The third component of the Social Change Model has to do with society/ community values. The only specific element within this component is the simple, yet over-looked element of leadership as I have learned upon nearing my graduation this Fall. Citizenship was taught to us as children as your civic duty or essentially your duty to vote, uphold civic involvement, or participate in local elections. When it comes to leadership, I would have to argue that there is one more step associated to being a noble citizen: participation does not necessarily lead to social change, but rather keeps the norm at a standstill. What I have learned in another course, called Diversity and Inclusion in Agriculture, is that I had not truly had the opportunity to put my leadership skills and knowledge to true, realistic social change until an assignment last Winter semester. I finally had the chance in a Diversity and Inclusion panel where 5 members of 5 different underrepresented groups came to speak to us students about current injustices they have faced in agriculture due to their race, ethnicity, origin, sexuality, and many others.

Applying concepts learned in class to my previous Service Learning Project in the Group Values component of the Social Change Model was not as concrete or as inspiring as this panel assignment in the Diversity and Inclusion course. Our class was asked to draw (which I knew I would absolutely botch due to my artistic ability) a scenario where there was some sort injustice occurring in agriculture or other area. Mine was underwhelmingly meaningful when compared to my classmates, and following the goals of my first post on the Social Change Model, I began to reflect internally as to how the scenarios had or had not be a part of my values or beliefs as a leader. Essentially, I learned more in that hour long panel from my classmates drawings and a discussion with the five on the panel than I have ever in my life in terms of importance towards my own leadership development progress.

I knew I had to take this citizenship concept and truly envelop it into my overall character, personality, and actions as a community leader. This assignment proved to me that simply attending assemblies, voting on local elections, and supporting local farmers is not the ideal citizen. I now see that the ideal citizen shouldn’t participate, we should learn, reflect, and reciprocate the findings he or she takes away from another individual citizen. In essence, I learned that citizenship is not hwo I learned it before, looking at the individual as a citizen, but rather listening to, emphasizing with, and getting closer to the citizens around you. Only by doing this can local communities bring the most inclusive, open-minded, and democratic leadership to the forefront.

Continuing along the path I have followed here as a Virginia Tech Leadership and Social Change minor, the next course, Elements of Team Leadership, also aligns with the next component of the Social Change Model: Group Values. One of the core pieces of this component is known as Common Purpose. It is designed to highlight the important of an individual and a collective unit to work with the same shared values and aims, the ability for the group to collectively agree on what the groups’ next goals are, and finally that there is a shared vision amongst members which will help in deciding on the purpose and goals of each activity. I had a vague idea of what to expect, but of course as much as I have felt prepared for each leadership course here at Virginia Tech, I learned several new things along the way.

Aside from our bi-weekly blog posting on this same WordPress website highlighting our key conceptualizations of each two weeks, the Elements of Team Leadership course also had a significant group project called the Service Learning Project. So, how does this project align with the Common Purpose aspect of the Group Values element from the Social Change Model? The project was designed for several different reasons, but developing a concrete common value, goal, and roles/responsibilities for each member were some of the most important. Immediately, the group I worked with each agreed that we would work with a non-profit designed to help out those who are less represented than others. This led to an easy decision to choose Battling Bars, which was an advocacy group for inmates in and around Blacksburg, who simply do not have the capability or even right to voice their concerns or problems in the criminal justice system. So, in terms of goals associated with the Common Purpose element of the Group Values component of the model, I realized that must have been a simply passive decision in which we all agreed because it was an easy, morally stimulating group that the term “service learning” coincided with. I still had much to learn about the dynamics of the Common Purpose element, however.

Throughout the course, we learned about the ways in which group dynamics hinder the possibility of real, structural change. Specifically, we learned about the idea of group think, or simply believing the idea of one member should be agreed with by another, and so on to the rest of the members. This applies directly to the choosing of the group we chose for our Service Learning Project, meaning one member offered it as a suggestion, and one more agreed. Next, the remaining two members, including myself, simply agreed because of the group think mentality. In the future, I plan on either offering up a reasonable objection or a simple questioning as to why that person might have chosen that group, how it adheres to our Common Purpose, and hope that we can all re-iterate what these common purposes, values, morals, etc. are/how they align with the group we choose.

Coinciding with my previous post regarding the intentional decision to emphasize the individual as a leader with the first course I took here at Virginia Tech, the second segment which makes up the individual values of the Social Change Model, Congruence, was an eye opening learning experience for my personally. Once I discovered the necessity of Consciousness of Self, it was obvious that the next part of my individual leadership development process would highlight the importance of “practice what you preach” as congruency implies. Of course, it was not the first or the last time I have heard this saying as my father and grandfathers each preached this to me and my siblings as young as I could remember. However, there was a much more fundamental and significant reason that we covered this segment of the individual values component of the model, and I would quickly learn what that was.

If somebody told me that I always represented and practiced the same exact values, morals, beliefs, etc. as I also tell others to uphold as well, I would simply tell them to stop exaggerating. This was one of the learning objectives from our course that I simply did not think was possible for every single good leader to constantly adhere to. However, upon further investigation and practice, I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessarily the leaders’ ability to always practice what they preach, rather than their ability to project to others the reasoning behind their respective values, beliefs, understandings, etc. So, instead of always trying to argue for or against something that I believe to be true, I began to dig deeper into the explanation I would provide if another individual did not share that same belief. This has been instrumental to my success in an effort to become the leader I wish to be in the future.

