I still consider the team website

somewhat of a loss. Although I constantly encouraged my team to employ

the page, I think there was a general lack of interest in using it. The second

element of the adjusted goal, however, was extremely effective. The use of

the Internet to spread our virtual newsletter generated a lot of traffic and

readers. I strongly believe utilizing the web allowed our newsletter to reach

others outside the Leadership Advancement Scholarship group.

Leadership Lessons

Ultimately, the most important leadership lesson I obtained from this

experience concerned goals and action plans. In the beginning of the fall

semester, I was so driven to complete my objectives perfectly.

Unfortunately, I had written the goals and action plan before I knew the

complete situation. I was incredibly disappointed when I realized I needed

to adjust some of my goals. This situation, however, taught me two of the

most valuable lessons I could learn in leadership.

Goals absolutely need to be made and communicated for a team to be

successful. Although occasionally, certain objectives do need to be adjusted

to reflect a particular situation. Goals should not be changed to make

success easier for a team. However, as a team begins to view the big

picture, goals should be modifiable in order to remain realistic and

potentially support other objectives.

I also realized that the seamless completion of goals does not

necessarily correlate with success. In my experience alone, the results of

my initial goals did not the dictate how successful I viewed the past year.

Setting and communicating goals are absolutely critical in teams. While

moving forward, I will continue to set challenging goals, but these lessons

will remain with me.

Reflections

In hindsight, I could have made multiple changes to how I managed

the team. I ran into multiple issues with team members missing or avoiding

deadline. It would have been more effective if I had asked each individual to

bring his or her article to a meeting. This way, each member would have

been held accountable for his or her assignment. I believe my team

members would have let their team down less frequently in person than

passively over the Internet.

I also wish I would have made a guide for designing the newsletter

for future teams. It was really important to me to build a professional

product this year, and I wish I could have ensured the continuation in the

future. I understand not everyone knows how to use the program

necessary for this standard. Instead, I contacted the 2012-2013 Public

Relations LEAD team chairs and offered my help in using InDesign. The

current leaders graciously accepted my offer and I spent an evening

teaching them the program.

Leadership Lens Evaluation

After reflecting on this experience, I believe I chose the appropriate

leadership lens. I viewed Leadership 402 as an opportunity to harness all I

have learned the past four years. One of my largest regrets in my leadership

experience thus far was engaging a transactional leadership model when I

served as photo editor of Central Michigan Life my sophomore year. At that

point, I believed serving as a manager was the only option I had to be

successful, productive and to accomplish tasks. I was thrilled to have an

opportunity that was seemingly similar to my previous position.

As a transformational leader, I wanted to pull, rather than push, my

team members to complete our objectives. Therefore, I was conscious to

inspire my peers rather than order them. I believe this was successful in

most situations. Although the majority of my team did not initially know

writing was the main task of the Public Relations LEAD team, I believe the

motivation and inspiration of the transformation leadership model helped

them see the importance of our responsibility. Had I utilized the

transactional leadership model again, the team members who had no

interest in writing articles would have felt approached this year much

differently. Inspiring rather than managing ultimately allowed each

member to reach his or her own potential when brainstorming and writing

articles.

In hindsight, however, there were situations even my best attempt

at transformation leadership could not ease. This mainly concerned the

issue of missed deadlines. When the motivational theory did not work, I

believe utilizing a managerial theory may have helped. Ultimately, this

experience has made me realize that I most agree with contingency

theories of leadership. I realize that one particular style may not always be

suited for every situation. I would prefer to look at particular variables and

then determine which style is best to employ. I will, however, continue to

utilize the transformational leadership lens in my future endeavors.

Effects of Leadership 402

My perception of my personal leadership skills has positively

changed as a result of Leadership 402. I started this experience with a team

of underclassmen I had never met before. Considering I started with a clean

slate and my team had no prior impressions, I essentially relied on my

leadership skills and the employment of my leadership lens. As the year

continued and I saw success within my group, my confidence grew

tremendously.

Although I was self-assured in my skills prior to Leadership 402, I

firmly believe this experience gave me the tools and knowledge I need to

continue my journey in leadership. Consequently, this class will absolutely

impact my future. As I apply for social media and communication jobs in

the near future, I will frequently reference this work and leadership

experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. The experience

truly capped my leadership minor and experience at Central Michigan.

Section VII| Epilogue

After four years of learning about leadership, both academically and

from personal experience, I have concluded that leadership is ultimately

one thing — a process. A leader naturally changes and evolves over time

and, thus, adapts to different leadership models.

I leave Central Michigan University this semester with the personal

leadership philosophy that, most importantly, an effective leader inspires

others to reach their maximum potential. I naturally related to the

transformational leadership model this past year. As a leader, I believe it is

critical to hold high moral and ethical standards. In a leadership position, it

is essential to exemplify these values in order to effectively inspire and

motivate other team members. In professional leadership positions,

however, I believe the contingency theory of leadership is most

appropriate. A leader should evaluate each situation and execute an

individualized approach to reflect the situation.

Essentially, I believe leadership is utilizing social influence to inspire

others to accomplish a collective goal or task. An effective leader must

possess good communication skills, high moral standards and a desire to

reach the common good. After reflecting back on the past four years, I

understand successful leaders must highlight a combination of positive

qualities that come together to form a personal philosophy. I am truly

thankful for my realization of this concept through the leadership minor.

Section VIII| Leadership 402 Evaluation

Overall, I believe Leadership 402 is an effective capstone class for the

leadership minor. In the future, however, I would suggest creating more

“check-in” dates. For example, at least five journal entries should be

written and turned in by mid-semester. This would help keep students

accountable for staying up to date with the documentation of their project. I

may also consider giving students the option to turn in a physical final

portfolio, rather than just digitally. This may leave a little more room for

creativity.

Section IX | Appendix