Strong leadership has always been an important concept to me.  Over the years, I have been able to figure out exactly what this phrase means by meeting and working with strong leaders, and learning about my personal strengths and values as a leader.

There have been several experiences that have taught me different strengths and values of leaders.  One of these developmental experiences was taking HONRS 201 in fall of 2019.  During this class, I took the Strength Finder test that helped me identify my values and strengths as a leader.  This gave me a good idea as to what skills I had, and what I could improve on over my college career.  The first time I was able to recognize these skills in a group setting was when I was a member of the MNSU Wind Ensemble.  I recognized all the different skills and values leaders throughout the group had, and how each one was needed to create a strong ensemble.

Another important experience to develop my leadership skills was designing for the first time for the Fall Dance Concert in 2019.  This was one of many times I would work as part of a production team.  The process showed me how to be more confident in myself and as a result, quicker to take action.  As I designed for more projects and worked on more production teams, I believe my skills as a leader have improved.  I feel more confident in my skills and am quicker to use them.

I went on to use these skills at Cedar Summerstock Theatre where I held several leadership positions in the summer of 2021.  I was able to apply what I learned from my previous experiences in order to be successful in these positions.  Since I had prior leadership experiences in positions such as designer, stage manager, and technician, I felt confident in my skills to successfully complete the job.  One of the challenges I came across this summer was the ability to ask help from others when it was needed.  One of my weaknesses as a leader is I try to do everything myself.  I believe that a good leader is someone who knows how to use their team members’ skills to make the team as effective as possible.  One of the successes that happened this summer was my ability to adapt.  There were several challenges that happened that were out of anyone’s control.  I was able to use my strengths as a leader and work with my team to find solutions. 

I was able to apply these skills once again when I served on the board for various positions for USITT Mankato Student Chapter.  I had seen what type of leadership does and does not work for this group, and I used my strengths and personal values to help the group grow throughout the last three years.  One of the challenges I faced was trying to work with different board members whose values and strengths did not align with the group.  I had to work to find ways to keep the group going.  Some of the successes I encountered were creating different events and workshops, leading two trips to the National Conference, and helping recruit and retain new members.

Strong leadership strengths and personal values are important qualities to have as a theatre professional.  As a lighting designer, it is important for me to have developed and practiced these skills.  I learned about the different necessary skills that leaders in a group need while participating in Wind Ensemble.  I used the leadership skills I had while working at Cedar Summerstock to overcome several challenges throughout the summer.  I was able to refine my leadership style while serving on the board for USITT, and have been able to define what a successful leader means for me.  The Honors Program has helped me to identify what my strengths are as a leader, and what values should be important to leaders.