ORGL 600: Foundations of Leadership
Spring 2022
In this class I learned of the vital importance of open dialogue and mutual trust in establishing a foundation of effective, engaging leadership. By beginning our exploration of “what don’t I want as a leader”, I explored some of the organizational and individual leadership challenges that could impede this type of trust and open communication. I recall experiences with leaders who shaped very powerful images of what kind of leader I don’t want to be. I have learned so much about what I value and how I need to prioritize those values as I develop on my leadership journey.
Artifact: Effects of Siloed Workstreams on Organizational Trust and Engagement (Paper)
I chose this artifact as I believe that siloed workstreams and closed communication channels is a major contributor to organizational dysfunction. During this exploration, I learned to approach challenges and opportunities from a follower- or subject-centric lens. Mutual growth and development can flourish when the organizational community is actively participating in their own growth. When leaders and followers alike know they are valuable contributors to the growth of their teams and their larger organization. This can only occur when leadership encourages, supports and models qualities such as openness, vulnerability and connection.
ORGL 605: Imagine, Create, Lead
Spring 2022
This class took students on a journey of leadership through different vistas including how we utilize the imagination – by embracing creativity, adaptation and belonging in leadership. Imagine, Create, Lead introduced me to how Ignatian Pedagogy has a foundation in imagination. I learned of the importance of creating space for quiet reflection – and a space to bring creative ideas (drawing on music and visual art) into my professional life and leadership journey.
Artifact: Everyday Possibilities (Media)
The structure of the piece is inspired by our Johari window exercise and how elated I felt as we worked in our small groups to share the adjectives we felt embodied our colleagues. As we see in and see out through the window (see, and see again), I thought about how I bring MY healthiest self; – how I care for myself and others. I show caring through calligraphy, handwritten notes and paper crafts. As as a result, I set out to design a handcrafted “window”. My window has four panes, and don’t exactly reflect the structure of Johari, but they do reflect my journey. It was important that these were four equal panes – in my exploration of everyday possibilities, I may pull from any of them. The journey is not linear! Each pane has a theme focusing on what matters most to me as a leader, mentor, mother, and contributor. I deliberately used a variety of styles, colors (some invisible/clear) and mediums to express these areas: 1) authenticity, 2) values, 3) growth, and 4) flourishing. ablishing a foundation of effective, engaging leadership. By beginning our exploration of “what don’t I want as a leader”, I explored some of the organizational and individual leadership challenges that could impede this type of trust and open communication. I recall experiences with leaders who shaped very powerful images of what kind of leader I don’t want to be. I have learned so much about what I value and how I need to prioritize those values as I develop on my leadership journey.
ORGL 530: Foundations of Servant Leadership
Summer 2022
I knew I wanted to study Servant Leadership prior to taking this class, but as I began my journey as a Servant-leader-in-training, I did not fully appreciate the impact this path would have on both my personal and professional life just two short years later. This introduction to Servant Leadership demonstrated the importance of listening and relationship building – and that the Servant-Leader culture places the needs of others, not the leaders themselves, first.
Artifact: Leadership Interview (Paper)
I chose this paper as my artifact as I had the incredible opportunity to interview a dear friend and mentor about her own servant-leader journey and explore the role that gender can play in developing a servant-leader disposition. Leading with the heart and staying true to one’s own values are critical takeaways from this interview.
ORGL 522: Leadership and Community
Fall 2022
This transformative class involved a week-long immersion at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California. This class helped me develop a vision of engaged leadership and connected community through the lens of immersion at the Abbey. I learned more about leadership and community through humility, about love and purity of heart than I ever imagined possible. I learned that we can (and should) lead from a place of love. We can accomplish astounding things through community when we act with compassion and authentic commitment to our ideals. I have learned that creating a place where individuals can feel safe to express themselves, where they can flourish and thrive in an inclusive and equitable environment is something that is possible.
Artifact: I can only be the best me that I can be! (YouTube)
One of the monks at St. Andrew’s Abbey, Father Isaac Molina, spoke of an “… enduring conversation with the Lord that never ends” and he shared that “I’ve learned this life makes me the best Isaac I can be”. There’s a song clip from Sesame Street my daughter and I used to listen to repeatedly when she was younger – Will.i.am singing “What I Am” with the Muppets. It’s a great bit of fun focusing on celebrating our gifts, with an awesome community of Sesame Street characters. I chose this artifact because I learned from this class that being the best “us “that we can be is a big part of what life should be all about!
