What I have learned in leadership
Throughout the semester in KNR 171, I have learned about many things about what leadership means. Coming into KNR 171, my definition of leadership was that it was someone who was brave enough to take charge and lead a group of individuals to achieving their goals. However, during my time in KNR 171, I have learned it is much more than that. I learned that being a leader, you also have to be the person people turn to when they have a problem, you have to be someone people can talk to , and also grow meaningful bonds with people inside and outside of what you are doing as well, that way they can fully trust you to lead them to success. I learned by doing this, your job of being a leader will be much easier, and success will come much sooner as well. That is what I have learned in leadership in KNR 171.
What I have learned in collaboration/teamwork
Through the semester in KNR 171, I have learned many things about what collaboration and teamwork mean. Throughout my many years of playing organized sports, I have learned what teamwork is on a competitive level, but during KNR 171, I have learned what teamwork is on a professional/business level. I learned that teamwork in the Parks and Recreation profession requires people to come together to create something great for others. The teamwork in your group is for creating positive experiences for countless people. For example, in the Parks and Recreation profession, you need everyone in your group to share their ideas, and not one idea is better than the next, different ideas are what brings success. Also I have learned that networking in this profession is important as well, because not only can you bring a positive experience to others, but you can also bring in partners that can improve and add upon the positive experience you are trying to make for others. I have learned that teamwork in this profession is what can bring the greatest success.
What I have learned about being an effective facilitator
Through the semester in KNR 171, I have gained a better understanding of what an effective facilitator is. I learned that it is more than just creating an activity and having people participate in it, it is about how you make the people feel when they are participating in your activity. As an effective facilitator, I have learned that you have to cater to each specific audience when you are interacting with them. You have to make it an enjoyable experience by including things that catches the participants attention, and make it relatable to things the participant may like. For example, if you are running a basketball camp with younger kids, let’s say about the ages of 8-10, you would want to include things in that camp that may interest them so they can enjoy the camp even more. Also, I have learned that by being an effective facilitator, you have to create an activity that makes the people want to come back for more by the end of it, you have to make it to where people come back time and time again, and if that happens, that shows you are an effective facilitator. That is what I have learned about being an effective facilitator in KNR 171.
Would I change my answer of what leadership is from PLP Blog Post 1?
I would not necessarily change it, but add more onto what I think leadership is. In my PLP Blog Post 1 answer, I described leadership as someone who can lead a group of people to achieve their goals as quick as possible, with little to no conflict. I would just want to add that being a leader is more than just leading people to success, it is about building trust with those people, and building personal relationships/bonds with people inside and outside of what you are doing. I would also add that being a leader would be by bringing the very best out of people, and by helping people reach their full potential and beyond. That is what I would add to it after what I have learned through KNR 171.
What specific ways will my learning in KNR 171 contribute to my career goals?
My learning in KNR 171 will contribute to my career goals, and work as a professional in many ways. It will contribute to how I will approach future tasks, for I will use each aspect from KNR 171 and apply it to what I am doing. What I learned in KNR 171 is to make each activity I produce personal, for that way I can produce the best activity possible for participants. The learning in KNR 171 will help me go above and beyond in my profession so that way everyone wins. That is how KNR 171 will contribute to my career goals.
Areas of improvement that I will like to work on after the semester
One of the things I will like to work on after the semester is my shyness. I feel as if I have good ideas to contribute, but because of my shyness, I feel it takes a bit longer for them to come out, and by that I lose time by holding my ideas in. I will try to improve on this by forcing myself to speak even if I am not confident in what I have to say, also by volunteering in class more so speaking out loud does not feel odd anymore and my words can come out more naturally and smoothly. Another thing I would like to improve on is my participation in class. I feel that my participation is okay, but not great at all, and I feel that if I participate more, it will help me grow and improve in this profession. Those are some areas I think need improvement.
What specific steps will I take to improve my leadership growth next semester
Some steps I will take to improve my leadership growth next semester is by getting to know my classmates better, and by participating in any events Parks and Recreation will offer next semester. I feel that getting to know my classmates better, and grow a personal relationship with them is important, for it will help us grow as future leaders. I say that, for I feel that if we have a personal relationship, it would be easier for us to give advice to one another and share ideas on how we could improve without it seeming awkward, it would also help us work together better as well to achieve goals. By participating in events Parks and Recreation may have, I feel that by going to them, I will be able to network with different people in this field, and get advice on how to be a better leader from different aspects and perspectives, that way when it is my time to become a leader, I can have a wide range of what to do depending on the situation and not just have one aspect on how it can be handled. Those are some steps I will take to improve my leadership growth next semester.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I feel that KNR 171 was very beneficial to me. It was beneficial, for it was the beginning point of my journey to becoming a professional in this field, for it showed me the important aspects of this profession and what I can do to become successful in it.
Armando Covarrubias Jr's Professional Blog 