1

Module 4 Core Assignment: Thematic Analysis

Ella Dragolj

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University

OGL 482: Organizational Leadership Pro-Seminar II

Dr. Jay Klagge

13 November 2021
2

Module 4 Core Assignment: Thematic Analysis

All the research gathered for this qualitative thematic self-analysis has come from my

studies throughout the organizational leadership degree program. The data comes from a variety

of assignments and assessments performed for self-reflection and applied to organizational

leadership. All data aids in reflecting on meaningful personal experiences and insights. The

various data collected are organized into specific life themes that have shaped who I am and my

future decisions regarding my professional life. Identifying these life themes helps formulate

personal purpose and mission statements, which is what this thematic analysis will conclude

with.

When I began this process, I first performed a dive into the material covered and work

completed in this course. I pulled up every assessment and assignment completed that was

relevant to my personal and professional development. My data sources from OGL 482 include

the Three Questions Assignment, Identities Exercise, Values Exercise, Dreams Exercise, Values

and Identities Exercise, Life Story Personal Narrative, Kuder Assessment, Myers-Briggs

Assessment, DISC Personality Assessment, Big Five Personality Test, and the Career Test. Once

I had all my data organized from OGL 482: Organizational Leadership Pro-Seminar II, I then

went back through my other organizational leadership courses. Reading through previous

coursework and syllabuses reminded me of the material covered, and I was able to find data from

two other courses that helped form my analysis.

Those two courses were OGL 365: Integrated Worker and OGL 340: Socrates, the Super

Worker. OGL 365 examined the behaviors of individuals in organizations, and OGL 340 focused

on uncovering the nature of work and how it provides individuals with an understanding of parts

of the meaning of human existence and fulfillment of human capabilities. In OGL 340, much of
3

the coursework was based on an assessment called the WorkSyle Patterns Inventory. My data

source from OGL 365 was the Integrated Worker Idea Exchange completed regarding

recognition at work and an extroversion/introversion assessment. The data sources I collected

from OGL 340 were from two discussion boards where I reflected on my WSP Inventory results.

The first discussion was a response to MyWSP Preference and the second was a response

to my Actual Work. After reflecting on each course, I had collected all the data I wanted to

analyze. I then went through each piece of data in detail. As I was going through each one, I

would transfer information I found relevant to a new document and labelled the information.

This began to form different categories. Each new piece of information either got a new category

or was placed in an existing one.

Beside each piece of information, I included the code indicating which data source it

belonged to. When it came to creating the codes, I came up with appropriate abbreviations for

each data source. Once I finished going through all the content and utilized this method, I had a

number of rough themes outlined with a variety of supporting and contradicting evidence. The

categories I had needed to be narrowed down further, so I repeated the process, looking over

what I had though originally, and then editing it to make more sense. Eventually, I was able to

move, add, replace, get rid of, and blend different labels I had until I was left with thirteen

themes I felt represented myself, and, therefore, what I wanted for my future.

This entire process of analyzing and coding the data was overwhelming because there

were so many pieces of evidence I had accumulated. It was a lot to digest. It was also tedious to

go comb through the evidence repeatedly, and to go through so many course materials I had not

revisited since the courses concluded. The outcome of being able to create my life themes was

worth it, however, since it gave me a lot of insight and direction for my future. The life themes I
4

was able to generate have to do with personal growth, inner harmony, taking responsibility for

my life and mental health, making a difference in others’ lives, making environments I am a part

of safe and healthy, improving organizations by doing the best I can when operating within them

from a holistic approach, collectivism and interconnectedness, academics, financial security,

overcoming challenges, culture, which career I envision for myself, and self-respect.

Data Source Data Source Citation Code Course of Source

Three Questions 3Qs OGL 482

Identities Exercise IE OGL 482

Values Exercise V OGL 482

Dreams Exercise D OGL 482

Values & Identities Exercise V&I OGL 482

Life Story Personal Narrative LSPN OGL 482

Kuder Assessment KA OGL 482

Myers-Briggs Assessment MBA OGL 482

DISC Personality Assessment DISC OGL 482

Big Five Personality Test Big5 OGL 482

Career Test CT OGL 482

Integrated Worker Idea IWIE OGL 365

Exchange

Response to MyWSP MyWSPPref OGL 340

Preference

Response to my Actual Work ResActWrk OGL 340

5

Theme 1: I seek fulfillment in life through inner harmony and constant personal growth.

Supporting Evidence

 Himes emphasizes the difference between happiness and joy, which is something I

realized I have confused until this point. (3Qs)

 Figuring out where my talents truly were helped me become better and more fulfilled in

what I am doing. (3Qs)

 My top five values were quality relationships, wisdom, ethical practice, personal

development, and stability. It seemed like all my top values were connected in that they

represent my definition of a grounded life. (V)

 All my desires seem to lead back to me being able to live my life freely and fully by

opening myself to new ventures. (D)

 I spend a lot of time on communication, a part of artistic activities, but not enough on

creating art and products like I used to do. Art, music, drama, and writing nurture a

different part of my personality that is more relaxed. (KA)

 Security was my second value listed, which I feel goes together with supervision. I want

to be employed by a stable organization because I seek stability in all areas of my life.