ORGL 516: Relational Dynamics and Organizational Development
Fall 2022
In this course, I learned to approach change leadership from a human-centric perspective. Awareness of the emotional stages of individuals being impacted by change are critical to success (or mitigating risk) when introducing change. This class provided a space to explore our own strategies as “change agents” using awareness, empathy, and communication. I gained a richer understanding of processes that can encourage authentic leadership for self and others.
Artifact: Book Review – An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization
ORGL 610: Communication and Leadership Ethics
Spring 2023
During this course, we crafted a personal ethics statement articulating our own beliefs, values, and principles. While reflecting on this exercise and the class content, I am surrounded by the ideal of “cura personalis”, or, care for the whole person. This idea asks – how do we lean into our own values and our “whole” selves within the complex situations in our organizational lives? For me, beginning this class by reflecting on the people who shaped my own values was powerful, as it encouraged thinking about the whole person and how I respond to ethical dilemmas inside and outside of work. Caring for my own person helps me show up better as a mom, as a spouse, as a family member and friend – in addition to my organizational impact.
Artifact: Striving Toward A Well-lived Organizational Life (Paper)
I chose this artifact as it was a challenging paper to write as I explored an organizational event which had deep personal significance. In this paper, I critically reflected on what is the role I can play in creating or changing an organizational culture?
ORGL 535: Listen, Discern, Decide
Spring 2023
This was in many ways the most profound class of my ORGL journey. Learning to embrace stillness in silence and learning to listen authentically is something I will be working on for the rest of my life. This class showed me the importance of silence in listening and servant-leadership. It helped me develop the framework for my capstone project on Learning to Listen. Through the work in this class, I realized that I was indeed not the listener I thought I was. Listening is a skill that everyone should put time into continually developing and improving.
Artifact: Servant-Leader Decision Making: A Reflection on Listening and Discernment (Presentation)
I chose this artifact as the application of the Daily Examen enabled me to develop a framework for exploring personal reflection on listening, discernment, and decision-making as a Servant-leader-in-training.
ORGL 615: Organizational Theory and Behavior
Fall 2023
This course focused on leading teams and interpersonal relationships. ORGL 615 took a unique approach using tools like a Mt. Everest simulation and the exploration of case studies in groups. Throughout the class, I had the opportunity to explore systems thinking as it applies to the challenges in my current organization and beyond, which includes embracing trial and error and continual examination of variables and issues. I discovered how “A group of people truly committed to a common vision is an awesome force” (Senge, 2006, p. 205). Part of this rewarding journey included experiencing the team I was on sharing information openly and each of us contributing to our shared vision – even when that meant articulating how our own individual goals look within that vision. I learned that individuals may have separate goals and motivations within a team or an organization – sharing and communicating openly is critical to the success of any team.
Reference: Senge, P. M. (2006). The fifth discipline. Random House Business.
Artifact: EU Design Case – Confidential Memo (Paper)
I selected this memo to represent my learning experience in ORGL 615 as it demonstrates reviewing organizational challenges and strengths holistically. This paper represents the evaluation of a fictional case study in which I was able to provide recommendations for the company’s CEO through the exploration of several causal loop diagrams. The recommendation focuses on healthy company growth through improved communication and developing mechanisms to increase collaboration and efficiency.
ORGL 504: Organizational Communication
Fall 2023
This class was a bit of a “happy accident” in my learning path. I had this class on my “this would be cool to take if I had more time and money” list, so when my other Servant-Leadership class was cancelled I was excited to be able to add this one to my graduate school journey. The work I was able to accomplish in this class resulted in a significant impact on my current role and how I am contributing to our organizational health. Being able to apply the learnings from this class immediately in my job has enabled me to contribute to the development of a healthy communications culture in my organization. Serving my organization and teammates in this way has been immensely fulfilling.
Artifact: Organizational Experience (Paper)
I selected this paper as I was able to explore experiences around culture, collaboration, and community in my organizational life. It was while drafting this paper that I realized how developing and encouraging a sense of “communitas” (Trujillo, 1992, p. 369) has become a big part of who I am and the kind of leader I want to be. The impact of a strong community has been fascinating to me since my first week in ORGL 600, but this class truly brought this area of interest full circle and has helped to define my purpose as a leader.
Reference: Trujillo, N. (1992). Interpreting (the work and the talk of) Baseball: Perspectives on Ballpark Culture. Western Journal of Communication, 56(4), 350–371.