Leadership Vision
We are
SOAR Through Leadership, or Students Overcoming All Restrictions Through Leadership.
Our Mission
SOAR Through Leadership is a group of Boilermakers dedicated to empowering youth through creating leadership-focused training and character development activities. Our goal is to equip the Greater Lafayette youth and beyond with the training, tools, and exposure to climb greater heights as leaders for their communities. SOAR is also committed to guiding these individuals to become vibrant and confident adults that learn to lead their own futures. Through targeted programming, qualitative research, and consistent community engagement, we aspire to help children to learn core leadership competencies such as integrated vision building, emotional regulation, decision making, and collaborative endeavors. By partnering with local organizations focused on similar topics, we are dedicated to providing access to vital resources.
As a social impact group, we are always eager to learn from established projects and provide a novel experience for all students. Needs assessment and asset mapping is at the heart of our endeavor, and we are committed to fully understanding how to best supplement and complement current initiatives. To that end, we are focused on building transformational relationships with community partners and local adolescents.
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SOAR’s overarching purpose is to engage with kids in engaging, structured activities and gain new perspectives. We then work with the students to uplift each other as individuals and leaders by collaborating and sharing. Our volunteers and members are passionate, energetic individuals committed to growing into consolidated leaders as well. SOAR is focused on providing our members with an immersive experience on transformative leadership. Our aim in these interactions is to show adolescents that there is boundless potential for them to achieve, through character development and leadership-oriented viewpoints. In short, Purdue students and community partners engage in conversation, uplift one another in mutually fulfilling ways, and achieve a symbiosis within the community.
My Why
My leadership is defined by my guiding philosophies, which are centered around collaboration and inclusivity. I strongly believe that when a dedicated group of people come together with a shared goal in mind, they can accomplish anything. It is important to me that everyone, no matter their background, should have the same opportunities in life. This drives my efforts in giving back to the community, especially my work with SOAR. We aim to bring leadership development opportunities to children that wouldn’t typically see themselves as leaders, ensuring they see themselves as capable, skilled individuals.
I am also inspired by my desire to create change in my community. If one has the means to help others, there is no reason to hold back. I am fortunate enough to have the leadership skills and educational knowledge needed to bring engaging, impactful leadership activities to children. It is with this mindset and responsibility that I take on my role as a Lead Forward Fellow to create positive change within my community.
Philosophy for Social Impact Leadership
My leadership philosophy is heavily rooted in social impact and giving back to my community. While leaders do important work in guiding groups of people towards a common goal, their greatest asset is their potential to help others. Those in positions of power and control of an organization should be using their position for good. There is no point in being a leader if you are not dedicated to helping your members develop themselves as leaders, as well as helping your community. The Interpersonal Dynamic Competencies of collaboration, group development, and creating change are concepts I practice as a leader (Roger C. Stewart Leadership and Professional Development Department). They ensure I remain focused on my organization’s goals and work with my teammates to have the greatest impact possible.
Holding a range of different leadership positions has contributed to this philosophy. In most of these positions, I was fortunate enough to have a good relationship with my colleagues and bosses. They were able to foster the type of environment in which members were comfortable enough to ask questions and produce their best work. I strive to replicate these conditions when I am in the position to do so, ensuring my team practices this collaboration to prevent personal or professional issues from arising. The competency of Group Development was also an essential factor in determining my leadership philosophy (Roger C. Stewart Leadership and Professional Development Department). I have worked in conditions where I felt unable to express my feelings on a topic or contribute to a conversation. I often reflect on these memories when I am leading meetings and am sure to include all members’ ideas and opinions to prevent them from experiencing a similar situation.
My leadership philosophy is supported by the theories of servant leadership and authentic leadership. Servant leadership theory encourages potential leaders to first act as “servants,” or as general members that collaborate with colleagues to create an impact. They are well-versed in a leader’s abilities before obtaining a higher position, thus gaining respect and commitment from their peers (Greenleaf, 1977). Before having a position of power in an organization, one must be familiar with their role and how to utilize their abilities to contribute to its cause. Practicing servant leadership encourages these actions and allows leaders to be better equipped to lead. By following this pathway, I have been comfortable in all the roles I’ve held and gained respect within the organization. Authentic leadership theory also supports my philosophy. It places an emphasis on a leader’s self-awareness of their behaviors and skills, as well as those of the people they work with (Duarte et al., 2021). This theory reminds me to promote an inclusive and friendly environment where members of an organization can share their thoughts freely and contribute to goals. A combination of these concepts have contributed greatly to my personal theory of change, which is centered around knowing the abilities of those I work with. If a leader is aware of their team’s strengths and weaknesses, they will be better equipped to assign tasks and reach goals. This familiarity allows organizations to be more efficient, productive, and overall more successful.
Of the Seven C’s of the Social Change Leadership Model, congruence is the most applicable to one’s philosophy of leadership. It requires that a leader identifies their “personal values, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions and acts consistently with” them (Komives & Wagner, 2009). Being aware of what theories and competencies guide me as a leader is only half of my philosophy - I must also show them through my actions. I constantly remind myself to stay true to my values and practice them in all decisions I make. A TED Talk on pillars of leadership speaks to the importance of driving culture within a workplace or organization. In order to motivate a team and hold them accountable for their actions, a leader needs to practice what they preach (Zucker, 2018). They must promote the values and environment that you want to see, as previously described by the concept of congruence. By identifying my guiding leadership theories and using them often, I can practice my philosophy of leadership and help my impact team to the best of my ability.