Last night was the first night of a one hour credit of Leadership of Self. Leading up to the night were readings in Strengths Finder 2.0, our assessment naming the top 5 strengths, and some reading selections out of Business Leadership. From the class pre-work, I learned my top five strengths are 1. Positivity, 2. Communication, 3. Woo (Winning Others Over), 4. Arranger, 5. Includer. It's amazing their interconnectedness, and I certainly see how these have been brought to light by my current position.
In our reading, the author pointed out the 7 ages of Leadership. I personally identify with the very first stage- The Infant. At this point the emerging leader is on the cusp of "What's to come" and recognizes that the next steps will be into a position of leadership, which can be a little nerve rattling and mysterious. The book highlights the importance of mentors, and I am very thankful for the ones I have in my life- Teri Hill (Amazing Executive Coach, here in the Austin Area), Dr. Edna Rehbein, Director at Texas State University- Round Rock, and my aunt Debbie Rippstein, Executive Director of our Houston-based agency. The next age provides the tips to a successful entry as leader, and I am already formulating my plan, even though the opportunity remains yet a mystery.
Today I find myself in a grant writing crunch. We submitted our LOI to a local foundation, and Tuesday, a hair shy of three I get the email that the foundation would like for us to fully complete the application process, and oh by the way, it's due Friday. For those of you unfamiliar to the grant writing process, you must understand that grant proposal personnel are packagers of sorts. We work with a whole team to get the latest in statistics, outcomes, and more from program staff. This "crunch" I am now viewing as a leadership opportunity. I used my positivity in constructing an email to staff to encourage them as we all work together to get this proposal completed. I communicated with six staff on each part of the proposal I needed their feedback on, and provided positive affirmations on their quick turnaround. Rather than just a collaborator, I have seen my paradigm shift to view this as one of many opportunities to exude leadership.
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