Welcome!
Banff to Jasper National Park Bike Tour
Like Palmer so eloquently states in the quote above, we are
all on a path to find our deepest calling and joy, and the Organizational
Leadership MA program at Gonzaga University has begun to distinctly shape that
vision for me. What I hope to portray in this final leadership portfolio is my
leadership journey, key points along the way, and where I hope to go from here.
To begin, I believe leadership is a constant development of an interdependent
relationship with self, others, and the Divine to actively facilitate
transformation and growth.
With this transformation there are times in life in which we
can feel the challenging shift in perspective, the growing pains that stretch
us beyond our limits. As I move forward and progress in my leadership journey, I
would like to focus on resiliency. Maddi's (2004) extensive research on
resiliency identifies three components of resiliency behaviors: commitment,
control and challenge. This has been a central point of conversation with
students and colleagues alike as we talk about ways to help students and
ourselves develop resiliency. I’ve come to realize that this mindset is
essential in both the proactive and reactive phases of day-to-day operations of
an organization. With this strategy comes risk.
A fear of risk professionally is in stark contrast to the risks I
regularly engage in when I am in the outdoors. Because of this realization, I
now weekly choose a small task at work in which to practice taking risks and
challenging myself and students. This ability to re-engage challenge has tied
into all three areas of personal, community and organizational leadership.
Working in education and the possibility of working in a different setting that
also serves and educates people has highlighted the necessity of being able to
embrace challenge as a leader.
Last day of the tour with my sister (left)
Cycling has always been a way for me to embrace resiliency. When
riding, the thought of controlling the weather, cars, road, or wildlife is out
of the question; it is a constant adaptation (and the question of a flat tire
is always when, not if). In the face of this uncertainty good preparation will
get you far, but choosing a resilient, open-minded, and creative attitude will
help you thrive. Cycling has become my personal leadership metaphor and
physical place to reflect on leadership principles when challenges abound.
As I grow into a servant-leader, my leadership vision is to be a leader who continues learning, questioning and challenging myself and others to come back to our
"path of authentic service in the world" with openness and
compassion.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy!
Carolyn