Steward and Servant Leadership

This is the first assessment where I'm going to disagree with my answers. I received a four in both the Steward and Servant Leadership Category. From personal experience and because I refuse to accept that I am both, I'm going to say that my score for Steward Leadership is lower than my servant leadership, or at least it should be.

Throughout all of the leadership opportunities I have had, I prefer to serve the needs for others; to help them grow and focus my attention on them rather than myself. Even with the current Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG) Process that is going on, I focus on making sure the candidates are still going to class, staying on top of their sleeping and that the general student population is aware that there is an election going on (I guess in the past, people didn't know about it...). Throughout this whole process, the only recognition I am asking for is for dinner for team, a resolution from Senate and that everyone involved in NISG signs thank you cards that I have for them. They are the ones that have done the work, they put in the time and effort and I was the one that provided the means for them to do so.

This is not an isolated example of the type of leadership role that I take on. I prefer to serve the group, to give the group a means to accomplish what they wish to. I dislike recognition, especially in a leadership role you volunteered for and is considered to be part of a job. I think of it as doing the job, doing what needs to be done rather than being a leader.

Even though I have numerous examples of Servant Leadership, I also have examples of Stewardship. I like consulting with others and having their inputs on decisions, I don't like making big decisions based only on my way of thinking. In this sense, I am thankful for the diverse ideas that I have encountered at the University of Northern Iowa. I think bringing in a diverse population, with different backgrounds and different opinions, is the way to be a steward leader. By providing a way for these individuals to discuss issues and collaborate. I especially try to do this in the work place. Often times when people are doing as task they don't realize how that fits into the bigger picture. By bringing in these ideas and gaining their insight and input, it helps foster a fantastic sense of community, but better ways of doing things come about.