Blog # 9

I didn't really have many expectations coming into this course. It was just a filler class that I could use as a GPA booster. I have gotten much more out of this class than I ever anticipated. All the activities and personal experiences that the class shared have helped me explore my own values and leadership style.

The class hasn't taught me more about myself as a leader, as much as I have been forced to think about it and discuss my ideas. I thought that the StrengthsQuest inventory was very insightful. My results found that I was very action oriented and dependable. Looking back, I realized that my experiences reflected those results. However, I never would've thought through my experiences and how I can utilize my strengths in the future had I not taken this class.

Furthermore, this class was eye-opening for me. We all know that prejudices and privilege are an issue in our society. Unfortunately, we often are concerned with our own issues and do not realize how other's are impacted. The activity where we added and removed links to a chain to signify privileges and disadvantages really brought some perspective. Everyone had varying lengths of chains and it was surprising how short some people's chains ended up being. Our discussion following the activity really emphasized the need to consider things that other's may be dealing with outside of work, project groups, etc. I think an effective leader needs to have the patience and understanding to help teammates through issues that may be impacting their performance.

Overall, this class has been a wonderful learning experience. It's not often that I leave a class and feel like I have grown as a person. I hope that I will be able to continue to improve as a leader, as I apply lessons from this class to my future endeavors.

Blog #8

The first thing that came to mind when reading about Peck's theory was the development of any friendship. When I came to OSU I didn't know anyone, so I signed up to be an Ohio Welcome Leader (OWL). The group was definitely a psuedocommunity from the start. People were just getting to know one another and didn't want to say anything that could be off-putting. No one really knew much about anyone else in the group.

In a matter of hours, the group moved into the chaos phase. People found others who had similar interests or backgrounds and cliques quickly formed. As a whole group, we got through the chaos by organization. When move-in day came, we each did our respective jobs and completed the task. Within my friend group in OWL, we took the path of emptiness.

I no longer talk to most of the people from my OWL group because we never moved passed the chaos phase of development. The friends that I still talk to and I all come from different backgrounds and have very different interests, but realized that those differences challenge us to try new things. I have a true, authentic community with those friends because we voice our opinions and work through our conflicts. We're not afraid to express how we truly feel because we appreciate others challenging our ways of thinking.

Consensus played a huge role in the development or lack thereof in these communities. The overall community of my OWL group could not fully develop because some people held us back from consensus. As a whole, there was not an environment conducive for the expression of everyone's opinions. However, within the smaller community of my friends we were able to achieve consensus. This was achieved because of our mutual respect for one another's differences.

Blog #7

My biggest takeaway from this week's discussion was that we all have some form of privilege. It's not something we think about or even recognize on a regular basis, but it affects our everyday lives.

One of my target identities is being Asian. While I am only half Chinese, people sometimes see my Asian features and make judgments based on that. There are so many stereotypes associated with Asians that either set impossibly high standards or make you the butt of a joke. Some Asian jokes are in good fun, but far too often lines are crossed and derogatory statements are made based on my ethnicity. 

A non-target identity of mine is being a college student. Growing up, college was always an attainable goal. My mom always supported my academic career and told me that she would find a way to pay for any college I wanted to attend. Far too often, I take for granted the support I had in going to college and the education I am receiving at this university. Being a college student opens up so many doors for opportunities that others may never receive. 

While being a minority may come with it's struggles, it has also pushed me to work harder. The work ethic that I have developed based on those struggles helped me to become a college student. Both of these identities affect my daily life. Each day on campus I gain skills that I couldn't learn elsewhere and face adversity because of my appearance.