(KA)

 My desire to be a leader in my career pushes my ambition and personal growth. (IE)

 I am constantly working on myself to be the best I can be, and it is the most beneficial for

my career. (IE)
6

 As far back as I remember, I have always been one to constantly be at turmoil if I felt

imbalanced in my life, and that was usually due to struggling with my fit in society and

my mental health. (V)

 All these values have to do with personal growth and living your best quality life, or at

least constantly working toward that. (V)

 I would say that the way these various roles influence the way I see the world through my

greater perception of others, my empathy, and my desire to be grounded. (V&I)

 All these roles utilize my passions for culture, others, personal development, and wisdom.

(V&I)

 Once I can balance my various roles effectively, I will find that stability I value, too.

(V&I)

 I watched my father, who was an extremely happy, outgoing, energized man, turn into a

shell of the person I remembered him being. He was always exhausted, and it affected the

way he treated others, even though he tried his best not to let it. (LSPN) 

 They provided better for me than their parents did for them, and I want to continue the

upward trend. (LSPN)

 I strive for personal growth and inner harmony. (LSPN)

 Prioritizing my personal growth helps me stay on track with my goals. (LSPN)

 I would like to be well-rounded in all orientations because I see value in all of them.

Improving and practicing skills is a big part of leadership and flexibility. (ResActWrk)

Contradictory Evidence
7

 This assessment made me aware that I can have a tendency to view conclusions as logical

only when they support my feeling side’s values. It makes me view other conclusions as

inferior due to this “logic”, but it is actually clouded. I need to make sure I do not only

base my logic on what supports those values. (MBA)

 It was nice to see that my artistic side was reflected in my skills because that is something

I have regretfully been neglecting somewhat. (KA)

 I scored in the middle for agreeableness and natural reactions. Making sense of this, I

believe I can sometimes be stubborn, competitive, and proud, which is not good for

agreeableness, but, more often, I am cooperative, eager to please, and compassionate.

Also, when it comes to natural reactions, I can experience negative emotional reactions

and anxiety, but I can also be very resilient and deal with stress well when needed. (Big5)

Reflection

Whenever I feel imbalanced internally, it has a negative impact on my ability to function

effectively professionally or personally. When I struggle mentally, it paralyzes me, and I feel

much better about the things I am accomplishing when I am constantly striving for personal

growth. Focusing on self-improvement and living a balanced life prevent me from becoming

paralyzed moving forward. When I feel inner peace and that I have made strides in my personal

growth, it encourages me to behave in better, more right ways. Continuously growing helps me

be more grounded and experience more joy in my life, which gets me closer and closer to

achieving the inner harmony I desire. I still have a lot of room to grow.
8

Theme 2: Taking charge of my own mental health is integral to me and taught me to fight

for the changes I wanted to see in myself.

Supporting Evidence

 I have always depended on others for my joy, but I know that I am the only one who can

discover my joy now. (3Qs)

 I have struggled with my mental health since I was very young. (LSPN)

 I was a good student, as all my instructors would say “very intelligent”, but there was

something affecting my ability to get things done. They did not know about what was

going on at home or my mental health, and I was not comfortable enough to talk to them

about it or provide what I thought would be perceived as excuses. (LSPN)

 It [going to my friends’ homes to do schoolwork] was a good way for me to separate

myself from my situation for a bit, so I could focus on my goals. (LSPN)

 I would do things like distance myself from the toxic environment I was in, when

possible, seek advice from adults I felt I could trust, learn to be open with my friends,

stick to a routine, workout more to release some anger I had, read self-help books, do

yoga, and more. (LSPN)

 It was difficult, and still is, to push through my mental health struggles and get things

done, but I am constantly learning new management techniques. (LSPN)

 I used to firmly believe, before sophomore year, that someone would come in and save

me from my situation and the challenges I was facing…It still happens, but I know that I
9

was only hurting and sabotaging myself. I am the only one who can make positive

changes in my life and turn it around. (LSPN)

 Accepting that my mental health is my own responsibility was a big breakthrough for me

and started my personal growth journey. (LSPN)

 Moving out was important to me. My home was not a good environment for me, and I

wanted to do well at college. (LSPN)

 Lifestyle was third and, again, it is all tied together because my previous position

dominated my life, and it had a negative effect. I need a balance between my work and

personal life for the sake of my mental health. (KA)

 It felt like all the work I did in high school to prove myself, not only to me, but to my

parents was reflected in my full ride to ASU, and now that was taken away from me, too.

This almost made me drop out. Instead of being defeated, I chose to find new

scholarships to apply to, take out loans, get a new job, and budget my income so I could

pay for part of the tuition myself. (LSPN)

Reflection

My mental health was at its worst when I would feel that everything is out of my control

and that I did not deserve the obstacles put in my path. While that may be true, even though I

cannot control external forces impacting my mental health, managing my circumstances, and

reacting to them, is in my control. Once I was able to realize this, I understood that I was self-

sabotaging by not trying to manage my poor mental health and only preventing myself from

achieving the things I desired. Others may not come in to help or save me from the struggles I

face, but I am able to do that for myself. I learned to take charge of how I manage my mental

health and my mental health improved as a result, in addition to my performance in all areas of
10

my life. I need to fight for myself because no one else will fight as hard for me. My mental

health no longer cripples me the way it did previously.

