Table of Contents Component I.............................................4 Core Values..............................................11 Eulogy......................................................18 My Personal Purpose............................20 Component II..........................................22 Leadership Values.................................23 My Leadership Vision............................26 Component III.........................................28 Keirsey Temperament Sorter..............29 Strength Development Inventory......32 Emotional Intelligence..........................34 Interviews and Feedback.....................37 Component IV........................................47 Directed Outcome I...............................48 Directed Outcome II..............................50 Directed Outcome III.............................52 Outcome Directed Thinking Map........54
What Makes Ryan, Ryan.
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.” -John Jake What have you always “known” about “who you are”, even before you “knew” anything? I have always known and relied on three things that I discovered to be true in my childhood years: My imagination would one day take me places, being in the spotlight would never make me nervous, and I’d rather hurt myself than do that to others, physically or emotionally. Doodling, painting on walls and my face, and taking several boxes and transforming them into a car, a city, or my very own playground took up a lot of my childhood, for they were the things I loved and caused me to explore my mental boundaries and limitations. Once I got stuck, I had to create a solution: how can this box connect to this box, I don’t have an orange crayon but I need to show that color, etc. As for being in the spotlight, I’ve always loved telling stories, making jokes, and being around big groups of people. Lastly, as a child and as a 21 year old, I hated having someone upset with me, or them feeling like I caused them pain. I’d prefer to be the one upset than to see my loved ones go through that emotional state, especially if it involved me.
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What has always felt true to you?
Immediately after reading this, I thought of two things my dad would always say to my brothers and me:
“Don’t be sad, I’m your dad!” and “We’re going to have fun no matter what your mother says!”
The first quote reminds me that my family has and will always be there for me. The older I get, the more I realize this to be true. Anytime I’m down on my luck, a test didn’t go quite as planned, or I didn’t get that position I applied for, I know that I can always go to them to lift my spirits and remind me to keep my head up. The second quote is a Sichelstiel vacation favorite, as Mom is the only girl in a family of five. I love when Dad says this because it’s applicable to any situation. Life’s too short not to have fun. Yes, tests all choose to get together and show up on the same week, and there are many, many emails to respond to. Yes, I’m aware that studying different typefaces and formatting brochures and book covers won’t be the most exhilarating activity that I’ve ever participated in. And sure, it’s only the beginning of the week. Still, even in situations like this there can be fun to be had—treat yourself to an ice cream study break, write a few paragraphs and then listen to a few songs that always put you in a better mood… …and if it’s only Monday and you’re already trying to get to the weekend, you need to find what in your life makes you say “hell yeah”, stick with it, enjoy it, and love the life you live.
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What have you always loved?
As a child, I always loved animals and performing for people. I would take my stuffed animals and put on a weekly circus for my family, complete with homemade tickets, a bunk bed-big-top, and a few clowns, or little brothers. The home circus acts, making a circus display out of cardboard and paper on my Gramma’s treadmill, and thinking about what it would be like to be that guy swinging from bar to bar high in the sky—this was what I loved most about my childhood. Creating, discovering, performing and being with my family, stuffed animals, and my big Labrador retriever Colby—life just didn’t get better than that.
What have you always cared about?
I’ve always cared about people in the aspect of their safety and what their thoughts about me are. I’m always nervous that people I love will get in car wrecks, hurt themselves playing sports, or even get kidnapped. Nothing drastic has ever happened in my life to make me paranoid about these things though. As for people’s thoughts on me, I want to maintain a good reputation and rapport with others. The thought of someone not really caring to be around me makes me uneasy. In short, I’ve always cared about people and have had a desire to be with them for a majority of my day.
What are some moments or experiences in your life when you have said to yourself, “this is the real me”?
A majority of my life has been spent trying to find a balance between pleasing others and myself. It’s not an easy task to make both parties happy, but I’m trying. This time last year, October 2012, I was in a meeting for The Chapel Bell: A Positive Press Publication, where I finally caved in to my heart’s desire and decided to add a major in Graphic Design. If you look back at the questions above, you’ll see that I’ve always had a passion for creating and using the mind in an artistic way; at the same time, I’ve been apprehensive about fully relying on that to be my sole career. The money, the jobs, the career opportunities—would an art degree result in something great? Still not entirely sure, but what I do know is that my family and friends support me in this decision because they know how much art means to me and it’s something I have a knack for.
It took 20 years, but I think I finally found that balance.
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What feels familiar and right to you no matter what?
Pizza
My dad has owned and operated a pizza restaurant for longer than I’ve been around. Pizza, food, and the dinner table remind me of my family. The good and the bad, they are the ones I celebrated, mourned, explored, grew, and found myself with.
Freshly cut grass
My family and I are very competitive, and we would always play sports after dinner when I was growing up. Kickball, soccer, football, you name it. This is where I learned how to hold my tongue, how to forgive, and how to be a good sport—when winning and losing. Walking across freshly cut grass reminds me of these family games.
A pencil and paper
Nothing screams freedom like an empty page and a tool to cover it with in ink. Art has always given me freedom to express my life, to transfer my thoughts from my head to the paper, wall, or even the side of a truck.
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What do you keep coming back to again and again? There have been several times where I’ve wanted to walking into the Grady College advising office and drop my major, not because I don’t enjoy the classes or professors, but because I enjoy the classes and professors in the Lamar Dodd School of Art more. I recently had to change my graphic design major into a minor for time and financial reasons. Was it a good decision? Absolutely. Was it the best one for me? I don’t know. The reason I keep the advertising major is because I believe the two (advertising and graphic design) go hand in hand, but the main reason I keep the both of them is for the salary I will one day be making. I’ve never been the college student to say “I’m going to major in _________ so I can make ___________.” In my opinion, happiness is more important than money, but here I am, choosing money over potential happiness.
