Steven Arriaza
Psychology and Business Administration
Leadership
My Views
I believe leadership is the philosophy of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your peers and incorporating them in useful ways to accomplish a goal. The act of leading is different from person to person, but the standard measurement of a good leader remains the same. I believe a good leader is someone who combines the talents of many and encourages growth and perseverance in a group or organization.
Mentor Philosophy
My Mentor Philosophy
In the spring of 2017 I explored philosophical topics such as knowledge, experience, and emotional intelligence to explore my own mentor philosophy.
This course encouraged growth through the reading and discussion of works from Plato and Dewey. A mentee was assigned to each mentor and the exploration of concepts discussed in class was encouraged. The material covered in class as well as experiences outside the classroom form the basis for this essay. The insights learned have shaped my views on philosophy and the mentoring relationship, some of which I reflect upon in this essay.
Leadership
My Experiences
Throughout my time in the Honors program I have learned different theories of leadership and I have put myself in multiple leadership positions. Some of which include:
Vice President of Psi/Chi
Vice President of The Psychology Club
Junior Class Representative for the MSU Honors Program
President of the Spanish Club
My philosophy has always been to adapt to each situation and to seek consistent progress from myself and others. The following reflections show the progression of my views on leadership and some examples of how I have implemented my leadership skills.
Discovering Leadership
Why I Have Always Been A leader
I first began to analyze what leadership is during my Introduction to Honors class in the Spring of 2016. The focus during this class was to gain a broader understanding of what different styles of leadership look like. We did this by analyzing our individual characteristics and comparing them to real world leaders. Before thinking about the matter at length I did not consider myself a leader. However, after exploring the subject further I realized the many different qualities that many great leaders can have. In the essay I make an argument for what I believe leadership is and what it is not and I identify the qualities that I possess as a leader. Most importantly, I come to realization that I have always been a leader.