Theme 3: Helping others and making a difference in others’ lives and development is a

passion of mine.

Supporting Evidence

 Following Himes approach, when I ask myself what I have discovered about myself so

far, everything leads back to my interactions with others and helping them in the best way

I know how. (3Qs)

 It brings me a lot of joy to see the difference I make in team members’ lives. (3Qs)

 I have always heard similar input from those around me such as making others feel

comfortable, being able to vocalize things maturely, and having a fire behind the things I

care about and trying to obtain the things I desire. I realized that I am naturally good at

sticking up for others and advocating for them. This became clear through my roles in

management. (3Qs)

 My professional role has been as a regional operations manager. This career helped me

realize my abilities in leadership and helping others reach their full capabilities. (IE)

 It pushed me to advocate for others, even if that meant sacrificing myself in the process.

(IE)

 It also influenced me to want to work in an environment where I encounter a variety of

people. (IE)

 Very few of my dreams only focused on myself because I want others involved. (D)
11

 My dreams included experiencing things with others, learning more about them, and

helping them. (D)

 I want everyone to be able to reach their full potential while hearing and being accepting

of all different types of people. (V&I)

 I loved the difference I was making and all the skills I accumulated, so initially I was not

bothered by being paid minimum wage for my work (LSPN)

 Producing good relationships in an organization is key in gaining credibility and trust,

especially in sales. (ResActWrk)

Contradictory Evidence

 It has been scary for me to home in on my talent and joy for giving parts of myself to

others and trying to help them in any way I can. It has been discouraging because not

everyone appreciates this passion.

 I was always told that I was mature for my age, but I really do not remember getting to be

a kid. My childhood memories are mostly of caring for my sister and stressing over my

family, and this made me grow up very quickly. (LSPN)

 There is a fine line between acting in friendship and professionalism sometimes. It can

make it harder to ask for what you need as an employee or speak up for yourself when

more feelings of friendship are involved. (IWIE)

Reflection

Working with others and making a positive difference in how others experience work are

things I look for in any professional setting. I prefer to be around others when working and do

not find isolation fulfilling or effective when approaching work. I try to go above and beyond for
12

team members because, in an environment of support and closeness, it helps everyone reach

more of their potential, trust one another, and it produces better results. Sometimes prioritizing

others as much as myself can have its drawbacks because some people take advantage of this

quality, but I have experienced more benefits in long-run with this approach. People surrounding

me, for the most part, appreciate the efforts I put into being there for others and directing others

to success.
13

Theme 4: I am adamant about needing to be a part of a safe, healthy environment and

creating these spaces.

Supporting Evidence

 I cannot seem to leave trying to make my work and team environments the best they can

be. I became passionate about making work environments healthy when I realized how

big of an impact leadership has on organizational outcomes and team morale. It became

an issue I could not help returning to. (3Qs)

 There are always more ways I find myself wanting to grow in this area of improving

work environments, and I feel like it will always lead to other ways of moving forward.

There is always room for improvement in this area of passion. (3Qs)

 I have a lot to offer others in terms of making their work environments better and I

should not let anything prevent that from being embraced. (3Qs)

 It made me passionate about making work environments safe and healthy for others. (IE)

 The team members enjoyed having me as a manager because I made things easier and

better for them. (LSPN)

 I developed good, healthy relationships with the team members and created an

environment they wanted to come to every day. (LSPN)

 A safe workplace and effective, empathetic leadership are so important to me because of

this situation. (LSPN)

14

 I am very protective over her and adamant about creating the safe space for her that I felt

I did not have growing up. (LSPN)

 This made me passionate about developing team members and improving work

environments as a whole. (KA)

Contradictory Evidence

 I dedicated so much to them and sacrificed a lot outside of work to do my job effectively.

(LSPN)

Reflection

Maintaining, possessing, and creating a safe and healthy work environment only benefits

individuals and the organizations they are a part of. I have left spaces where the environment was

a toxic one because it made me miserable to show up and do my work, and I have worked

tirelessly to improve environments that needed it. Team members and anyone affiliated with

toxic environments eventually leave, which only has negative implications. Doing what I can to

ensure an environment is healthy has helped me gain loyalty, support, trust, and good

relationships from my experience. Every person deserves to be a part of a place that makes them

feel good and like they are doing something good with their time.
15

Theme 5: To make organizations the best they can be, I possess a holistic approach to

organizational life that incorporates the both the traditionally masculine and feminine

aspects of ourselves.