What do you sense is the changeless authentic core within you? The lessons I learned from my family: from seeing my dad sweat in the kitchen in the hot summer months for hours because my brothers and I begged him to let us stay at our private school to physically fighting my brothers and then playing together a minute later to the bond and love my parents have created amongst our tightknit family. Secondly, I will always have a burning passion and desire to create: not a day goes by where I don’t think about the architecture of buildings on campus and around Athens, or why the restaurant I’m eating at chose this logo to represent their company, or fantasizing about designing sets, logos, parade floats, attractions—you name it, I want to do it. Lastly, I love people: being in their company, conversing with them, and spending the day with them.
Randy Pausch once said, “People are more important than things” and I have never heard anything to be truer in my entire life.
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What things seem to always motivate you and give your life meaning? I always strive to make my parents proud and to work as hard as they do. Anytime I starting slacking off, whether it is in school or organizations, I think about all the time and money my parents have put in so that I could be a student at the University of Georgia. Another factor in keeping myself motivated is that I love to “treat myself”—having a night where I can lay in bed and catch up on my favorite TV show, or go out to my favorite restaurant, no matter how expensive, or even letting myself go to sleep an hour or two earlier. In order to “treat myself”, all of my work has to be done and my to do list has to be completed. As far as what gives my life meaning goes, I always remind myself that if I work hard, I can play hard. Once again, treat myself for my hard work.
What would be really important to you, no matter how the world around has changed? My happiness and contentment with my life will always be one of my top priorities. Am I doing what makes me happy? Am I living life to the fullest? Am I beyond content with my life and choices? No matter if the nation was in a recession or my funds were limited, I want to always make sure that what I’m doing to turn earn money is something that I’m passionate about and look forward to doing. Also, the people we surround ourselves with bring on happiness. With that said, it’s important to keep those who are positive in our lives, and those who aren’t, well, I can do without them. How awful would it be to not enjoy the people you’re constantly around or waking up everyday and wishing you could be doing something else? “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” “How so?” “Well, when you look into infinity, you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day.” —Calvin and Hobbes
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CREATIVITY
—to be innovative and imaginative; developing new ideas and having a skill in the area of the arts, to be more specific
If you were to find the most reoccurring word in my PDLP, some form of the word “creative” would appear in the top ten list of most used words. I hold this word and the thought of so close to my heart because this act of creating, as cliché as it might sound, has led me to where I am today: an eager, open-minded artist eager to tear down walls only to build new ones, find new solutions to old problems, and purchase a home with white walls and fill will it with all things “Sichelstiel family.”
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” -Maya Angelou
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ZEST/FUN
—to live life with an uplifting, positive mindset; adding a thrill to work and putting an enjoyable spin on jobs and tasks
Every Monday and Wednesday of Fall semester 2013, I had to wake up at 7:00AM. As someone who does not consider themself a morning person, this was no easy task. To make the situation a little better, I play my favorite “pump-up” song to start off my day, sing karaoke with the one and only Mrs. Tonya, an employee at the Visitors Center, and speak in different cartoon-character-inspired voices to start off my day and give me the boost of energy I need. Do I look a little foolish while performing these morning rituals? Probably. Do I worry what others think of me while watching these antics? Not anymore.
“Do anything, but let it produce joy.” —Walt Whitman
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CURIOSITY
—to think outside of the box and steering away from the normal way of accomplishing tasks or making goals; exploring ideas and options; bravery
To question the world around you is vital for growth and development. To ask why, what, and how can only help you learn more about the world around you. I strive to seek clarification in all aspects of my life—from studio projects, to class lectures, to conversations with my Greek great aunt on the phone. If I have a question, I ask it. It’s just that simple.
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn’t be, and what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” —Disney’s Alice in Wonderland
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CHANGE
—to be aware of what was done in the past and how it was done, but not be afraid to mix things up and try new things and ideas in order to accomplish a similar goal
I’ve found that, especially in organizations I’m involved with on campus, follow a formula of sorts when it comes to scheduling and planning. Of course, looking at the past can be a helpful outline, but mimicking the past results in the same outcome. Taking a chance, risks and the leap of faith can lead to entirely new ways of thinking and acting. It’s not easy to “take the road less traveled”, but who knows what you could find along the way.
“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the from way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it.” —Disney’s The Lion King
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RESPONSIBILITY —to own up to one’s mistakes and hold one’s self accountable for following through with what a person agrees to take on and complete
The older I’ve become, the more important owning up to one’s faults and the willingness to admit defeat has become more important to me and more admirable when I see others do this. I try to remind myself that no one, especially me, is perfect. If I give it my all, commit myself to accomplishing a task, and work diligently, I’ve completed half the battle. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it, and I give my absolute all to do it well.
“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” —Abraham Lincoln
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Eulogy
To be read by the future love of my life, Mrs. Sichelstiel
“...in the end it’s not just the big and small events that make you who you are, make your life what it is, it’s how you choose to react to them— that’s where you have control over your life.” —Lisa Unger
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“My husband was a man of many hats. First and foremost, he was the man I married. The man who would yell for my attention across the house, pause for a few moments after I responded, and when then say, “I love you” just to make sure I didn’t forget. He would always make sure I had everything I needed, from making sure the gas was full in my tank to my favorite ice cream in the freezer. He always joked about when he was younger and he and his aunt would say, “I love myself.” Well, I do believe he loved himself, but I know he loved me more. He had such a sense of humor and a joy about it. Ryan had a certain charm about him that pulled people and their attention towards him. Like myself, people loved to be around him and he very much loved to be around those people. He loved spending time with people, but his children were his heart. He always made sure that they were growing as well rounded individuals—being polite, friendly and respectful. If his children needed anything, even the shirt off of his back, he would give it to them in a heartbeat, no questions asked. Second, Ryan was a friend. While we were dating, there wasn’t a day that went by where he didn’t introduce me to someone. He knew everyone in the town, and sometimes when he was introducing me to these people, you could tell that they were surprised yet honored that Ryan remembered their name and thought highly enough of them to introduce them to his soon to be wife. Anytime one of his friends needed him to do something for him, he was there. Of course, he often stayed longer than necessary because he wanted to be able to spend that one-on-one time with the people he very much cared for, and all of them are in this room today.
