1) How have the workshops and discussions on leadership this week changed your understanding of what leadership means?
While the definition of ‘leadership’ is always going to be up for debate, I enjoyed the definition that our cohort was presented with: leadership as a verb which can take numerous forms. This definition, which was new to me, is useful in forming my understanding of what it means to be a leader; it is more than just a title or position, it is a social act that enables a group of people to accomplish something meaningful. This means that it is open to anyone. It also isn’t just about being assertive and most superficially ‘leading’ a group, but about making a genuine contribution to the output. One can lead in ideas, or thought, or organization, for instance.
2) How might you imagine applying one model of leadership during your Laidlaw summer on campus—either within the Laidlaw cohort or beyond this community? While we often associate leadership and leaders with seniority, how might leadership be modeled among individuals who are among the youngest people on campus (i.e. you!)?
Even when you don’t have a ‘senior’ position according to an organizational chart, there are a huge amount of areas where one can work as a leader. In particular, I am thinking about being a more analytical leader when it comes to specific times where you are delegated projects, where it is your job to come back to the rest of the group with real analysis and be able to effectively explain and apply it. For me, this could look like writing an article for the university newspaper. I do the research and interviewing work, and in that sense I am leading the organization on that specific project. There will be feedback and direction from above, often, but it is my responsibility to ferry that article through the production process and to accept feedback.