Supporting Evidence

 My focus would always be to try to improve organizational processes and procedures,

become close and involved with team members, and maintain relationships as much as I

focused on making profits. (3Qs)

 Previously, I tried to go down a psychiatry route because I thought giving people advice

and helping them manage their health was what I was best at. Through the honest

feedback of others and my own self-reflection, I learned my true strength was in directing

others and creating procedures that produced the best work atmospheres. Leadership

appointed me to managing all team member relations and anything related to

organizational structure. (3Qs)

 It has taught me to be very open and accepting. (IE)

 There is tension between autocratic and transactional leadership styles and wanting to

utilize democratic and transformational styles. The ways they would treat team members

they were not fond of was inappropriate and driven by anger a lot. It made me driven to

make the work environment the best it could be for my team members. (LSPN)

 My job included all the general management responsibilities, but my focus was also on

human resources and improving the structure and processes in place. (LSPN)
16

 This entire experience solidified that I wanted to do organizational leadership rather than

going down the premed track I was on. I thrived on the chaos, multitasking, results, and

progress I would be in control of. I was also basically the main leadership team member

that team members would interact with and come to. (LSPN)

 I tried to balance out the other leadership styles. (LSPN)

 I could not continue to compromise my values by working for an organization that was

clearly not aligned with them, and I will not do it again. (LSPN)

 It makes sense that enterprising interests would be highest because my focus on activities

professionally and personally have been centered around working to achieve economic

gain while achieving personal and organizational goals. (KA)

 I do highly enjoy working on informing, developing, and teaching others, but I was

missing the enterprising component. I am hoping to still develop and grow relationships

using my empathy, but also achieve those goals discussed earlier. (KA)

 I have always been very organized and good at administration, so, due to my natural

strength in these areas, my conventional interests have always been something I have

been aware of. (KA)

 I scored high in openness to experience, conscientiousness (work ethic), and extraversion.

This makes sense since I consider myself to be open-minded, creative about problem-

solving, disciplined, detailed, organized, friendly, assertive, and many more of the

qualities that fall under people who score high in these factors. (Big5)

 My preferred work style orientation is project orientation (s/p)... This orientation has a

focus on coordination of work activities and identification with the project and its people.

(MyWSPPref)
17

 My preferred work profile is supervisor whereas my actual work profile is adaptor with

superworker. The biggest difference I notice between the two profiles is that the adaptor

with superworker profile is focused on the larger context and specific, concrete

organizational goals (more facts and figures). The supervisor profile is very people-

centered and focuses on more short-term leadership. Both profiles similarly value

teamwork, attention to detail, and information-sharing. (ResActWrk)  

 A capable, flexible workforce also plays a major role in an organization's success. Well-

trained and multi-skilled team members reduce the need for multiple jobs. (ResActWrk)

Contradictory Evidence

 Even though I enjoy utilizing procedures, processes, and systems to achieve goals and

like to help others’ development, I may push off writing procedures or documenting

results. (MyWSPPref)

Reflection

When I am a part of an organization, I do whatever I can to make it the most effective,

progressive, and evolutionary it can be. Many of today’s organizations value the cognitive and

rational sides of individuals over the intuitive and emotional aspects. I believe leaders need to

bring all aspects of themselves to their work to surpass limitations placed themselves by

dismissing certain parts. Instead of only focusing on profits and procedures, for example, culture

is equally as important, in addition to empathy and relationships. Having a holistic approach

allows me to view things from all perspectives, be more innovative, and creatively problem

solve.
18

It also allows me to understand others better and adapt in the ways needed for the team to

be successful. Being able to incorporate different leadership and work styles is an example of

how I adapt that way.

Theme 6: Academics and continuous learning are extremely valuable for me.

Supporting Evidence

 My future is largely dependent on what I do with my time as a student, so it is where my

focus mainly lies. (IE)

 My life revolves around my academic life because it is the biggest goal I have right now

that is planned to be achieved soon. (IE)

 Everything I do surrounds my assignments and academic schedule. If I do well in school,

my belief is that I will be set up for success for serving my purpose. (IE)

 As a team member, I was different in that I took a lot of initiative to learn to do tasks that

went above my job description. (LSPN)

 I had to make the decision to tell them that if I could not be compensated more at all,

even one dollar more, then I would not be able to continue to work there and go to

school. School was my priority. (LSPN)

 Currently, I am in my senior year at ASU and would like to formulate a more specific

plan for my career after graduation. (MyWSPPref)

Reflection

Academics and learning have been the center of my life, so far, in that everything

revolves around obtaining an education and expanding my knowledge. As a first-generation

college student, becoming educated was emphasized above all else, and my family constantly
19

reminded me to work hard in school. Every other aspect of my life, while in school, has been

second to my schoolwork. The reason education is so important to me is because I believe it will

set me up for success in life and make it easier for me to serve my purpose. I have left

professional positions to focus on my education and prevent distractions from that goal.

I need to be constantly learning to feel like I am growing as a person and my academics

have provided a way for me to do that. My education has ingrained a mindset, of taking initiative

to learn more than is asked, in me. Learning is a big motivator for me.
20

Theme 7: There is a strong urge in my life to be interconnected with others by forming

meaningful relationships and promoting collectivism.