Third, he was a co-worker. Ryan was never one to enjoy working behind a desk and being confined to a cubicle from 9 to 5, then again, he was never one to sit still. He and his boss had a great relationship, and the boss would always joke with Ryan about firing him for goofing around too much. Ryan would always quickly respond with, “you know you wouldn’t fire me! If you did, everyone in this place would be asleep!” Once again, Ryan was showing that he loved himself, but he had a point. His co-workers absolutely loved working the shifts with Ryan because of his sense of humor, quick wit, and charm.
And finally everyone loved Ryan for his drive and passion he held within him. He was blessed with many gifts and talents, and loved being able to use them, for that is what motivated him to go out and make a difference each and everyday. People saw this about him— saw that he was different. He loved his life because he loved what he did with it. I’d like to close with this, for I know if he were here today, this is what he would leave you all with, in hopes of you taking it to heart and making it an action:
Never forget who you are and what makes you, you. Once you realize that, you’ll hold tightly to it and run, run, run to where your heart takes you. 19
My Personal Purpose I will live my life as if it were my last day on Earth— gathering the insane courage to speak my mind, finding a way to do anything I set my mind to, and not worrying about tomorrow; for tomorrow will come when its ready, and when if I get the privilege to see it, a new adventure begins. I vow to stay true to who I am and what I believe— creativity, responsibility, curiosity, all while being open minded and zestful, the characteristics and values I find to be of utmost importance. I will strive to obtain the work ethic of my father and tender heart of my mother. I will reflect back on my life with a grin, knowing I truly lived it to the fullest.
No regrets.
After reflecting on my life and having a vague vision as to what I want my future to transform into, what I want to do in my life, and how I want to be remembered, I couldn’t wait to get started on all of it. Then I remembered, there’s no better time to start then now.
It’s time to chase my dreams until I catch them. And once I do, they’ll become a reality. It’s time to tell all of the people in my life, from best friends to new friends, that they mean the world to me and without them, well; I have no clue what I’d do. It’s time to start practicing what I’ve been preaching throughout this entire portfolio—time to focus on and do what it is that makes me feel a special feeling that’s only felt when I do this particular thing. I know that this feeling will be a mixture of happiness, contentment, joy, ecstasy and maybe a touch of relief, but until I finally get my first taste of this emotion, I have to keep working to convince myself to fully invest in the things I love in my life, and I’m not sure I would have come to this incredible realization of the necessity of this if it weren’t for some thought and personal reflection. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” —Howard Thurman 21
My Leadership Values Enthusiasm
I will lead with enthusiasm, treating the opportunities that come my way in life with excitement and pizazz. An upbeat attitude in any leadership position is the factor that will buy in those who follow— excitement is contagious. My core values are creativity, curiosity, and zest. Out of the three, I find zest to set the tone for the other two values, meaning if I maintain this spunky, go-getter attitude in any leadership situation, the outcome will be much better than if I approached the situation with a dull, bland attitude. Zestful and enthusiastic people approach life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated. I aspire to keep a zesty outlook on life, even in a non-leadership position. I will live my life to the fullest, going for depth, rather than breadth, giving me the chance to lead wholeheartedly and with a focus.
Optimism
I will lead with optimism, for a fallen plan of action can only test a person’s true leadership abilities. When leaders look to the bright side of any given situation or have a back up plan in mind, those who are following will feel comfort and have the motivation to press onward, for their leader prepares for an unwanted situation. I value zest, which is very similar to optimism, and am strong in the area of strategy and activating. Through my study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa with Global LEAD and ILAD 4100, I have learned what exactly my strengths are, but , more importantly, how to effectively use them. Our strengths and strong points come from a combination of the talents, knowledge, and skills we bear. As a leader who sees the glass half-full, I find my strength of being strategic, the ability to move on to another way of accomplishing a goal with ease, and the activator strength, the ability to break the huddle and begin playing the game, tie hand in hand with my desire to lead with a positive attitude, no matter the situation. When I think of optimism, the first thought that comes to mind is a smile, and a smile paints the perfect picture for what I vow to carry on in my leadership vision regarding ways to maintain an optimistic leadership style.
Purposefulness
I will lead with purpose, having an agenda, a personally set ending goal, and a mindset that will not allot for wasted time. Respecting people’s prior commitments and minutes in the day remains important for a leader’s likeability and a follower’s attendance and participation. Several times, I have sat in a meeting for an organization on campus where the leader plainly shows his or her lack of preparation, causing us to spend unnecessary time waiting for the leader’s memory to light up. I state this as the last part of my leadership vision because I find it to be of utmost importance and one I am currently in the progress of perfecting. As a leader for UGA HEROs, a campus philanthropy raising money for children with HIV/AIDS, I make it a point to sit down before meetings and decide what the group as a whole needs to hear and what can be told to specific individuals. From mere observation, leaders I truly respect and look up to do their best effort in not wasting precious time. This shows their respect of our time and desire for us to go out and do. Leading with what appears to be an outline is no easy task, especially when ideas come up or the conversations steer away; however, this leadership value is one I highly treasure and acknowledge as a way of showing respect to those who willfully allow me to lead them.
