As the course comes to an end, I have since realized how much has shifted and has impacted my aiding in understanding what it means to be a true leader. At the beginning of the course, my definition of a leader was purely influenced by the exposure I’ve had, as in my role models, and the world’s perception of a leader. A leader to me was one who rose to the challenge and was successful in establishing their goals. However, while reading Cronon, author, and teacher of “‘ Only Connect…’ The Goals of a Liberal Education”, I was challenged to question my previous notion of a leader in terms of adopting one that was fully capable of broadening my horizons. My view of a leader was continually being molded into one that embodies much more than being successful. A leader is one who, through product, practice, and perspectives, they are not only able to impact and influence others but connect with society on a higher level.
According to Cronon, he proclaims, A leader “embodies the ability or freedom to explore their talents and skills to connect with others all around” (Cronon 1 ). He later goes on to say that with that, they can “nurture and empower others” (3). When I first read this, It never occurred to me how throughout this semester; the course would exemplify, demonstrate, and shape us to embody those very few sentences. Throughout the course and required assignments, we were exposed to various media, views, perspectives, and lifestyles across the world, where it was essential to set aside our prior assumptions to allow ourselves to experience the reality of a leader fully. For example, Through the assigned readings, such as “Understanding the concept of Family in China,” “Understanding Collectivist Cultures,” it presented us with the ability to expand our understanding of our reality to the truth of the different world we live in. Many of the course work and presentations offered us the ability to express ourselves without the fear of any judgment. Despite the differing opinions and views many of us held, we all were able to come together and cultivate the beauty of authentic leadership. Most of all, the course demonstrated the various products, which are the creations of a particular culture, their perspectives, and the practices they share amongst their society. Additionally, since being presented with a view of the many cultures surrounding our greater society, I’m able to express that a leader nature’s and empowers others through the ability to envision a product, a goal, or a purpose to impact others. Therefore, they can immerse themselves in different perspectives, and due to that, they will be able to practice love, connection, and peace amongst their community.
Furthermore, the course not only sharpened my idea of a leader, but it taught me that a leader is not able to influence others and create meaningful change without the capacity to understand and connect with others regardless of the differences. Being in a class with young women from various ethnic backgrounds and lifestyles allowed me to explore my talents and skills to not only connect but to cultivate the true essence of a leader.
