Inspire. Innovate. Succeed.
What is LeADERS?
LeADERS
At Old Dominion University, the LeADERS Program creates student experiences aiding in the development of professional skills necessary for their career.
LeADERS
At Old Dominion University, the LeADERS Program creates student experiences aiding in the development of professional skills necessary for their career.
PROGRAM
REFLECTION
The goals for my portfolio consist of the academic works that I have produced towards my degree in cybersecurity. Personally, this degree represents what I’ll be specializing; the protection of information systems from cyberattacks. My academic career started off with core classes such as math and English that established the basics of what I’ll need for my specific major courses. The LeEADERs Program assisted in developing my professional skills such as leadership, communication, technical, management, critical thinking skills, and more.
All these courses I have taken so far intertwine with my degree and the classes dealing with cybersecurity have truly scratched the surface of what to expect in the real world. I have a gained a personal understanding of what cybersecurity is and the role it plays in different sectors of management. The most interesting part is that cybersecurity can fall under category from finance, retail, to healthcare systems where patient information must be safeguarded.
Leadership Lecture Series
Topic: Leadership from Different Perspectives
To me, “first leaders” can mean anything. From our parents, to teachers, and to model individuals we look up to. One of the first leaders I looked up to is my mother, who I still look to for guidance in my life. The characteristics of my “first leader” consisted of bravery, strong, and smart.
As I’ve grown into my college years, I’ve realized my perspective on a leader has changed. Although I’ve kept some qualities of a leader from my childhood such as strong, brave and smart, there are more characteristics that are added to that list. An example of this would be an effective listener and communicator—leaders need to listen to their audience, empathizing with them, and fully understand what they’re saying. As for being an effective communicator, a leader needs to project their voice and be reasonable with their content that utilizes evidence to back up their arguments. In addition, a leader needs to be creative, innovative, and open-minded to different viewpoints.
My leadership model: We can never be the perfect leader but we can strive to be an empathetic and passionate one that values the opinion of others.
Leadership Lecture
Series II
Topic: Life Wheel Assessment
The Life Assessment Wheel, measures the level of satisfaction in 9 areas of life from Career, Family, Money, Personal Growth, etc. The assessment acknowledges areas that an individual feels confident in and areas that they can work on. The assessment gives an insight on how to make goals in the future with the help of the SMART template; Smart, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time. The following example demonstrates my SMART goal towards graduation. These skills utilize commitment, goal setting, organization, and dedication which is what employers look for in a candidate as well.
SMART GOALS
Leadership Lecture Series III
Topic: Power of Relationships
This lecture series discusses the impact of relationships, how they effect our lives, and who we rely on. There are 5 primary components: Purposeful, Inclusivity, Empowerment, Ethical, and Process oriented where the process is just as important as the outcome. Each relationship requires balance between work and play established by a personal style between task and relationship-oriented behaviors. For me, I’ve realized I’m a mix of both, I prefer to make plans ahead of time and individuals that are closer to me I feel more comfortable with communicating with them whenever.
Relationships are important in growing professionally, creating different ways to communicate, and establishing a network with a great group of people. Creating a network demonstrates different skill sets from individuals, can provide a mentor/mentee relationship that can contain unbiased views on problems. My diverse network has allowed me to grow and learn professionally that I can utilize in the future.
Leadership Reflection
The leadership lecture series refined my leadership skills in communication, team building, presentation, critical thinking, analyzation, and more. Leaders don't just comprise of followers, rather they are influencers, motivators, listeners, a role model, and are considered to be a confidant.
For me, I want to be a leader that people can look up to. An individual that can provide innovate and creative solutions to real world problems. In addition, the LeEADERs program demonstrates how to be an effective leader and speaker. These concepts are heavily sought for especially within a professional environment.
Skills employers seek
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2. Work in a team structure
Established a network of connections while working in a team of diverse people
1. Plan, Organize, Prioritize
Creating goals for school and on-campus work creates an efficient work environment
3. Verbally Communicate
Opening up communication lines for my mentees as a Cyber Peer Mentor
4. Sell or influence others
As a team leader for INNOVATE Cyber, understanding different perspectives for projects lead to creative solutions
5. Empathizing Ideas
Understanding different ideas while collaborating with others in break out rooms
6. Technical Skills
Computer skills from utilizing Word to navigating in a Linux environment