Supporting Evidence

 I have had team members leave because I did and start because they wanted to support

me. I find a sense of collectivism to be extremely rewarding, and others feel the same

when they can trust you, in my experience. (3Qs)

 I have found that a balance between knowing yourself and accepting input is helpful to

enact this approach successfully. (3Qs) 

 Now I realize that, even though others may not realize it until later, my desire to help

others improve their work life is serving my surrounding community. It will just take me

more courage to be able to continue to contribute to the world in the way I can and the

way it needs. I cannot fear being taken advantage of because it hinders my ability to find

my role. (3Qs)

 This is also part of the reason why I believe people need to care for another. I would not

be anywhere without my family and my role in that structure. (IE)

 My role as a daughter and sibling has led me to prioritize others over myself and made it

natural for me. (IE)

 The people closest to me are those from my Bosnian community. We all have a

collectivist mindset. (IE)

21

 My family did not need a lot to enjoy one another’s’ company and make good memories,

which is all that I remember looking back. (IE)

 It was interesting to see that the underlying meaning behind my dreams and desires

seemed to surround being stable enough to experience new things with other people and

ways of life. (D)

 Not only immersing myself in novel situations but helping the communities I am

involved with was a theme. (D)

 However, as soon as she became old enough to start understanding some deeper concepts

and conversations, I have not felt alone since. I know I have my sister there, who loves

me unconditionally and in a healthy way, and I can open up to her. She knows my

experience better than anyone. (LSPN)

 Prioritizing human relationships and basing my judgements on gut feelings are things I

have always naturally done, and my feelings usually do not change in the long run.

(MBA)

 Analyzing human behavior and motive were such big interests of mine that I wanted to

go into psychiatry initially until I uncovered my organizational abilities. (MBA)

 I am an extrovert. I do seek social and emotional connection with others, through deep

conversation especially, which is seen in wanting a serious conversation with my

supervisors about my work with them. (IWIE)

 I feel disconnected when isolated from others because I prefer communication through

direct conversation at work. It makes me feel involved and informed as a part of an

22

interdependent group when there is direct communication (individual situations, virtual

technology, groups). (MyWSPPref)

Contradictory Evidence

 I tend to listen too much to others, which is something I have improved upon since

understanding this can easily steer me in the wrong direction. However, hearing that

others’ input can be helpful because it helps one frame the questions of what their source

of joy is, was comforting. (3Qs)

 I tried to talk to my parents for years about my mental health to seek help, but they did

not react well. I needed the help from those who were closest to me and relied on it but

did not receive it. (LSPN)

 I used to prioritize my social interests and focused my degree around those, which led me

down a slightly wrong path. (KA)

 A weakness I have is neglecting myself to put others’ needs ahead of my own. This is

something I am constantly working on since becoming aware of it. I have been hurt by

many people because others have taken advantage of it. (MBA)

Reflection

I grew up in an environment where I was conditioned to place importance on collectivism

and having deeper relationships with others. My mindset is that there is not much left in life if

we do not have one another. Human interaction is what separates us from other beings. I want to

feel I am a part of something bigger and soulful, and I get that feeling from my relationships with

others. The world is evolving because of society, so there is great value in bonding with and

serving our communities.

23

I care very deeply, some would say more than the average person, for others and

empathize greatly. Occasionally, this can make it so that I listen too much to others and it steers

me in the wrong direction, but that is only when I ignore my own voice, too. Life is about

experiencing it with others to me, but it can be hard for me to develop the strong relationships to

do so successfully. People, studying them and interacting with them, are fascinating to me, but I

am constantly having to check that I am not dependent on making every relationship one that can

impact me deeply.
24

Theme 8: Challenges and overcoming obstacles are things I am very familiar with and

accept with open arms.

Supporting Evidence

 It makes me strive to be better and challenges me in ways other roles cannot. (IE)

 I strive to uncover the wealth in my misfortunes. My life has been quite chaotic in that it

seems like I am constantly faced with extreme ups and downs. It feels as though I am

always fighting some sort of battle, but each one has led to an immense amount of

growth. (LSPN)

 I strive to be resilient and to persevere. (LSPN)

 Due to the damage to my laptop, my inability to access resources needed on time, and the

amount I had to deal with daily to get my life back on track, my professors all told me I

would have to do a compassionate withdrawal. I was able to stay on track and do even

better when I returned to ASU that following spring semester. What happened to me

fueled me to do even more to ensure it would not prevent my success. (LSPN)

 I refused to keep feeling powerless. I had to keep moving on with my life, even though

what happened was not fair or deserved; I needed to have some control. (LSPN)

 I worked really hard to change my life for the better and sacrificed my sleep and social

life to have the means to put myself in a healthy environment. It felt like the second that
25

things were becoming somewhat manageable, this huge thing happened that shattered it

all into pieces. Unlike other times in my life, I knew I could not let this consume me and

get in the way of my progress, so I made the choice to keep going. (LSPN)

 During this time period, I learned to juggle, what felt like, a million things at once that all

brought a lot of stress to my life. Instead of festering on what happened and how poorly I

was treated, I used it as motivation to focus on my future (LSPN)

 I like to be challenged by a place that respects me and supports my growth in a positive

way while feeling like I am achieving something worthwhile. (KA)

 I have always been able to multitask and juggle multiple responsibilities at once. I almost

thrive off of the chaos that can result from having multiple things going on at once, and I

like focusing on the bigger picture to keep me focused while doing so. (MBA)

 It stated I have a strong inner motivation to influence people and circumstances, that I

thrive on competitive situations and challenging tasks, and that stress and pressure that

comes with work and life are unlikely to reduce my effectiveness and enthusiasm. (DISC)

