Leadership &

The picture above is taken from my organization’s yearly engagement survey conducted by a national outside agency. When listing my department’s top strengths, the first two were related to me as the leader (as rated by my colleagues). I work in a homeless shelter, and we consistently manage crises, which is our definition of “work-related problems.” The percentile rank compares me to other leaders from similar organizations and departments. As can be seen, my colleagues rated me in the top 100th percentile. This speaks to my ability to lead and manage during a crisis, which is standard f.

Although the third strength does not reference me directly, it speaks to my tendency as a leader to recognize the accomplishments of my colleagues and team members - standard a.

CACREP LEADERSHIP STANDARDS

a. theories and skills of leadership

b. leadership and leadership development in professional organizations

c. leadership in counselor education programs

d. knowledge of accreditation standards and processes

e. leadership, management, and administration in counseling organizations and other institutions

f. leadership roles and strategies for responding to crises and disasters

g. strategies of leadership in consultation

h. current topical and political issues in counseling and how those issues affect the daily work of counselors and the counseling profession

i. role of counselors and counselor educators advocating on behalf of the profession and professional identity

j. models and competencies for advocating for clients at the individual, system, and policy levels

k. strategies of leadership in relation to current multicultural and social justice issues

l. ethical and culturally relevant leadership and advocacy practices

Reflection

There is a story about Leonard Bernstein. As it goes, he was being interviewed by a reporter when he was asked which instrument was the hardest to play in the orchestra. Bernstein was quoted as saying, "Second fiddle! I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm, or second French horn, or second flute, now that's a problem. And yet, if no one plays second, we have no harmony.” I have always seen myself as playing second fiddle, but my time in the CES program has taught me that, at times, you must be prepared to play first. Likewise, I have not seen myself as an advocate; I just did what I needed to help others. It was not until I took my counselor education course that I began to see myself differently. Dr. Mwendwa enabled me to see that a lot of what I have done to help people is advocacy. So, I did not become an advocate; I just realized that is what I am.

The area in which I have developed strength is in moving into the first fiddle slot when needed. In many projects throughout my time at Liberty, my peers I worked with often looked to me to guide the direction of the group project. Perhaps a little was due to my personality, and a lot was thrust upon me; however, I embraced the role as needed and learned to become more comfortable in it. Since then, I have moved from an assistant director of counseling to the director of counseling, and my time at Liberty has prepared me to take on such a role.

An area that I need to focus on more is advocacy for the profession. Although I have advocated for my clients and people living in poverty, I have only begun to advocate for the profession since taking my leadership and advocacy class. I have never thought of myself as making a difference in that way, but it is one of those areas in which each person does what they can, which adds up to a more significant push when combined with the larger community. I plan to continue focusing on this direction as I move forward in my career.

I believe Christ is the model of the perfect leader. In fact, I used Christ to develop my supervision model. Even though the term has become cliché, I believe Christ is the originator of servant leadership, demonstrated by his life and revealed in scripture. As a leader, I hope to model this in my interactions with peers and students and, perhaps in some small way, reflect some aspect of Christ to them.

Artifacts

Artifact 1

This was a group advocacy presentation from our leadership class. The project was meant to encourage new students in the CES program to take advantage of the research center (c) and emphasize the importance of developing oneself as a researcher (i).

Artifact 2

The following paper outlines my philosophy of leadership and advocacy that I wrote in my leadership class. In this paper, I outline my philosophy and plan for developing my leadership and advocacy skills, including involvement in associations (a, b, c, e, i, j).

Artifact 3

The following paper is my social justice plan I wrote during my leadership course. This paper addresses my plan to address political issues (h), help others (j), and develop multicultural competence (k, l).

Artifact 4

This is a copy of my discussion posts and replies to peers during my leadership class. I also included the grading feedback I received. These posts covered several topics, including leadership and advocacy (a), leadership in CES programs (c), and advocacy for the profession (h, i).

Reproduction 1

This is a link to a podcast I did with a colleague and the CEO at Nashville Rescue Mission. In the episode, we discuss the psychology of homelessness and addiction. The podcast is meant to educate the community about the layers of complexity that surround people experiencing homelessness.

Some feedback from a discussion board post.

Artifact 5

This assignment is an interview with a retired CES faculty member. This paper required us to interview a CES faculty member and come to understand some of their philosophy concerning leadership (a), leadership development (b), leadership in education (c), how requirements for education have changed (d), management (e), and strategies of consultation (g).

Artifacts 6-8

The following artifacts display my advocacy concerning public policy. They include a reference to my emails concerning Medicare parity, a letter to my US Senator, and a letter addressing issues of concern at the state level, which speak to standards h-l.

Artifact 9

For the last 17 years, I have dedicated my life to helping people who are less fortunate and marginalized through my work at Nashville Rescue Mission (j).

More Reproductions & Artifacts

The following link will send you to my leadership and advocacy bonus page. It is password-protected. If you need access, you will need to contact me.

More feedback from my Leadership & Advocacy class.

Recent Leadership & Service

Counseling

Chi Sigma Iota Rho Eta Sigma Chapter Treasurer (2022-2024)

  • Performed duties of the treasurer position

  • Covered duties of vacant secretary position for two semesters

Tennessee Counseling Association Conference Volunteer (2021)

Liberty Peer Mentor (2019-Present)

  • Met with assigned mentees to acclimatize them to the CES program

  • Emailed mentees to check on their progress.

Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (2018)

  • Graduate Student Conference Proposal Reviewer      

Community

Project UpRise (2019-2022)                        

  • Provided a workshop on dating and relationships for attendees participating in a community jobs program.