Before reading chapter three, I’d never before heard of the “relational leadership model”. I’ve held multiple leadership positions in the past, most notably through the Boy Scouts and my high school’s Airforce CyberPatriot Team where I served as “team captain”. Although I currently view myself as a very fair and effective leader, I’m aware that there are aspects of my leadership which harbor room for improvement. By educating myself on the relational model, these areas for improvement have become more apparent to me.

The model identifies five central components of effective leaders: purposeful, ethical, empowering, inclusive, and process-oriented. To me, purposefulness stands out as the most important aspect of good leadership. Good leaders must have a purpose that is beneficial to the organization as well as all members of the organization. Additionally, a leader must understand his purpose well such that he is able to articulate it in order to gather the best input from others and further his cause. It is very important for leaders to be ethical in their actions. A leader shows his trustworthiness by performing ethical actions and I believe that trustworthiness is the most important characteristic that one can hold. If one does not demonstrate a continuous trustworthiness, he shows that he cannot be dependable to demonstrate any other good quality of leadership. As an Eagle Scout, I respect the Scout Law which, before all, states that a Scout must be “trustworthy”. Additionally, an effective leader must be empowering, he must be able to inspire others to make good change through a sense of togetherness. In the end, a leader cannot force his subjects to be motivated, they must become motivated and empowering qualities allow a leader to motivate his subjects with ease. It is important for a leader to be inclusive to all of his subjects, not only because this facilitates empowerment (when people feel involved they will be encouraged to make positive change), but because this also allows for many perspectives to form together and improve the organization. Everyone thinks differently and develops unique ideas. Fishing from a diverse pool of ideas can be beneficial as it increases the likelihood of choosing the best course of action for the organization at any given time. Finally, the model states that a leader must be “process-oriented”. It is crucial for a leader to fully conceptualize the scope of the operation for which he is spear-heading. He must, to his best ability, familiarize himself with all components of the organization so that he can make decisions to benefit the organization as a whole rather than just a fragment of it.

As I’ve stated, overall, I believe that I possess the potential to develop the qualities of a great leader. I’ve had practice in various aspects of leadership and succeeded in these endeavors in the past. I chose to join Impact Leadership Village and, by extension, enroll in Community Leadership (SLC 101) because I feel that they will create an environment where my leadership skills can further develop and thrive during my freshman year at NC State. I hope that the team-building nature of both organizations will allow me to better realize the benefits that each unique person can bring to the table. Reading about the relational leadership model has brought me an awareness of past situations which I’ve failed to try to incorporate the concerns of every member of my team. This “weakness” seems to coincide with the “inclusive” aspect of leadership. There have been times in the past, such as when I served as captain of my Airforce CyberPatriot team, where I’ve looked to one member of the team for advice rather than consulting the entire group. While this may seem efficient, it may not be the best path as even members who are less experienced may be able to offer valuable insight to a problem. Additionally, I see now how the effects of one aspect of the model, such as inclusiveness, can impact leadership efforts as a whole. When all members aren’t given the opportunity to feel included, they will most likely lose ambition which will thus impair a leader’s ability to “empower” his team.

Impact Leadership Village incorporates a “service action proposal” into every freshman villager’s experience. Of all that the village has to offer, I foresee the service proposal as proving to be the most valuable exercise. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, I had to plan, fund, and perform a service to my community. Looking back, the service project may have been the most worthwhile experience of my life. In addition to benefiting my community, I learned the skills required to plan such a project (which takes much longer than one would anticipate) and facilitate all aspects. The most challenging aspect proved to be managing the partitioning of all assets including people, money, resources, and tools. I am especially excited to take advantage of the freedom that is provided along with the Impact Leadership project. I hope that this project will allow me to dive into a social issue that really inspires me to make an impact on the community. I’ve already begun to brainstorm a few ideas for projects that would be very close to me personally. I have a theory that people who focus on what interests them, are able to become the best leaders. This seems to add up when looking at the relational leadership model, leaders must be able to empower their teams. The easiest way to spread empower is by exuding dedication.

I am eager to really sit down and analyze my leadership skills through SLC 101. Although I feel that the best way to hone leadership skills is through practice, I am interested to see what more I can learn about myself through understanding the core concepts of leadership. Finally, I think that pairing the village experience with leadership research will best allow me to put what I learn to the test through practice.