Valeria Morell

Philosophy Statement

It is my belief a leader can come in all shapes and sizes. There are many different styles
of leadership, but it is how you incorporate those styles in your everyday lives. Leaders are the
beacon of what is right, and what is wrong.
A leader is someone who leads by example. They lead by acts of services, and actions. I
believe a leader must have a strong sense of personal and interpersonal values and ethics, and
good judgment. 1
I believe a leader should posses certain characteristics such as honesty loyalty, integrity,
and confidence. These characteristics are crucial to create an effective and productive group of
individuals. I believe a leader possessing these characteristics will lead his/her team to success. 2
I believe the purpose of a leader is motivate others in the right direction. A leader should
not make others do what they want, but create a shared vision that leads them all into the right
direction. The leaders behavior should be positive enough to build a trust that makes others want
to follow. I believe a leader does not rely on the power of the position, but the desire to work
along side their followers. 3
A leader is someone who can learn others strengths and weakness quickly, and coaches
them to be better than what they are now. I believe a leader is not afraid to address conflicts
when it arises, or make changes when needed. 4
I believe leaders are able to bring a diverse group of people to successfully work together.
A leader does not use his or her power to undermine their followers, but works along side to
reach a common goal. 5
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It is my belief that acts of services are shown in leadership and proven to be highly

productive and effective. I believe in order to become a successful leader, they have to lead by

example. They should show integrity, and ethical values above all else. For example, when I

worked at Starbucks, my manager was well respect, and was held at high regard. The reason

being so is she did not let others do what they want, but was able to work with different

personalities, and determine what others can do to meet the needs of the customer. She facilitated

her leadership style through acts of services by demonstrating what her expectations were. She

always showed initiative on the daily task that were assign, and was a role model to all of us. Iris,

closely resemble a servant leader, and constantly proven herself to be a leader through her acts. 1

I believe that certain traits really define a leader. A trait I believe a leader must have is

integrity. The foundation of any successful team is trust, and I had to realized this the hard way.

While I was working for Starbucks, my manager appointed me a position as a barista trainer,

every Wednesday, we had our weekly meetings. It consist of our progress of sales in our store,

drink releases, and updates of the upcoming baristas. During one of the meetings, one of our

supervisors mentioned that someone stole the tips. The supervisor who address the issue turned

out to be the one who stole. Trust was broken amongst the team, and the lesson learned there was

that misconstruing the truth will get you no where, but being honest and having integrity with

yourself and others will set you on the right path.2

I believe the purpose of a leader is motivate others in the right direction. A leader should

not make others do what they want, but create a shared vision that leads them all into the right

direction. Working at Starbucks for three years now, I have come to build a rapport with a great

deal of people. But among them, one person stands out most. The Shift Supervisor, Josh, has

always been an individual I look to as a leader. I have always been impressed with his
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commitment to us (his team) and his ability to get us motivated throughout the day in what can

be a very repetitive job. As a supervisor, he is very clear with our short and long term goals and

is adamant in communicating with us. Be it good or bad news, he always makes time to talk

about the individual progress, or lack thereof, we are making. I think the most important

leadership trait I recognize in Josh is his ability to quickly asses a situation and assign the right

people to see its resolve. I am eternally impressed with his confidence as a leader in both himself

and in us. I have never felt micromanaged by him, and any time he approaches me we discuss

different methods to clean properly or how to best speak to a customer when there is a conflict.

He listens to what I have to say, and then gives me guidance on how to complete the task at

hand. I find it very interesting that prior to having the leadership jargon down, I could recognize

these leadership traits in him. Granted, I couldn't name them all, but even then I could see the

difference between him and those he is surrounded by at his level. 3

A leader is someone who can learn others strengths and weakness quickly, and I believe a

leader is not afraid to address conflicts when it arises, or make changes when needed. Working at

Target, on Black Friday is basically a synonym for chaos in the retail world. It was just my luck

that the Front End Lead in our department received an job offer right before the holidays, and

would therefore be gone with no one next in line to replace him. Things got truly interesting

when the general manager approached me and asked that I lead the team in charge of “rapid

installations” over black Friday merchandise. He explained what the expectations were, and the

complications that have risen in previous years. As someone who wanted a leadership position, I

felt as though the opportunity would be a heathy challenge for me and I accepted it. Prior to

Black Friday, I met with everyone in my team and started a dialogue I had never been engaged

in. I had no experience as leader in any way, shape or form and quickly came to realize that I
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couldn't start off as leader. So I decided to work hard over the next few days to give them reason

to count on me for that night. I stayed after my scheduled hours to answer technical questions for

them. Gave them my phone number and insisted they call if there were any issues. Dealt with the

customers that they perhaps felt required more delicate attention. Soon enough, the way they

approached me, and I them, changed drastically. As a leader Now, when I spoke to them about

the goals and expectations for the upcoming event, they were engaged and excited, but above all

they trusted me. They knew I would be available to them, for questions and concerns. That I

would not ask anything unfair of them. That night flew by, and what little I remember brings

pride to my heart. I know, based on the numbers and feedback, that my team and I were

successful. I learned that one cannot simply waltz into a room and demand respect in areas

he/she has not yet earned credibility. I worked hard and tirelessly to prove to my coworkers that I

wanted and deserved to lead them. I also learned to take a risk. Now, I wasn't jumping into the

abyss unprepared, but I did reach way outside of my comfort zone and found a remarkable

experience had been awaiting me. 4

As a leader I have learned that we all need to work together in order to accomplish our

goals.Teams are made up of all types of background, age and race, some come skilled and some

are new. I have learned that I have to adapt my style of leadership to each individual, and I have

to promote inclusion by having group members work together in small tasks. The completion of

a project gives us members of the team great satisfaction and helps us build a bond. A leader

should be able to recognize the strength and weakness of each member of the team, and help

everybody work together by designing an effective plan. In today’s fluid organizations,

leadership occurs at all levels. I was not given a title, or a raise. I was given an unforeseen

situation and presented with the choice to help. My decision essentially evolved into the role of a
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leader in an area not often associated with leadership. By this I mean, no one expected me to lead

the way I did, and take charge but now I have a full-time leadership role in a position that once

did not exist within my building. It may not be a decorative as a manager, but I lead and there are

those who follow. 5

After completing the word cloud, I believe it says a lot about who I am as a leader. I see

myself as someone who is driven, and determined. The Word Cloud made me realized I have a

theme to my philosophy statement which is “change”. One day I hope to make a huge difference

in the world. It may not be anytime soon, but I believe I am heading in the right direction.