Course Work
Leadership Theory
Course Work Timeline
Leadership I - Spring 2017
Leadership II - Spring 2018
Public Speaking - Fall 2018
Practicum - Spring 2020
I took two leadership theory courses, the first of which was during the spring of 2017. This course was very eyeopening and helped me understand the basics and intricacies of leadership. We learned about the importance of ethics and values in a leader and how those concepts differed from "effective" leadership. We were also able to begin thinking about our own leadership styles and how the kind of leaders we want to be. This foundation of knowledge definitely helped when I took the second course, Leadership Theory II. This course allowed us to take our foundational knowledge of leadership and question our current beliefs, as well as apply our skills and knowledge to various situations. In this course, we learned how to apply certain leadership philosophies to different areas of leadership such as community and entrepreneurship.
After taking these courses, I have come to realize there is no one type of leadership a person has to abide by. Certain situations call for different techniques. The caveat of that idea is that no matter what leadership style you are using, it is important to always stay true to your values and to never do anything to compromise your own integrity. One of my favorite activities from Leadership Theory I was finding out what my "core value" was. After being given over 30 pieces of paper with different values written on them, we slowly (and painfully) had to eliminate them one by one until we were left with a piece of paper with a single word on it. That word was a word you could not imagine living your life without. My word was honesty and I keep that in mind at all times whenever going through difficult times or making difficult decisions.
Public Speaking
To be completely honest, I was terrified of taking this course. In my daily life, I am able to be personable and hold conversations with others pretty comfortably. However, standing in front of a group of my peers, giving a speech I had prepared, was a horrifying thought. I was never a big fan of presentations and would get so nervous waiting to do it that I would feel myself getting physically worked up. That is exactly how I felt before the first speech I gave, and even the second speech I gave. But as the semester continued, and writing and giving speeches became part of a routine, I got to be much more comfortable with it. I wouldn't say I love giving them, but now I know ways to prepare speaking in front of large groups that help me feel more prepared and less nervous. This class was undoubtedly my favorite of the three. I loved giving my pecha kucha speech and have been able to apply many of the things I learned from this class into my daily life. I feel more confident speaking in front of big groups and feel like I learned a lot of valuable skills from this class.