Reflection:

So far, my time in Leadership has been very fulfilling for me. One quality I have that has been shining brighter since the start of this course has been my kindness and empathy. I love seeing people smile and being able to help them in whatever form they may need. One example of this was helping out with the Terry Fox Community Run earlier on this school year. I remember it fondly because we actually cheered on a couple, who was so appreciative of our cheering (as we were being very enthusiastic) that the man stopped us to ask if they could take a picture with us. The reason it stuck with me, is because the woman that was running with him actually had cancer. That moment really opened my eyes to the impact we were making, even doing something as small as supporting and cheering people on during their run.

One leadership skill I possess is drive. I have a major passion for helping make a difference and doing things that give me purpose in life. One way I found that fulfills that for me is being a part of the Reading Buddies program at the Coquitlam Public Library. Being able to help my little buddie, Sam, improve his reading has been very rewarding for me, and has been teaching me how to better teach and deal with younger children. This is quite valuable for me as I want to go into a teaching career.

A leadership quality I would like to develop is being more of a leader. I am always up to help carry out an event, however It’s a bit harder for me to speak up, plan, and carry things out myself. I think I lack some self-confidence which gets in the way of being a better leader myself. However, this is something I have been and plan to continue to work on.

One leadership skill I would like to develop is conflict resolution. I’m someone who is very sensitive and struggles with dealing with unhappy people. I want to have a better toolbox of ways I can deal with conflicts, and I plan on doing so by discussing this in therapy. My therapist is the best option I have for learning to be calmer and more collected when in a negative situation.

I can work with others to achieve a goal:

Besides me lacking self-confidence and struggling with leadership in bigger settings like organizing an event, I am actually a great leader in smaller groups. I find myself constantly taking a leadership role when in school project groups, and like who I am in it. I make an effort to listen to everyone’s ideas and make sure to incorporate a bit of everyone’s share into assignments, however I do always want to be in charge of organizing all of it. Even when there is another “leader” in the group it’s usually always a positive experience too because for the most part that just ensures that one more person is as dedicated as I am to make something great.

– Ana Carolina Pires Camargo Grandi Massola