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The Leader in Me
Prior to my study abroad experience and this class, I knew absolutely nothing about myself as a leader; however, after discovering my strengths and values, I now hold a crystal clear idea for who I am as a leader. I am strong in the areas of wooing, communicating, activating, and being strategic and responsible as a leader. The strength I need to develop even more so to achieve my vision of approaching every obstacle with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective, harboring a positive attitude in the good and bad circumstances, and utilizing my time wisely with those I am leading in a manner that keeps everyone hopeful of the best outcome possible is strategy. A seemingly simple plan of action to help me develop my strategic area is to trust my intuitive insights as often as possible. I sometimes face a mental block and come to a lack of words to explain my ideas, but this plan of action leads me to believe that even with this problem, my intuitions are created by my brain that instinctively anticipates and projects. I believe that once I sharpen this strength, it will assist me in maintaining the enthusiasm, fresh perspective and positive attitude needed to carry out my vision because I will be able to easily develop an alternative plan of action, if necessary.
My strengths show me, as redundant and obvious as it may already sound, my strongpoints in the field of leadership; however, they have given me confidence as a flourishing leader. I now know what specific areas I hold the most power and ability in, such as creating conversation and meeting new people or accomplishing a task that I vowed to finish. I also discovered a leadership model that will guide me in my journey to achieve my vision. The connections made between the curriculum in class abroad and at UGA, my strengths, my values, and developing vision have shown me what I can use that is already in my leadership toolbox to successfully lead in whatever it is that I may do.
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Developing my Leadership Vision What differentiates an effective leader from an instructor? This simple Chinese proverb presents the answer perfectly,
“Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow.” The word “wild” shows that a person can lead both familiar people and complete strangers, as long as they present confidence in their plan, as the wild duck does in their choice of direction in flight. Since my first leadership class in South Africa, I have put together and been adding to what I call a “toolbox”, which holds my strengths, values, and much more that will allow me to be prepared for any leadership situation. My strengths teach me how I can approach the people I wish to lead. My values show me to never settle for mediocrity when leading, as I prize curiosity and zest, and to set an example for those who follow me, presenting them with the integrity that lies within me. My hopes and dreams hit me in the face and made themselves prevalent on this self-discovery journey. My wish is to make a difference in this world can only be done with the help of others, and their help will remain if I my leadership skills remain true, caring and passionate throughout the process of reaching these goals and plans I have to change the world.
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Leadership Vision Reflection
Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “A leader is a dealer in hope”. My vision for myself as a future leader involves approaching any task with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective, harboring a positive attitude in the good and bad circumstances, and utilizing my time with those I am leading wisely in a manner that keeps everyone hopeful of the best outcome possible. My statement appears vivid, for my values are present and a mental image appears—the image of me keeping my morals close to my heart as I lead in the future. My strengths shine through my statement— strategic and activator— compelling me to follow my vision, for the words in the statement mimic the thoughts in my head and feelings in my heart towards leadership. My vision statement challenges me to continue leading with a purpose, but presents a new obstacle of leading with my head held high, no matter what occurs throughout the life I will lead as a leader. In reference to the Chinese proverb that states “Not the cry, but the flight of a wild duck, leads the flock to fly and follow”, leadership means to take action, to do above and beyond what you expect of others, and to avoid the placing of boundaries on those you can and cannot lead. My leadership statement envisions me leading with zest, optimism, and purpose—the values and traits I believe will mold me into a sharp, strong future leader.
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In a personal development class like the one structured by Terry’s Institute for Leadership Advancement, it is essential to know what areas you succeed in, as well as the areas that could use some improvement and deal with in caution. Upon the completion of several assessments and tests, I have narrowed down both the strong and weak aspects of my leadership traits.
The Keirsey Sorter is designed to show what personality people have, identifying them to one from pool of four different temperaments and sixteen types of people. According to the assessment feedback report, “this report is designed to help you understand how the needs and preferences of your temperament shape who you are and how you behave. Based on more than 50 years of research by Dr. David W. Keirsey, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II has been completed by millions of people worldwide”. With this test, I was able to discover the following about myself:
a
Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results:
Idealist Champion: ENFP 29
Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results and Summary
My results say that I have an Idealist Temperament, and as an Idealist, I am an enthusiastic individual who finds joy in meaningful relationships as well as the world around them. People with the Idealist Temperament pride themselves on being authentic. All of these I believe to be true of myself, as I truly enjoy building relationships past the surface level and making them meaningful. Also, we are diplomatic people, letting others know of their importance and value. Before taking this survey, I was working with an organization and was seen as the leader throughout the process. After several hours directing others and working on my own project, I took time to myself to drive around and step away from the work zone. I read that Idealists struggle to do that, which I also agree with, but I am working to improve that. One thing that I found not to be so true was that Idealists are tireless talkers and want to tell others about their achievements. Since coming to college, this is something I’ve worked and think I have cured myself of. The factors I want to enhance and grow upon are dwelling on “inappropriate” ideas, thinking out of the box, and supporting wild ideas. As a person who has envisioned himself working for Disney creatively, I value and treasure these traits that I have discovered to possess. Thinking outside of the box and letting the mind run freely are necessary in the thought process in order to reach a remarkable or “WOW” finished product. What I wish to fix and alter about my leadership style is to be aware that there is a time where being over-enthusiastic isn’t a good thing, jumping from idea to idea and project to project can negatively affect the work process and being a pot-stirrer. As someone who has a hard time sitting still and focusing, I am self aware that these areas need to be fixed, or calmed. Not everyone thinks as rapidly and randomly as I do, and that’s something to be aware of when working with a diverse group of people. Through the Keirsey assessment, I confirmed that my hopeful work environment was actually ideal and best fitting for my personality. From brainstorming with others, to adding variety to the mix, and to be expected to have innovative, fresh ideas—this is exactly how I envisioned my future “typical day in the office” to look like. I also learned that being different from others is inevitable. To work cohesively and efficiently, people should focus on their personality strengths and be aware and conscientious of the areas of their personality that don’t necessarily need to be fixed, but could certainly be improved upon. In summary, I learned that what Keirsey asks of us before taking the assessment should be used in all aspects of life—act as we naturally would instead of altering ourselves so that we can meet the standards we believe others expect of us and be who we wish were.
