Leadership Essay

Over the years, I have repeatedly faced moments that have challenged my knowledge and abilities, thus reaffirming a need for continual growth. I have realized that we have to learn how to lead ourselves before we can lead others. This kind of work is ongoing—it is a journey. Thankfully, there are leadership theories and models, such as Goleman’s Theory on Emotional Intelligence, that allow us to analyze our skills and notice areas for development. At its core, practicing emotional intelligence requires us to use empathy, to know and control ourselves, and do so with unyielding passion . Even once we feel somewhat comfortable with our sense of self, there will always be something we can learn from those around us.

I am resolutely dedicated to this process, and as leader I will use these skills to affect meaningful change. Moreover, I will empower others to create positive changes in their lives. Doing such work requires us to understand the world from the perspective of those who struggle. Fortunately, I was privileged to study organizational leadership at the graduate level, and the knowledge I have obtained is transferable to any professional role—working as both a leader and a follower. However, to a certain extent, I am an exception in a social pattern. 

Intellectually, and personally, as a queer woman of color, I see the intersection of leadership and social change vividly—one cannot exist without the other. In my Contemporary Issues in Leadership course, I wrote a paper on the topic of Women and Leadership to highlight some of the oft unseen barriers faced by people like me. Moreover, I feel that without studying the social world, potential leaders will find it hard to practice important skills like empathy and interpersonal communication.

Fixing issues, like making the workplace more inclusive of marginalized people, begins with understanding the binding oppressive forces (socially, systemically, institutionally, etc.) that exist in our daily lives. Such forces are present from the start—at the application and interview stage—and continue to affect opportunities and success throughout careers. As a result, minorities across all spectrums are, at best, expected to teach tolerance and “break barriers,” or, at worst, expected to conform to the toxic norms in order to remain a viable candidate for leadership roles. It is incumbent on future and current leaders to make the jump between a theoretical inclusive mindset and a participatory role to demand change. Accordingly, Bennis reminds us that to sustain change we need to build a culture of candor—“one in which followers feel free to speak truth to power and leaders are willing to hear it.” This requires uncomfortable truths to be told and concessions to be made.

Therefore, before we can begin our journey as leaders, we must look inward and note the skills we can develop and the changes we can make in our professional and personal lives. We must find the courage within ourselves to forge new paths toward an inclusive, unknown—and maybe even uncomfortable—future. We must take our cues from those who know which changes are long overdue. In my opinion, that is the only way we, as leaders, can truly make a difference.