 When it comes to the task and organization orientations, I have a level 2, tolerable stress

level. I have a level 1, comfortable, stress level for the project orientation. (ResActWrk)

Contradictory Evidence

 Work environment stress happens if actual scores are higher than preferred scores and

this is the case with my task and organization orientations. My work requires more

specific activities than I want to perform in this type of stress. (ResActWrk)

Reflection
26

Throughout my life, I have faced many unique obstacles and it seems like I never receive

a break where things are easier to manage. When I was younger, I allowed myself to let obstacles

throw me off the path I was on and consume me. Rather than letting challenges defeat me, I

learned to approach challenges more effectively. There is always something I can do to find

some sort of solution to the challenges I face. Instead of derailing me, I can now see the lessons

and growth that accompany facing these obstacles.

I am resilient and can deal with anything thrown my way because I can find direction and

clarity in chaos. I consider it a strength of mine as a person and leader. Even though I have more

confidence in tackling challenge and seek it actively, I can still get stressed, so that is something

I need to continue to work on.

27

Theme 9: Being a role model for others, through my behavior, is something I strive for.

Supporting Evidence

 My role as the oldest sibling, and a daughter, has instilled a huge sense of responsibility

and pressure in me to take care of others. (IE)

 I am the first in my family to do a lot of things, including going to college, so being the

first-born also made me the role model. (IE)

 All eyes are on me, which adds to my need to strive for perfectionism. (IE)

 My parents instilled a good work ethic in me through watching them set up our lives and

teaching me about money. They made sure I was taught to work for my money and the

things I wanted. Nothing was given to me; everything was earned. (LSPN)

 My parents always told me to work hard now, so I can enjoy my life later. The work ethic

they instilled in me helps me work sixty-hour weeks, take eighteen credits, and manage

my personal life successfully. (LSPN)

 I am financially independent from my parents, so I have put myself through college with

scholarships, grants, FAFSA, and the money I earn from working. (LSPN)

 I strive to be dependable and a role model. (LSPN)

 I was responsible for taking care of her and the house when I was home alone. (LSPN)
28

 Helping raise her taught me how to be independent, having to do those types of things at

a young age and figuring it out on my own, and how to be responsible enough to have

someone else to rely on me. (LSPN)

 When tasks arise, I like to handle them right then and there whenever possible. (MBA)

Reflection

I have always felt some pressure to exemplify the qualities of a good student, team

member, daughter, sister, and other roles I fill. Growing up my family made it clear that I needed

to possess certain qualities we value and that my family demonstrated consistently. These

qualities included being responsible, having the drive to be the first to accomplish certain goals

like university, and a rigorous work ethic. From a young age, it fell on me to take care of

everything and anyone, including my sibling, and that translates to how I operate currently. I had

to be dependable and take care of any tasks that came up.

I am doing everything I can to work hard because that is how I can set myself, and those I

care about, up for success. Everything I do, I do on my own. Everyone that looks to me should

easily see these qualities and that should serve as a driver for them to develop the same

characteristics. I want those who look to me to be proud of who I am and my leadership. If

someone is demonstrating behaviors that I want to replicate, that person becomes my role model,

so I do exactly that.
29

Theme 10: Culture is a defining aspect of my identity.

Supporting Evidence

 My family came here as refugees from Bosnia & Hercegovina. This has been a huge part

of my identity and a reason I am so interested in diversity and inclusion. (IE)

 Growing up in a foreign family, I have an appreciation for anything cultural. (IE)

 I am constantly looking to learn more about others’ backgrounds, to travel, and to

immerse myself in others’ cultures. (IE)

 To provide some more detail, a lot of the dreams I listed involved travel and immersing

myself in unique situations, and this even included my professional dream of working for

global corporation and doing diversity and inclusion. (D)

 My dreams can help me fulfill my inner sense of purpose because they help me gain the

knowledge I want, while maintaining my cultural roots and satisfying my need to be

involved with and help others. (D)

 Eventually, my parents made the decision to move to Arizona because other Bosnians

they met here, that they became close to, told them there was a much larger Bosnian

community in Phoenix, and it was much more affordable. (LSPN)

 I feel most like myself when I am back home, and it is nice to be around others of the

same culture and who speak the same language. (LSPN)

30

 I continue to ensure finances do not run my life and take enjoyment in the non-material

things, which is also indicative of the mindset of people from my culture. (LSPN)

Reflection

My family came to the United States as refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and my

culture influences my worldview heavily. I grew up constantly traveling to new places,

immersing myself in new cultures, and visiting my family back in Europe. Going without travel

makes me feel like I am neglecting a big part of myself. My family purposefully chose to live

certain places so that I would be more connected to culture, and I look for the same thing in

places I call home. Being raised to appreciate those different from myself helped make me so

open and accepting of others.

Preserving my cultural roots makes me feel most whole. My culture provides me with a

different mindset than many others I am surrounded by which gives me an advantage in terms of

seeing things in new ways. Diversity and inclusion are necessary components for any future

career I am a part of, in addition to being a big part of my personal life.

31

Theme 11: Much of my motivation stems from needing to be financially stable.