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Keirsey Temperament Sorter Results and Summary
“Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can offer with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Strength Development Inventory The Strength Development Inventory (SDI) is an assessment that assists people in identifying the strengths that they possess in relation to others under two conditions. These conditions deal with situations when everything is running smoothly and going well, but also when the situation causes conflict to arise. The “deployment” in SDI means to move strategically or to take a position for effective action. The SDI suggests that one’s personal strengths may be used to improve relationships with others. Also, the SDI is not a test where one’s answers are either right or wrong. It is an inventory for taking stock of motivational values, or how one feels and behaves in different scenarios.
Motivational Value System: Assertive-Nurturing Conflict Sequence: Flexible-Cohering
According to this inventory, I am in the Red-Blue, or Assertive-Nurturing, category for calmer situations. With this motivational value system, I enjoy being of assistance through my leadership and have the ability to delegate others as necessary. I find the most pleasure and reward when others find me to be both strong and friendly deserving of recognition and appreciation, and the opportunity to lead others for their betterment. I would say that is definitely true. Whenever I start a project, I become heavily immersed in, and because of that, work tirelessly to make sure it’s a job well done. The way I find contentment in knowing it was a successful accomplishment is by having others tell me and reassure me. This was the case with UGA HEROs WOW week, which is a week long recruitment week that I planned and oversaw, which became my “baby”, if you will. In the end, we recruited 1300+ philanthropists. I felt it was a successful week, not because of the number of new members, but because others told me that they felt it was successful. Also, I take pleasure in being around and working with people who are decisive and have a game plan for what they want to accomplish and how exactly they’re going to do it.
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Strength Development Inventory For Red, I believe that being self-confident is a good strength to carry. It is important for a leader to believe to back up their actions and words, and sometimes they have to do so on the spot. I believe that having self confidence assists in this, along with knowing that you have the ability to reach your goal and effectively lead a group of people. However, it is important to not come across as arrogant, which is what I have been careful of recently, especially since I am now in a much higher leadership position in my organization. As for Blue, I think it is important to be trusting and giving those who you are leading the reigns to do make their own decisions, and later consulting you about said decisions, but it has to be done carefully so that those who you are leading do not take advantage of you and consider their leader to be a gullible one. In situations of conflict, I was labeled as a Red–[Blue Green]. Identifying more with red, I rise to the challenge being presented and fight off those in opposition, and continue to fight for my life in order to win the battle. This conflict sequence has actually been an issue recently in UGA HEROs, because I tend to argue and defend my thoughts and opinions, but do so with a close mind. If I continue to do so, I won’t be able to take in some of the ideas that might end up being successful and beneficial for our organization.
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Emotional Intelligence According to the testing site, this emotional intelligence test consists of two parts; a self-report portion and an ability portion. The test assess your capacity to: recognize your own emotions and those of others; understand how best to motivate yourself; become close to others; and manage your own feelings and those of others.
EQ Score: 110 Percentile Score: 77 When looking over the list of strengths that the assessment believed to be true to me, I found that ruminating, but not excessively doing so, showing resilience and hardiness, being driven towards further self development, rising above minor issues, and maintaining a healthy level of self esteem were some of my greatest emotional intelligence strengths. When it comes to areas that I need to improve upon, I agree completely with the assessment when it says I need to work on being flexible, controlling impulse needs, struggling to act independently, being more assertive. I believe this feedback is extremely true. As far as strengths go, I often take time to sit back and take it all in, or ruminate. Whether it’s after a successful event, like UGA HEROs WOW Week, or a victory between the hedges, like this past weekend with LSU—taking a moment to mentally go over and think about the successes and failures of the event. When ruminating about events, or even my own faults, I also make sure that I don’t focus on it for too long and too be able to move on. I’ve been told that true emotion lasts for a few seconds, and if the emotion continues, it’s selfinflicted. I think rising above minor issues is a strength I’ve recently gained, as I’ve worked on developing it and making it even stronger since I started college three years ago. Seeing as to how this strength has developed over time, I know that there’s hope that I can further develop and work on the areas that need improvement. Reading through the feedback, I believe that I do need to work on controlling my impulse needs. Quite often, I’ll quickly say something for the satisfaction of getting it off my tongue, or I’ll use my credit card with the thought, “future Ryan will have to pay for this, it’ll be his problem then.” The feedback received from this assessment is very true, in both strengths and weaknesses. I am aware of them, but it’s always refreshing to be reminded of what we excel in and what could be fixed, especially when reminded of areas that could be improved.
