REFELCTION 1

Madison Schaefer
 Leadership is an important and broad idea with a definition that will shift depending on

the context of a person’s situation. Dugan creates a metaphor in attempt to make the difficult

task of understanding leadership a bit more feasible to his readers. He discusses the steps to

building a house including the footings, foundation, and framing and relates it to building up a

person’s own aspect of leadership theory.

When I first think about my footings, or underlying assumptions, about leadership, I

consider great leaders like the Obamas, Martin Luther King Jr., and Pope Francis. I consider

their personal attributes that made them so powerful and appreciated, such as their charm,

powerful spoken word, overt compassion, and belief in a better world. Many people look to

these leaders, including myself, and find leadership as an impossible position to withhold due to

the high standards that have been placed before us. I often feel pressure in my experience being

a leader to live up to the adequate expectations put in place prior to me. Am I the perfect blend

of outgoing, charismatic, empathetic, and authoritative, while also establishing a level of mutual

respect between myself and those who I have the pleasure of leading?

I also frequently struggle with the assumption from society that all leaders are power

hungry and only pursue leadership positions out of selfishness rather than selflessness. Although

these leaders do exist, they do not represent the vast majority. Whether that passion be helping

others, making the world a more just society, or the simple desire to be a valuable part of

something, leaders lead because it is something they are passionate about.

An additional assumption is that we are born with the innate capacity to lead. However,

this is the farthest thing from true. Absolutely anyone can be a leader. This prompts me to

discuss my idea of what the foundations, or core principles, of leadership are, in my opinion. I

feel that the most important philosophy of leadership is the purpose to serve others. We have
leaders because groups of people need someone that they can look to for guidance and wisdom

when the world seems uncertain. To lead at the greatest capacity, I believe leaders should

acquire a few key characteristics. Leaders must be empathetic in order to whole-heartedly help

those who truly need it the most. In fulfilling the void a leader possesses due to their empathy,

they must be hardworking to best meet the needs of those who are expecting their diligence in

solving problems to fix an issue. Most importantly, I believe leaders should lead through their

actions in a “do as I do” rather than a “do as I say” approach. This creates a powerful mutual

respect between the leader and the “follower”. All of the traits I have listed, are possible for

anyone to achieve to become an excellent leader.

The framing of my house of leadership is shaped by the personal experiences and beliefs

that I have developed in my leadership roles. From a young age, I have valued being a bigger

part of something and helping others however, it was not until high school that I truly discovered

my passion to pursue leadership. My first major leadership role began when I was selected as

one of the Drum Majors for my high school band my sophomore year. In this position, I was

exposed to the difficulty of leading a large group of people and the idea that every person’s mind

works differently. As a result, each person will respond to criticism and orders in another way

than their fellow peers. It was important for me to learn to sense how each person will respond

to my position as a leader. My senior year, I was selected to be president for my school’s

Renaissance club, which is an organization that strives to promote positive school climate and

culture. Being on the leadership team for Renaissance aided in improving my communication

skills through public speaking at meetings, in front of local community members, and on a

national stage in front of hundreds of high school students, teachers, and administrators from

across the country. Last year, I had the honor of being one of the captains of the Loyola cheer
team. From this experience, I truly came to appreciate my leadership ability through my actions.

After I went away to school, I struggled because I felt as though I lost some of the leadership

qualities I had built up over the course of my life in the transition to college. I did not feel that I

was the best captain I could have been and that my co-captain was far more well-liked and

respected than I was. However, at the end of the year, I was honored with an award embodying

the ideals of a Loyola spirit team member. This validated the fact that I was a respected and

loved leader, even when I did not believe I truly was. I am looking forward to my new

leadership roles on campus this year in hopes that I will learn even more about myself and the

concept of leadership.

However, I feel that pursuing this Leadership Studies minor and taking this class will

truly “flesh out” my personal leadership architecture. In considering what I want to pursue in my

future career, although at the moment it is uncertain, I do know that leadership is a huge passion

that I will strive to discover in any occupational platform. In earning this degree, I hope to

become fully comfortable with the idea of leadership and discover all of the attributes I can

contribute to being the best leader I can be. In becoming akin with leadership theory, I hope that

I am better able to help and inspire those around me to achieve great things. I am looking

forward to the new perspectives and engaging conversations that I am sure this class and minor

will offer.