Supporting Evidence

 My family fluctuated between being not very well-off at all and being in the lower

middle class. (IE)

 Our socioeconomic affiliation gave me a greater sense of understanding of others and

their perspectives. (IE)

 I feel as though I was taught to have a better appreciation for the smaller things in my life

through this identity. (IE)

 It did make me very financially cautious, which can be good and bad. (IE)

 My motivation to achieve my dreams of financial stability and career advancement tie

back to these themes mentioned. (D)

 I understand the reason behind this pressure I feel to be financially secure is to be able to

do what I am passionate about without worrying about something that brings so much

stress. (D)

 Despite how lucrative this all sounds, my family struggled financially for most of my life

through adolescence. (LSPN)

 I would be home alone often because both of my parents had to dedicate most of their

time to their work for us to survive. (LSPN)

32

 My dad has always made sure to teach me the value of money and anything related to

finances. (LSPN)

 Growing up, my parents made it clear it was integral I do whatever I can to set myself up

for financial stability, so I would not have to struggle the way they did. (LSPN)

 Part of being financially stable, in my parents’ eyes, is doing well in school and obtaining

a college diploma since that provides security. That is a big motivator for why I want and

am able to finish my degrees. (LSPN)

 My parents are a big reason I prioritize having a lucrative-enough career path where I can

work normal hours, spend time with my family, and have vacation time, so I can go visit

my family back home yearly. (LSPN)

 I am working on finding a good balance between saving all my money and learning to

spend when I have the means. The emphasis on finances in my life has made me more

careful than the average person with my money, and I am too careful, almost. (LSPN)

Contradictory Evidence

 It is not solely about promotions and making money to benefit myself and others I care

about like I previously thought. (D)

 It felt lonely to not have a parent there, but I knew that he was doing it to provide for us.

Even though we never had a lot of money, my father gave me everything I ever needed

and more. (LSPN)

 Even though my parents have shaped the way I view finances, they have always

reminded me that money is not everything and I need to enjoy my life and not stress too
33

much about it. We had very little at times, but you would never know looking at my

family and our bond. (LSPN)

Reflection

A huge source of turmoil and stress for my family was not being financially secure or well-

off. The origin of many of the struggles I faced stem from being financially unstable. I saw the

toll it placed on my family and how it made good people do less-than-ideal things. My parents

believe so much in education because it is a means to obtaining financial security, which makes

life a lot easier to go through. Finances are at the forefront of my mind and motivation because I

do not want to struggle.

I want to be able to have a good work-life balance, be content with my life, and do the things

I would like, and financial security provides more of a guarantee those things will happen. I am

very financially aware and cautious, but sometimes I forget to enjoy things and stress about

money to the point where it prevents me from spending any at all. I realize I need to find a

balance with prioritizing finances, and I am reminding myself of that all the time. Life if not only

about finances but being financially secure allows people to relax a bit more and enjoy life’s

other fulfillments.
34

Theme 12: I stand up for myself and demand self-respect.

Supporting Evidence

 A big lesson from this part of my life was to not let myself get defeated by the difficult

situations I face, and to stand up for myself. I did everything I could to be an advocate for

myself and my roommate. Even though it may not have led directly to a solution to the

problem we faced, it proved that we cannot be walked all over and dismissed. (LSPN)

 I strive for respect and to be an advocate for others. (LSPN)

 It felt like no one was there for me, I did not have an advocate, and that I was not taken

seriously due to my age and financial situation. Dealing with the ramifications of my

apartment was solely on me. (LSPN)

 I had to convince my family to let me move back in after my two-week stay was up at the

Super 8. We tried to get lawyers involved because we are certain the building was

unstable due to neglect of the termites and that is why it could not withstand the

monsoon. (LSPN) 

 Despite all our efforts, nothing changed in terms of how we were treated or compensated

for what happened. I spent two years dealing with the effects this had on my life. (LSPN)

 Out of self-respect, I could not return to an environment where I and many others were

treated with such misconduct. (LSPN)

 Supervision was my highest rated value. I had to leave a job I loved as a regional

operations manager because my supervisor did not show me respect, recognize my value,
35

make communication safe, or show any concern for me as a person outside of the

organization. (KA)

 If I were to be recognized at work, the CEO and both COOs would be involved. (IWIE)
 I would appreciate it if I got a raise in order to help my financial situation, but more

importantly it would be a genuine reflection of what I add to the organization as their

regional operations manager. (IWIE)

 It would be nice to hear from them what they believe I am contributing to the

organization, what I am doing well, and any general feedback. (IWIE)

 My last choice for being recognized would be a generic “good job”, high-five, or pat on

the back. I prefer for there to be some kind of substance behind the recognition I receive.

(IWIE)

 I also feel the most satisfied when my employees and customers recognize my hard work.

They will genuinely thank me for my work in their own way which feels great. (IWIE)

 I have experienced the absence of this principle in my previous job and it is the main

reason I had to leave. When individual’s, especially leaders’, beliefs change drastically or

they start disregarding values that made employees want to be a part of the company in

the first place, it pushes everyone away. (ResActWrk)

 Additionally, this diminishes the organization’s effectiveness and productivity. They

were no longer aligned with what was described to me as the organization's purpose.

