REFLECTIVE BEST SELF PORTRAIT- PART 1

SURVEY:
Below is a list of those surveyed. I sent 17 email requests with 6 questions relating to my strengths, stories of me in
scenarios they felt proved my strengths, gifts I could contribute to the world, professions they could see me succeeding
in and activities that I was enthusiastic about. I felt these questions would really get to the heart of my best self by
painting a picture of who I really am in everyone elses eyes. Initially, I felt very awkward requesting what I believed to
be compliments from my friends, family, mentors, coworkers and subordinates. I was also slightly fearful that they
may not have a lot of positive to say. Fortunately, I was proven wrong and I can now see that this exercise helped
confirm things that I believed in myself. This gave me more confidence that I should be my authentic self and play to
my strengths as a leader.

NAME

RELATIONSHIP

RESPONDED TO FEEDBACK

JOSHUA
CHERYL
JAMES
ALICE
STEPHEN
CHRISTOPHER
JESSE
AMI
DONALD
ALEXIS
KALI
KIMBERLY

DELETED FOR WEBSITE SECURITY PURPOSES

Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y

BILLIE
ZACH
JOHN
STELLA
JAMES

Y
Y
Y
N
N

ANALYSIS:
I gathered 6 common themes from the 14 (of 17 people) responses I received and provided examples from those
responses. I then interpreted the data using what I learned in class and discussed how Ive applied my strengths to my
life. After receiving feedback, I felt more inspired and reenergized that I have been the person that I believe to be and
in some cases even more. I think that the military focuses on how to improve weaknesses and ultimately led me to
question my leadership at times. But this positive feedback made me reflect back on how I used my strengths in
situations and realized I was often times quite successful. It was interesting to see that some of the leadership articles
and theories aligned with aspects of my leadership.

COMMON THEME

EXAMPLES FROM SOURCES

INTERPRETATION

Positive, optimistic

Sense of humor and positive outlook

even in the face of a negative situation
Attitude and positive view can influence
and inspire people to perform at their
best
Contagious enthusiasm
Contagious energy
Positive but grounded in realistic
expectations

According to Goleman (2011), people

with high motivation remain
optimistic even when the score is
against them. I have the ability to
believe that everything will work out
in the end and that fuels my
motivation and enthusiasm; because
in nearly all cases Ill learn
something from it. This is a powerful
aspect of my personality because I
can use it to motivate others.

Loyalty, honesty, integrity

Social/Empathetic

Willingness to stand up and speak her

mind for what is right or just; does not
believe in agreeing to something that
goes against her values
Loyal; 3 surveyed responded with this
Trustworthy
Strong character with moral integrity
Not a gossip or a politician

Sense of humor and great with people

Likeable to everyone
Kind and engaging
Astute to social situations and good
about including people
Ability to read people and their
intentions
Empathy; ability to understand other
peoples condition and feel what they
are feeling
Stands up for the little guy
Willingness to help others
Friendly and caring
Empathetic and good and thinking of
other persons perspective
Altruistic; concern for the well-being of
others without regard for self

According to George (2011), values

form the basis for authentic
leadership, but true values are not
known until tested under pressure.
And leadership principles are values
translated into action. Many of those
surveyed witnessed me act under
intense pressure. I believe that even
under pressure, my values of
integrity and loyalty dominate my
decision-making. Integrity is
particularly important to me as I
want my actions to align with my
words, and in doing so make me
more authentic.
Social skill is friendliness with a
purpose (Goleman, 2011).
Friendliness and caring for people in
the work environment enables me to
build rapport.
Goleman (2011) says that empathy is
considering others feelings while still
making intelligent decisions. And that
team leader must be able to
understand the feelings and
viewpoints of everyone around the
table. Empathy comes very naturally
to me but it does take time and
energy. I have learned that taking the
time for this has made me a more
effective leader. People respond
better when they know you care for
their well-being.

Leadership, influence,
vision

Easily earns respect

Natural-born leader
When you have an idea and you start
the process of figuring out how to
further that idea, you are most active
and engaged
Educated, intelligent, yet humble and
approachable persona, making you both
likeable and trustworthy, a very
dynamic combination
Inspires others to push beyond selfperceived potential
Stoic leader; ability to quell anxiety
caused by events they have no control
over
Strong, confident leader
Passionate about work as a leader and
strong desire to change the world
Good at managing people
Willingness to take charge when needed
No nonsense approach to business and
work that improves efficiency
Inspire others as a mentor
Enthusiastic leader

In Discovering Your Authentic

Leadership, George, Sims, McClean,
Sims and Mayer suggest that mentors
are essential to successful leaders,
especially when they are diverse. The
several that I had have helped me
find my authentic leadership by
guiding me and making course
corrections on my path.
Additionally, my intrinsic motivation
(George 2011) derives from my values
believing that I can make a change,
rather than simply a personal
achievement.
Authentic leaders are constantly
aware of the importance of staying
grounded. Besides spending time
with family and friends, they get
physical exercise (George 2011).
Almost every person surveyed
acknowledged my passion for fitness
and the outdoors, which I believe
makes me a better leader by
providing me with a balance to my
work life. Im a happier, more
authentic leader when I have
balance.

Determination

Intellect

Will to make it no matter what

Hard working, dedicated, strong willed
Pushes self beyond self-perceived
potential
Constant drive to learn and achieve new
goals is never ending
Unstoppable attitude
Seeks challenges
Driven and focused
Disciplined
Dedication to seeing things through

Competent and smart

Educated and intelligent
Enjoys challenges and great ability to
problem solve
Rigorous academic schedule during
flight school proved intellect
Wicked intelligence

The Level 5 Leader demonstrates

unwavering resolve to do whatever
must be done to produce the best
long-term results (Collins, 2011).
Most family and friends describe me
as having unrelenting determination
and drive, which I have applied to my
work, personal, and school
environment. I have a constant drive
to do my best in everything.
In What Makes a Leader, Daniel
Goleman (2011) says leaders are
driven to achieve beyond
expectations, theirs and everyone
elses. I believe this to be true of
myself, as Im always looking for the
next challenge, believing that I can
achieve anything.
In What Makes a Leader, Daniel
Goleman (2011) points out that
everyone knows an intelligent, highly
skilled executive who fails in a
leadership position. He says that
effective leaders are ones that
combine mental intelligence with
emotional intelligence. I believe this
to be incredibly true of myself
because when I am in balance with
my emotions, people are responsive
to my leadership.

References:

Collins, J. (2011). Level 5 Leadership: The Triumph of Humility. In H. B. Review, HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Leadership. Boston,
Massachussetts: Harvard Business Review.

George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (2011). Discovering Your Authentic Leadership. In H. B. Review, HBR's 10 Must
Reads: On Leadership (p. 171). Boston, Massachussetts: Harvard Business Review.

Goleman, D. (2011). What Makes a Leader? In HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Leadership (pp. 1-21). Boston, Mass: Harvard Business
Review Press. Harvard Business Review. (2011). HBR's 10 Must Reads: On Leadership. Boston, Massachussetts: Harvard Business
Review.