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Emotional Intelligence
The challenges I will face in my academic and leadership experiences ahead all revolve around interactions with people. According to the assessment, I am stronger in the area of understanding and perceiving my emotions, allowing me to know how to control myself if something goes wrong because I don’t want to come off with a bad attitude or be a “Debbie Downer”. I believe this is key to working well with others. Throughout my collegiate career, I will be working in cohorts for my advertising and graphic design courses. Having the skill of knowing what exactly I’m feeling will allow for an easier process when communicating and expecting things from people because I’ll know when it’s time to take a breather and when it’s time to step up and take control with my emotions intact. The information I received from this assessment has taught me what I can bring to the table in situations where I’m challenged, like working in groups, but it also caused me to focus on what should be improved upon and what I need to be weary of when working closely with people. I need to make sure to not always make logical conclusions, but to feel out the emotions of others, as well as myself, when making decisions. I also need to keep my head up, even during trying times, so the morale of the team stays high. The two areas I want to focus on to enhance my personal and leadership effectiveness are the ones that the assessment gave me the lowest score for—Emotional Facilitation of Thought and Ego Maturity. Once I succeed in these areas, I will be a more flexible person in both my schedules and opinions, be more assertive, knowing it’s okay not to hold back, and I will be free to act independently. This assessment has brought to my attention limitations that I have, but often put in the back of my mind and tend to ignore—it’s time for a change
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Emotional Intelligence Graph Results
Interviews and Feedback When I think of effective leadership and the people who instilled the definition of it in me, relationships come to mind. Joanna Harbin, the Director of Global LEAD Cape Town 2012, talked to us about how important it is to get to know and discover new things about people when trying to successfully lead them. Jacob Naviaux, current Terry Institute for Leadership Advancement Scholar, told me that he believes in order to effectively lead others, one must figure out what it is that those he is attempting to lead want. He got this idea from a book he read about leadership and making friends, unfortunately I cannot remember the title of said book. Lastly, I asked Dr. Huber what was the best advice he had for our class while taking this course. He replied with, “be engaged.” Dr. Huber began to discuss the importance of staying engaged in class, discussions and the ropes course to gain from others experiences and to better understand them. Effective leadership occurs when a leader takes the time to mold and build a meaningful relationship with the people he or she is constantly delegating with. Without people, a leader has no one to lead.
“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” —Walt Disney
Three Qualities of an Effective Leader
Joanna, Jacob and Dr. Huber have all impacted my leadership style, but the three characteristics of effective leadership that have had the biggest impression on me have come from Joanna. Joanna maintains a smile facing, cool and collected composure at all times—no matter the situation. She recruits students to join her on the trip that she plans, so she has developed excellent people skills. The effective leadership characteristics that Joanna obtains are approachability, active listening and a welcoming personality. No matter what she is doing or what’s going on in her personal life, Joanna will drop all that she is doing (which is typically a lot) to sit and talk to you about whatever it is that may be going on. Her students were very aware of this trait, and often took advantage of it so that they could not only vent, but so that they could get to know Joanna. She was always extremely approachable, making her seem like less of a higher power, but more of a friend. Whenever she talked to me, she never checked her phone (granted, we were in Africa), asked me to pause, or even looked around. She locked eyes with mine and you could tell by her head nods and expressions that she was truly listening and processing what it was that I had to say. Finally, Joanna and I had never spoken face to face, so the first time I met her was when I first stepped off the plane in Africa. Joanna had already matched my name with my face, hugged me, and made me question if I had met her before. These three characteristics are the ones that I try to emulate everyday, as they greatly affected my personal view of leadership.
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Interview Responses Before interviewing the five people I chose, who I will later talk about and explain their titles, I asked them to list off what they thought were the most important qualities of an effective leader. I italicized the characteristics that were similar to the ones I listed to be of utmost importance. Also, I would like to preface the feedback portion of this portfolio by clarifying that these interviews took place via email and have not been tampered with, for they are in the true form that I received them.
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Chelsea Truesdell Center for Leadership and Service Advisor Relationship focused, good listener, and someone who takes initiative What are my three greatest personal strengths? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrate each of these strengths?
Ryan’s 3 greatest strengths are his humor, dependability, and creativity. I loved seeing Ryan grow throughout his second year as a Dawg Camp counselor, because he was committed to the program but never took things too seriously. Dawg Camp is a program that is centered around acclimating students to the university, and we have a lot of fun. Ryan was willing to put himself out there so other students felt comfortable modeling this fun-loving attitude. Ryan is incredibly dependable. Despite being involved in a number of time-consuming student organizations, Ryan was always on time and fully present in our training sessions. Ryan is creative and great at thinking outside of the box. Rather than just doing what’s always been done, Ryan thinks about his actions critically and puts his own spin on things. This further shows his high level of commitment to his involvements.
How will the three strengths you identified help me be a more effective leader?
I think that Ryan’s humor and overall persona attracts people to him; he’s fun and silly so people enjoy being around him. Being able to form friendships with those you’re leading is an awesome characteristic, because when people are personally invested in relationships, they are more likely to be committed to the group. Further, Ryan’s dependability “models the way” for those he leads. When he shows up on time and stays invested, others follow suit and the organization improves.
What are my three greatest personal weaknesses? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrated this limiting behavior or weakness?
I can’t think of three weaknesses- the only thing I could say is sometimes you don’t share the ideas you have (likely because you don’t want to come off as too controlling or overpowering). Being a returning DC staff member, you presented yourself as approachable for new staff, but I think you could have offered your opinions more because you had great things to share!
How might the weaknesses you identified impact my leadership effectiveness?
I think that finding a balance between being that expert and being a team player is tough. Those that you lead probably want to see you as someone with more knowledge than them, so offering your two cents more readily will likely improve their experience because they won’t make the same mistakes you did.
Margaret Hancock Dawg Camp Executive Director 2012 Humility, having a vision, and good communication What are my three greatest personal strengths? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrate each of these strengths?
You are a People person. You work really well with different types of people and are awesome at building relationships. You are goal focused. When it comes to getting the job done, I would depend on you because I know you are committed to the task at hand and will make sure that the job is competed when it has your name on it. You are extremely energetic and outgoing. It is often difficult to keep a team or group motivated over a long period of time, but whether it is a meeting, or throughout a semester, you always know how to “rally the troops” and constantly boost people’s morale!
How will the three strengths you identified help me be a more effective leader?