(ResActWrk)

Reflection
36

Many times, in my life, I would let others walk all over me, through their mistreatment of

me, and this is largely because I was raised to respect and not question authority. It took me a

while to realize that I deserve the same respect I was giving to others, and that I have every right

to question things that do not seem right to me. I needed to learn to demand the respect by

finding my voice. Advocating for myself and others is extremely important for garnering respect.

I will no longer be a part of any environment where respect is not reciprocated between people,

and, if I happen to notice it, I do whatever I can to make it a safe place for people to speak up.

There are many ways to establish this type of environment and one way I believe it occurs is

through recognition.
37

Theme 13: Human Resources is what I feel the greatest connection with and want it to be

the focus for my career.

Supporting Evidence

 A lot of people may find it boring, but I feel good about the way I keep records, apply

established guidelines, understand business systems, and solve problems by utilizing

procedures, practices, advice, and rules. (KA)

 I have always been very organized and good at administration, so, due to my natural

strength in these areas, my conventional interests have always been something I have

been aware of. (KA)

 The occupation that matches my code most was Human Resource Manager, which

brought me a lot of joy. (KA)

 Language has always been of interest to me, and I know more than three fluently, which

is useful professionally and personally. (KA)

 As for occupations based on this SAE code, training and development specialists really

spoke to me. (KA)

 ENFJs have good interpersonal skills and salesmanship. These are the skills that got me

to the position I had as a regional operations manager. (MBA)

 The three major areas of occupations for ENFJs with my expressiveness scores include

management, health care, and social services. These are all areas I looked into, and

management and health care are the areas I am leaning toward currently. (MBA)
38

 Health care administration was something I began to consider when I was still a premed

student but knew I did not want to go into psychiatry anymore. I liked the organizational

side of things and figured I could still help people through that. (MBA)

 Those occupations included being a mediator, ombudsman, social services manager, and

human resources manager. I definitely have noticed a theme in my occupation

recommendations. (CT)

 Both mediators and ombudsmen resolve disputes between parties and deal with conflict

resolution. (CT)

 Social services and human resources managers both involve leadership, managing teams

and resources, and implementing policies and procedures. Both also advocate for others

(CT)

 My most recent job was as a regional operations manager which helped me realize I

wanted to focus on finding a career that involved being in a leadership position within an

organization. (MyWSPPref)

 The description stated that individuals who prefer the supervisor approach offer just-in-

time leadership, respond more effectively to immediate work environment needs, and

plan on a short-term basis. (MyWSPPref)

 According to the supervisor approach, I work best in environments where general

directives are established, there is a free flow of information throughout the organization,

and emphasis is placed on people and productivity equally. (MyWSPPref)

Contradictory Evidence
39

 It was interesting to see the following two occupations following HR were a director for

religious activities and education and a credit counselor. I was shocked to see the credit

counselor and any reference to religious activities. (KA)

 My enterprising side leads to my skills in leadership, but I need the artistic side, too. It

helps me express myself. (KA)

Reflection

Human Resources was not a career path I had even considered prior to becoming an

organizational leadership major. I translated my people-centered focus into going into the

medical field, but that did not utilize any of my organizational and management skills. Human

Resources is a better fit for me because it combines cultural, people, and organizational skills. It

blends my conventional and social interests. My interests can be applied to different career paths,

outside of Human Resources, but I align most with HR.

40

Theme 14: Personal Purpose and Mission Statement

Purpose Statement

I commit to continuous personal growth and self-improvement. I act in accordance with my

values and am a part of healthy environments of progression for myself and others.

Mission Statement

I will behave in manners that encourage inner harmony. I will balance the different aspects of my

life and ensure that my mental health is looked after. I will take control of my mental health and

not allow challenges to defeat me.

I will create safe environments where individuals have a voice and are equally respected. I will

develop meaningful relationships with others, so I feel interconnected. I will encourage

collectivism. I will help others, aid in others’ development, and make a difference in their lives

in any way I can.

I will stay true to my cultural roots. I will prioritize diversity and inclusion in my daily and

professional life.

I will strive to achieve financial stability, which will allow me to focus on more important things

in life and obtain the things I desire.

41

I will constantly learn more and gain more knowledge, ensuring I am always making

improvements.

I will lead by example and rely on a holistic approach for everything. I will incorporate my wide

variety of skills and interests to everything I do.

Reflection

To develop and craft my personal purpose and mission statements, I used reflection as

my main approach. For the purpose statement, I began by authentically reflecting on my personal

life philosophy and what values help me attract the kind of people I connect with. I did some

freewriting to determine what serves as a basis for how I live my life and make my decisions. I

had a lengthy list formed, so I synthesized the information into what would be my deepest truths.

This helped me discover what guides and motivates me most. I was able to figure out an

overarching statement that encompassed the truths.

Once I had formulated my personal purpose statement, it was easier for me to write my

mission statement. I took the truths from my purpose statement process and turned them into

labels for various categories. Once I had my truths laid out, I was able to elaborate, with

freewriting, why they are so important to me. Then, I reviewed what I wrote and turned it into

concise statement to accurately describe the foundation of my life philosophy.