When I was in fifth grade, our teachers asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Ten year old Natalie was indecisive: did I want to be a doctor? A veterinarian? A teacher? A firefighter? The opportunities at that point felt endless. What I settled on at the time was proudly announcing that, when I grew up, I wanted to be making the world a better place. Over the decade since that conclusion, I have remained true to that narrative. Did I want to be a teacher? A journalist? A lawyer? I didn’t know and I still don’t know. But I do know that I want to be making the world a better place. Over the next decade, I hope to stay true to ten year old, gap-toothed Natalie and be striving to be a leader (wherever it is that I lead) that is helping to make the world a better place.
As I continue on my leadership journey, growing as a leader who is making the world a better place, I hope to continuously and consciously cultivate and strengthen my ability to achieve my goals while maintaining and being driven by my own moral compass (Segon & Booth), considering the moral compasses and perspectives of others (Key Executive Leadership Programs), and promoting strong supportive communities to help foster and apply morality and empathy amongst the people that I influence (Kluger et al). As was emphasized in Kluger et al’s “What Makes Us Moral,” I believe that expanding my empathy, compassion, and general sense of community to people who aren’t in the same communities (in all the different circumstances where the word “community” can apply) as I am is essential in making the world a better place. Whether we share the same ideas, ideals, or leadership styles, I hope that my personal leadership and leadership cultivation focuses on the inclusion of community, empathy, and compassion to as many people as possible. While that is difficult in our highly polarized, individualized, and inequitable society, I hope to gain the skills and understanding to continue to fight back against that internal and external resistance to truly be a leader that helps make the world a better place.
Works Cited
Key Executive Leadership Programs. Emotional Intelligence. Powerpoint Presentation. Accessed 2 Feb 2021.
Kluger, Jeffrey et al. “What Makes Us Moral.” Time Magazine, TIME USA LLC, 12 April 2019, pp. 8-15, ISBN: 1547848383.
Segon, Michael and Chris Booth. “Virtue: The Missing Ethics Element in Emotional Intelligence.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 128, no. 4, Springer, June 2015, pp. 789-802, doi: 10.1007/s10551-013-2029-z.