Your ability to stay goal focused is an incredible skill to have, because as a leader, it will allow you to stay focused on your overall vision and continue to lead others in the right direction. Your ability to build lasting relationships and continue to create a positive atmosphere with your outgoing personality creates an environment where people feel welcomed and want to be a part of the team. Your positivity creates an overall healthier atmosphere for the group.
What are my three greatest personal weaknesses? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrated this limiting behavior or weakness?
Because you are so welcoming and have a larger than life attitude, that could come across as intimidating to individuals who may not respond well to extroverts. This could also be a problem with people thinking you are being genuine in your responses and actions. Because you are so friendly, open, honest, and transparent, you sometimes can forget the audience you are around and make comments in jest that your friends may realize is humor, but others may not. This could be perceived wrong by parties who aren’t as close to you or know your humor.
How might the weaknesses you identified impact my leadership effectiveness? Described in previous answers.
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Todd Sichelstiel Father Confidence (in self), compassion (for ones under your leadership), and commitment (in achieving goal or goals set) What are my three greatest personal strengths? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrate each of these strengths? Imagination, Creativity, Positive attitude
How will the three strengths you identified help me be a more effective leader?
Leaders need vision and a thought process to achieve that vision. Of course people want and follow positive leaders with good attitudes.
What are my three greatest personal weaknesses? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrated this limiting behavior or weakness?
Knowing when to say no, too busy, too many commitments. Sorry I honestly can’t think of any other weaknesses other than you need to be more like your Dad, and also love Zoe as much as you love Asa.
How might the weaknesses you identified impact my leadership effectiveness? Too many tasks or commitments jeopardize one or all of the 3-C’s of leadership.
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Dumbi Ogbechie Friend/Co-Counselor Authenticity, inclusivity, and being purposeful What are my three greatest personal strengths? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrates each of these strengths? 1. Positive energy - The ability to keep an upbeat attitude as well as be infectious and welcoming, it’s similar to that “light” that people have that’s untraceable and that can’t be replicated 2. Ability to be inclusive - Does a fantastic job of rallying the group and creating a good atmosphere amongst people 3. Extremely driven/passionate - everyone around Ryan knows exactly the things he is passionate about (in a positive way). In his organizations that he’s a part of, he shows a lot of devotion and commitment not only when things are going well, but also under straining circumstances
How will the three strengths you identified help me be a more effective leader?
By having these strengths, Ryan is a more effective leader because many of his strengths pair with the 3 key characteristics to being an effective leader, for example: Authenticity is really exemplified through his positive energy Inclusivity - I’ve always seen him do a great job of gathering members together and making everyone feel included, creating a more welcoming and open atmosphere and eventually fostering an effective leadership environment Being purposeful - by being extremely driven in all that Ryan does, he never seems to lack purpose in the reason why he’s doing things - setting a clear goal for whatever he is leading
What are my three greatest personal weaknesses? What do you see and hear me doing that demonstrated this limiting behavior or weakness?
Afraid to disappoint - sometimes when focused on others, its easy to become so focused on delivering that it can build too much pressure Sometimes may be stretched too thinly, take more time to recharge yourself! It’s something that is a common weakness for me as well so it’s easy for me to note it in others as well.
How might the weaknesses you identified impact my leadership effectiveness?
I think it may drive you to push yourself too hard, which could compromise effectiveness as a leader if too focused on trying not to disappoint and stretching yourself to thin.
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Eric Johnson Director of the UGA Visitors Center Vision, integrity, and kindness Your strengths and weaknesses:
You are delightfully, enthusiastically creative. You are eager to dive into a project and make it awesome. We threw that piñata project at you on short notice, but you didn’t flinch. You seemed delighted by the opportunity. And you made it great. You were just as earnest when I mentioned a logo project I needed help with, and you took the initiative to create something for me. You have a warm personality. You smile and connect authentically with others. It’s clear you are a loyal and beloved friend. Peers enjoy your presence and respect your input. You care and aren’t afraid to show it. When you missed our meeting last weekend, you seemed genuinely disappointed in yourself. I appreciated that you sought us out to discuss it rather than waiting on us to call you. I’ve been watching the way others have responded to your leadership with UGA HEROs. I’m impressed. You clearly have applied your creative vision there, but you’ve gotten others on board with you. You are a very strong communicator. You speak with confidence and authority, and there’s a twinkle in your eye that charms and endears.
Weaknesses? I don’t see any glaring problems. If I could come up with three obvious weaknesses, I probably wouldn’t have hired you… The obvious concern at the moment is the worry that you might have too much on your plate. But I think that’s just this moment. A leader has to learn to say “no” and prioritize. As you’re taking on projects or responsibilities, at some point you’ve got to say that if it’s not a “Hell, yes!”, it’s okay to say “no”, even to noble and worthwhile things.
Of course, you’re young enough and free enough to take on a lot. You can start narrowing down your priorities soon enough once you lock in on what is most important to you. Keep on doing what you’re doing. Keep getting better. Don’t worry about the expectations of others. The only competition that ever matters is the competition between who you are now and who you want to become.
