To be honest, I had an extremely difficult time
determining my final elective in the MSLD program. I picked my first elective
fairly easy as I chose MGMT 535 which is a communications class. When it came
time to choose my second elective, I had a much harder time. I must admit that
I almost signed up for a logistics course. However, there is something about
the leadership classes that feel like home to me. I like the setup of the
classes and have actually grown fond of writing. The one aspect of this class
that stood as a deterrent was the service project. I would be expected to
complete the same amount of assignments while volunteering eight hours at a
local organization? I don’t think so!
I was worried that I would not find an organization
that I felt would encompass the true meaning of the project. I spoke to other
individuals who had taken the class and they mentioned that they volunteered at
animal shelters or vets. Though that sounded like a great idea, I wanted to do
something a bit different. It was not until I thought about working at a
community center that I decided to sign up for the class, and I am glad I made
the decision to take MSLD 640 as my final elective.
Though I was excited about my work with the center,
I was still a bit nervous when I arrived for my first session. I was concerned
that I would not be able to have enough information to complete the purpose of the
project. According to Nosich (2012), the purpose is the goal or mission of our
activities. In this case, the purpose was to volunteer, observe the leadership
methods, and construct a paper including what you learned about leadership, the
organization, and yourself. I have to admit once again that I was wrong.
I learned so much about the center during the eight
hours I spent there. About 30 minutes after I got to the center, the first
group of individuals arrived for their exercise class. I observed how they
greeted each other and how the employees treated them. There was a feeling of
warmth and I was able to lead simply by helping the ladies set up their
equipment. I was incorrect in the assumptions I had about the center. I
pictured a stagnant center without much life. But, what I found out was that
the center was full of activity and life. The center constantly had something
going on from card games, to exercise classes, to bingo, to chair volleyball,
to WII tournaments. It became evident within a couple of minutes that the
center was meaningful to the members of Daytona Beach Shores, Florida.
This service learning project also gave me a
different point of view about leadership. While I am at work, I view and judge
leadership by how it affects me as an employee, how it affects my department,
or how it affects the organization as a whole. Throughout this program, I have
written many great and not so great things about the leadership of my
organization, but all those thoughts came from a first person point of view. It
was great to sit back and observe leadership as if I was at a sporting event or
concert. During this service learning project, I was just a spectator to the
leadership methods at the center, and I was lucky to observe a great
organization with spectacular leadership.
The outstanding leadership started at the top with the
director’s (Roni Jackson) servant leadership. According to Rowe and Guerrero
(2013), “servant leaders place the good of the followers over their own
self-interests and emphasize follower development” (p. 256). One thing I loved
about observing leadership at the center was that servant leadership was
utilized for both the employees and the members of the center. When I arrived on the second day the director
was helping a member mark off her card for the bingo tournament because her
caretaker had to go run an important errand. This may have been a small task to
her, but as an individual simply observing her leadership methods, it was outstanding
to me. I am sure Ms. Jackson had other activities that needed to be done, but
she pushed them aside so a member could enjoy her time at the center playing
bingo.
According to Rowe and Guerrero (2013), a servant
leader has a vision for the organization. In speaking with Roni Jackson, it was
quickly evident that she had a vision for the organization and took a leap in
an effort to change the story of the center. Earlier in the course, we read
about Dickinson College and the new president’s struggle to develop a
leadership story for the college. Roni Jackson also decided to rewrite the
story of her organization. She began to bring in more activities and even
brought central Florida its first eight pickleball courts. The center became a
place of fun activities and comradery and it was evident that the members
appreciated the change.
During my time at the center, I also learned a
lesson in the Leader-Member Exchange theory of leadership. According to Rowe
and Guerrero (2013), LMX theory breaks followers into two groups- the in-group
and the out-group. Unfortunately, my organization consists of members in both
groups. However, the center told a different story. Though there were only
three employees, each follower was in the in-group. Ms. Jackson worked to
create a level of trust with each of her employees. Of course, it would be easy
to create a level of mutual trust and respect with two other people! However,
this in-group encompassed each member that walked through the door during my
tenure at the center. Each individual that spent time at the center seemed to
have a great relationship with the members of the staff. Creating an in-group
with a community center that has over 200 members is not an easy task, but it
was one that leadership wanted to accomplish at the center.
My time at the center led to my conclusion that the
organization is remarkable and the leadership cares deeply. As a leader, I
should strive for the organizational feel that the center possessed. I hope to
have the vision that Roni showed in rewriting the story of the center. I also
hope to gain the trust and respect that reciprocated from the members and
employees of the organization. I enjoyed my time at the center immensely and am
grateful for the learning opportunity. I have even volunteered to work a pickleball
tournament in October. I would like to
thank the Daytona Beach Shores Community Center, Roni Jackson, Ellen Rollins,
Sally Dodge, and the many members who welcomed me during my hours at the
center.
References
Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning To Think
Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum.Boston:
Pearson Education, Inc
Rowe, W. G. & Guerrero L. (2013). Cases in Leadership. (3rd ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA. Sage Publications, Inc.
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