Macapanas, Jessa Mae E.

BS Criminology – 4th Year

Reaction Paper #1

What kind of leader as a future Law enforcer?

As a leader, there is typically a conflict between the leader we aspire to be
and the leader we actually are. While one can determine the characteristics of the
leader they aspire to be, it is the opinions of others that largely reflects the actual
characteristics of a leader. When describing myself as a leader, I am more likely to
highlight all of my most positive attributes. While I am aware of where I fall short
as a leader, which is an important element of understanding oneself as a person and
leader, I am not as likely to highlight those negative attributes when describing my
leadership skills or style. Therefore, I am portraying the leader I aspire to be.
Alternatively, if someone else were asked about my leadership, some of their
statements might corroborate mine, while others might be vastly different. Those I
am leading have a better sense of who I actually am as a leader. Therefore, it is
important to me to be open to constructive criticism and feedback on how my
leadership style impacts others. One’s personality definitely plays a major role in
determining how a leader might describe themselves. I have found that my sense of
self and my perception of my abilities greatly shape how I characterize myself as a
leader. My personality, especially the person I aspire to be, also plays a role in
changing how I would describe myself as a leader.

As a leader, I value honesty, transparency, relationships, communication,

hardwork, and fun. Being a leader has taught me many wonderful lessons, and also
been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. When I consider that I am
being entrusted with leading others and an organization to new heights, it creates a
welcomed fear within me. While I might have visions, plans, and goals, I recognize
that sometimes, we cannot plan for certain outcomes. Yet, despite some of the
setbacks I may have encountered, I want others to describe me as a leader who was
honest and upfront. I am one of the first people to remind others that I am not
perfect, nor do I aspire to be. When I make a mistake, I aim to own up to it,
whether it be with other members of my executive board or the general
membership. Such transparency is important because it establishes a trusting
relationship between myself and others. I believe it also reminds them that they are
welcomed to make mistakes as well. I am not perfect and I do not expect them to
be either. Additionally, I want people to describe me as a leader who was relatable
and “just like them.” I am more concerned with the work that needs to get done
than the title I hold. Therefore, it was one of the best compliments I’d received
when another executive board members described me as seeming like “one of the
members.” I was proud of this comment because I want others to see me, in some
respects, as one of them. To me, it is very important as a leader to not expect my
members or others to do something that I would not do myself. Thus, when they
see me as one of them, they are able to relate to me a bit more and see me as
Charisma the person and not associate me as closely with my title. In the same
regard, I am also cautious about maintaining the respect and responsibility of
actually leading. While I want others to see me as one of them, I also want them to
respect the authority I do have in the organization. This is not to suggest that I am a
dictator or ruler, but as a president, there is a certain authority and expectation of
respect that comes with the position. I hope others are able to see me as relatable
without disrespecting me. Lastly, I want others to describe me as a leader who is
passionate and cares. It is important for me that others recognize the dedication and
passion I have for what I am leading. My philosophy is that I would rather not do
something at all if I know I cannot give it my full effort. Therefore, if others
perceive me as the leader who shows that she does not care, I feel like I am failing
at fulfilling my purpose as a leader.

My personality plays a major role in the aforementioned potential descriptions of

my leadership. I am a very goal-driven person and I believe the leader I aspire to
be, and be perceived as, is also very ambitious. While I rebuke being called
“perfect,” I have come to terms with my strong desire to be the best. I believe my
leadership descriptions also invoke this sense of wanting to be the best- I want to
be relatable to my members but also a respected authority, I want to show my
passion by being involved in everything and being an example, I want to be honest
and transparent. Ultimately, I hope to be taken seriously but also perceived as
humble. While I welcome constructive criticism, I know if a comment is too
critical, I will take it more personally than I hope. I recognize that as a person, and
as a leader, I enjoy making others happy. In my personal life, I would prefer to be
perceived in a more positive light than negative. Therefore, even in my leadership
(wanting to be accepted by others, etc.), I can detect that there is a fundamental
desire to be liked by those I am leading. I recognize that sometimes, leadership
requires making decisions that are not pleasing to everyone, and I believe I am able
to handle those situations when they arise. However, I would much rather make
most of the population happy. To me, this is merely compromising to meet the
needs of others, which is important because leadership is more about others’ needs
to me than my own. My personality also plays a role as I am a rather outgoing
person, and my desire to be relatable and establish relationships with others is
definitely reflective of this. Lastly, I would also describe myself as someone who is
very charismatic. I would hope that the way I carry myself and lead inspires
something within others. An underlying theme with all of my leadership
descriptions is this desire to be an example for others to follow. The charismatic
aspect of my personality definitely shines through in this respect.

Overall, I believe our personality plays a great role in shaping how we describe
ourselves as leaders as well as how we hope others might describe us. It is difficult
to separate one’s personality from their leadership. I can definitely see how my
personality impacts my decision-making and interactions as a leader. While I tend
to be sweet and understanding as a person and as a leader, I also have a side of me
that gets “fired up” and can be dominating and uncompromising. While I try to
keep that side of me at bay, it does come out every now and again, whether I am
passionately arguing a point on behalf of my organization or if I am upset about
something in my personal life. It is interesting to actually analyze the ways in
which our leadership is impacted by our personalities. While I have always been
aware of the correlation, I have never explicitly examined exactly how it does have
an impact.