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Interview Review Strengths
Creativity/Imagination
Like most of my PDLP, I have identified creativity to be what I find to be most important in all aspects of my life. It is very refreshing to hear from others that they believe that this strength is one of my greatest. Whether it’s writing skits for Dawg Camp or thinking of new ways to tour the visitors of the University of Georgia, I always strive to think of new ideas that have never been pursued or followed through with before in order to make a new, revitalized experience, not only for me, but others as well. “I like the challenge of trying different things and wondering whether it’s going to work or whether I’m going to fall flat on my face.” —Johnny Depp
Outgoing/People-Person
As someone who scored a 9 out of 10 on the extroverted scale for the Keirsey Assessment, it’s no surprise that others saw me as someone who is rejuvenated and recharged by spending time with or around others. Even as a child, I would be scolded for constantly talking to my peers in class, and that same issue stands today—my professors just can’t take away my recess time now. If I was given the option to never be alone again or to always have someone with me, I would without a doubt choose to always have someone with me. I wouldn’t choose this option because of the fear of growing lonely, but because I genuinely enjoy the company and story’s of others. “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.” —William Butler
Positive Attitude
This strength is one that has been that I have had to put a lot of work and effort into, but one that I feel I have reaped the most benefits from. I have discovered that when I see life as “the glass being half full”, people gravitate towards me, which goes hand in hand with my strength of being an outgoing people-person. With that, I genuinely feel better about myself and the life I’m living. Who doesn’t want that? “You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream of things that never were, and I say “why not?” —George Bernard Shaw
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Interview Review Weaknesses
Over-Committed
When approached with a request or an opportunity, I can’t say no. It’s something of struggled with for as long as I can remember. Since I love people and want to please them, I find it difficult to deny them of service. Both my father and boss have had in-depth conversations about my need to please, and in each conversation, I could picture bricks being lifted off of my shoulders as I began to think about what obligations I have that don’t make me say, “Hell Yeah!” Slowly but surely, I’ve started to find what makes me come alive and invest heavily in that, rather than giving a little of my time to multiples facets of life. It’s a work in progress, but most importantly—it’s in progress. “The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” —Tony Robbins
Too Extroverted/Energetic
Whenever I get excited, I have a hard time restraining that feeling. When I express it, it’s often extremely enthusiastic, which can turn people off. Other times, I speak with thinking of what I’m about to say. After acting as a Dawg Camp counselor for the past two years, I have been become extremely aware of what I’m saying when I am in the presence of mentees and those who are younger than me. I will focus on keeping this mindset when I am around friends, peers and acquaintances, for they deserve the same respect. “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” —Napoleon Hill
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Directed Outcome #1 I want to be a better and active listener, who can listen and take in what others have to say without sharing my argument or point of view. I’ve been told that the more creative you are, the more trouble you have focusing and the easier you get distracted. As a person with several leadership roles throughout campus, it’s extremely important for the organization and the people that I hone in on them and actively listen to what they have to say—opinions, suggestions, thoughts, critiques, etc. There are two reasons as to why this needs to be accomplished. The first reason on improving my listening skills is for the betterment of the organization. If I want members to buy into the cause, I have to buy in to the members. I can do this by constantly reminding myself, in every conversation and meeting we have, that I am nothing but the skeleton of the organization—they are the flesh. Without them and their help, the organization does and accomplishes nothing. Secondly, I want to people to feel comfortable to approach me in situations of need. Recently, I had a run in with a peer who accused me of not actively listening to her and immediately fighting back and defending myself against anything negative she had to say. As her director, it is in my role description to be available to my committee members in case they need to discuss any issues they might be having. While being available is one matter, listening to the issue is another. In situations where I feel as if I’m being attacked or torn down, I need to mentally step back and remind myself that I feel this way because I care so much about the organizations I’m involved in, that I take it personally when people criticize the work that goes into it, which is intended to improve it. If I make myself approachable and refrain from acting defensively, more people will come to me with their concerns, which will in turn lead to a better, more efficient organization, allowing for a trusting and comfortable environment with even greater outcomes than before.
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Directed Outcome #1 Chart
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Directed Outcome #2 I want to find the people, organizations, and moments in life that make me come alive and invest heavily in them. On my tours of the University of Georgia, I always encourage the prospective students to practice “depth not breadth,” meaning spend a lot of time focusing on a few things rather than being involved in many things and only being able to give a little time to each of them. Truth be told, it is easier said than done. At the beginning of my sophomore year, around the time when I decided to commit to my first love—graphic design and art, I also spent time filtering out the things in my life that I wasn’t 110% ecstatic about. I began exiting and putting my time with organizations to a close. It’s not in organizations best interest, nor is it fair to them, to have someone on board who has other organizations or dilemmas on their mind during that organization’s meeting time. Don’t get me wrong; this wasn’t an easy task by any means. I even did the same sort of cleaning-out with friends. I found that I began to act and think like people I spent my time with, so why spend time with pessimists who bring me down? With this outcome, I will be able to concentrate on the aspects of my life that bring me the most joy. For too long I have settled with mediocrity, but that is about to change for the betterment of myself and well-being. Doing this will allow me to seek out the things and people I love, invest a majority of my time in them, and find pure bliss in the life ahead of me.
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Directed Outcome #2 Chart
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Directed Outcome #3 I want to be proud of who I am and my accomplishments, without thinking of past failures. I find this to be rather humorous that this is the last outcome I listed to work on. This has been an issue that has been in my life for as long as I can remember. I constantly compare myself to other people, only seeing what they have and what I wish was mine. Why am I not as tall as my younger brother? Why wasn’t I selected for that position? Why am I not as funny as my roommate? More often than not, I see the good in others, but grow envious of these characteristics. Today was our last day in the ILA 4100 class. Thinking about where I was on a leadership level in August and comparing it to now, I know I have grown and developed as a leader. We ended the class with closing remarks and lessons taught to us, and then had a moment to share with the class what we had learned this semester. One of my peers and dear friend said, “This class has taught me to find joy in myself, through both my strengths and weaknesses. I know what I excel at and I know which personal qualities need more attention and extra care when going through those situations. Basically, I’ve learned to accept and love the person I have become.” With changing my constant comparing thoughts, I will be able to be more true to the leader I have become and am still developing. By viewing other people’s strengths and desiring to make them my own, I am being far from an authentic leader. Making a conscious effort to stay true to my authentic self will result in respect and appreciation from those I am both leading and following. “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” —C.G. Jung
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Directed Outcome #3 Chart
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