The Epitome of Leadership by Rochelle

The Epitome of Leadership by Rochelle - May 2024 Scholarship Essay

Over the years, there have been many theories surrounding the definition of leadership, albeit I have opted for a few that correlate to my personal beliefs and what leadership means to me. To commence I would like to explore Draft’s definition of leadership which he posits as “leadership being an ever-changing discipline that fosters an influential relationship between leaders and followers, as they move toward a common goal” (Draft, 2016). Therefore, for the purposes of this essay, I will be exploring various definitions of leadership, while providing a thorough description of someone who has exemplified and demonstrated leadership in my life.

Affectionately called Ms. Smith by most, her given name is Charmaine Angela Smith. Our initial meeting occurred while working at a financial institution a few years ago. At the time she was an Assistant Manager to the accounting department, while I worked as a clerk. She had an untouchable track record and was known for her yearly outstanding performance. Charmaine was a dominant woman, who demanded attention with her presence and authority. Though she had a distinguished presence, she was also renowned for her incredible work ethic. She was like no other, her grace and approach towards her work and staff members was exemplary, which essentially influenced my choice in highlighting her as the person to demonstrate leadership in my life.

Surprisingly in 2017 while working as a Loan Origination Officer, Ms. Smith was appointed as the acting manager for my department. Initially the news was not received with jubilation, mostly among the less industrious workers who feared what was to come, knowing very well Ms. Smith’s reputation. Needless to say, Charmaine’s first approach came as a surprise to all; one by one she took each individual into her office and discussed each person’s duties and title, while also learning about us individually. I thought this was superb, no other manager or supervisor ever employed such a tactic. Upon completion of this, she held a general meeting and summarized the goals for the department, as well as the objectives for the financial year. It is my view that her approach, in this single instance, embodied the meaning of leadership as Draft described. Though the common goal for the department was to originate files in a timely manner and make 50% disbursements within the first semester, she ensured that as a leader her guide and instructions would ascend towards that. Her tactic was commendable, as she sought to foster a relationship between herself as the leader and the staff (followers) when she carried out that one on one meeting with each person. Resultant of this was our department surpassing their target for the period, later yielding our first nomination as department of the year.

A renowned goal and results oriented woman with great discipline, Charmaine would go on to enhance the qualities of each member of the department both individually and as a whole. She was a stickler for time, which helped some members become better at time management and prioritizing tasks. She changed the work environment from a place of fear to one of respect, not just for her but for the work that we were all tasked with. In some ways her technique mirrors one explained by Mindapa (2002), who describes Charmaine as “the type of leader, who focuses on individual needs and personal development, as well as one who focuses on tasks, productivity and organizational goals” (Mindapa, 2022). It is evident that, Ms. Smith was selfless in her pursuits, as she led her followers in such a way that empowered them, developing each person’s strength and weaknesses, while still focusing on the tasks and attaining productivity. She was a phenomenal leader, one who used grace and wit to better her followers all whilst achieving the organization's goals.

Under her guidance and instructions, to my surprise, Ms. Smith appointed me as the Acting Senior Supervisor for the department. It was a thrill to receive such an appointment, more so it was an honor to know that she laid the foundation for me to mature into my own leadership role. I was overjoyed, and as a result I became even more committed to my new post. As I progressed in my position, I continued to enhance and own my skills both personally and professionally. It is at this juncture that I can proclaim that leadership has no one meaning or style, rather it is better to apply what is most suitable and effective. Hence, based on my experiences with Charmaine, and the definitions supported by Draft and Mindapa, I formulated a correlation that best demonstrated what leadership means to me. Undoubtedly, Charmaine demonstrated a variety of leadership qualities throughout her tenure as my then manager. The lessons obtained from her demonstrations have continued with me presently, enabling me to secure other leadership roles in my life. I am now one of the dance teachers for the kids group at my church (though I have no prior experience dancing), I was the Secretary for my Toastmasters group among other leadership roles. I am forever grateful for having Ms. Smith exhibit what leadership means to me and I am excited that I got the opportunity to share it with you.

Daft, R. L. (2018). Leadership experience (7th ed.).Cengage learning.