Now, putting these key takeaways to use since the Leadership Effective for Agriculture class, as well as now, was a much more difficult feat for me than I could’ve imagined. Whether or not a highly regarded leader wants to admit it or not, it is very uncommon for every single belief or value they use in their leadership style to perfectly align with others, as well as even their closest followers. Instead, I have since concluded that as I transitioned from individual values component of the Social Change Model to the group values component, I would not focus on my own congruence, but rather assess the differences in values between my own and those who I am working with, thus allowing me more time to compare and contrast their own beliefs, in an effort to focus on the group congruency, rather than how well the group aligns with mine.

Over the past two and a half years here in the Leadership and Social Change minor offered at Virginia Tech, I have learned that the alignment and structure of leadership classes are in the order that they are for realistic reasons. Beginning with an introduction about leadership, such as its many definitions, a brief review of significant leaders from the past, and then eventually diving deeper into the different styles of leadership, was intentional. If an average college freshman or sophomore is to exceed in all three of the components which make up the Social Change Model’s seven C’s, then it only makes sense that a focus on the individual as a leader first and foremost. That being said, discovering and focusing in on the consciousness of self segment of the individual component of the model is the first segment I believe I began to focus on in my time here at Tech. In the intro course, Leadership Effective for Agriculture, I was exposed to the exact type of leader I am and how my own values, assumptions, and strategies for leadership could both hinder or improve the effectiveness of my leadership in general, excluding specific group leadership which would come later.

There are several different reasons this Leadership Effective for Agriculture course was important for the progression of my leadership development here at Virginia Tech. Firstly, I had not previously been exposed to a leadership course at all, so the only reflections I had focused on before the course typically just involved my relationships with friends and family or the productivity and commitment I had for school and my future. However, this course is literally designed to change that reflective to those aspects of a leader: have I been honing in on what makes my leadership effective, and what do I need to do in order to take the styles I have adopted as my own and utilize them to the highest degree of social change?

To answer those previous questions that a leader who has began to understand the concept of consciousness of self, I had to apply them to my every day lifestyle. Specifically, I had to take the concepts we learned in that into class, assess them by deciding which content, styles, strategies, etc. apply to me, and then make sure that I am constantly reflection subconsciously about how I am improving my current leadership strategies, acknowledging the downsides of my leadership styles, and re-imagining the way I see my future self as an effective leader in agriculture.

The fourth and final key event which has impacted my leadership journey throughout college would certainly be the Identity and Inclusion in Agriculture course my Junior year. It would be impossible to consider a well-respected leader who does not seek equal treatment and equal representation in whatever field or organization they are leading. This class was truly eye-opening in terms of analyzing those groups in agriculture that are marginalized or underrepresented. Dr. Niewolny here at Virginia Tech does a fantastic job at bringing up tough social issues that would otherwise be pushed under the rug.

What?

Much like my second key event. this event was simply the participation in a course here at Virginia Tech in my Agricultural Sciences major. However, it was not simply a course where I was given information that is scientifically proven, and being used in the agriculture community, but rather an assessment and critique of the current agriculture climate pertaining to those who are minorities, women, or other underrepresented groups.

So what?

One of the most important assignment/events in this key event was a panel of different minorities, ethnicities, and genders that each of us participated in about three quarters of the way into the semester. Not only was it eye opening because we were instructed to draw or paint something that represented a controversial topic–which was so cool to see some of the artistic ability of the students in my class–but because I had never once ever heard from a black farmer, a native American farmer, a female farmer, and a member of the lgbtq community speak about their experiences in the agriculture community. I walked into that panel with little to no knowledge of what these groups go through, and left with a completely new perspective of what it means to be “different” from the typical white male farmer.

Now what?

It is quite easy to see how this course and that particular panel has contributed to my leadership perspective in agriculture. Building off of the idea that us agriculture leaders need to reach out to the younger generation, it added a newfound idea of another huge target audience: members of marginalized/underrepresented communities in agriculture. So, the key takeaway from this course was that we are all one in terms of changing the agriculture climate across the nation, as well as the world. We are obligated to invite every single individual, regardless of their race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or gender, if we are going to convince this younger generation to consider agriculture as their career option. If we do not, then leaders are simply losing key agriculture members due to lack of acceptance, which is something we have no time or need to do. I look forward to working with folks from every single background imaginable in an effort to make small agriculture members accepted and content in their communities.

The impact that this key event has had on my leadership potential throughout college is quite substantial. Following the Intro to Cooperative Extension course here at Virginia Tech with Dr. Vines, I was fortunate enough to receive an internship at my local Henrico extension office near my hometown. Not only was a great Summer job and income, but it helped me put all of the concepts I learned in the course directly into practice with my mentor.

What?

This key event is simply my first agriculture internship. However, its’ impact on my leadership journey throughout college is almost as important as my first key event as a pledge class president. I was lucky enough to work with one of the greatest group of extension agents in the city, which truly taught me how much extension agents care for the greater good of society around them. They are selfless, caring, and devoted to improving the lives of the many who call Henrico their home.

So what?

It is very obvious that internships are essential for us college students to participate in, but most people do not participate in an internship that they eventually decide isn’t something they would like to continue in their career. I, however, am one of those individuals who both benefitted significantly from my internship with Henrico Country Extension, while also realizing it is simply not the career I plan on pursuing. This is very important in terms of my leadership development since I had to be honest with myself that all of the positive findings and takeaways from my internship were so impactful, but also admit that these findings were not enough to make me want to pursue that line of work. It was the first key event in leadership where I felt a little bit confused, but eventually came to terms with the fact that is was well worth every minute.

Now what?

Since my internship with Henrico County Cooperative Extension, there have been so many different scenarios where my experience with them has benefitted other real life instances. I have talked to other students in my major who are considering a career in extension, as well as been part of several different projects where similar program planning methods were utilized, and that was the most important concept I encountered at Henrico Country Extension. Essentially, I learned that leadership skills can always be inherited even in occupations that one might not even see as their future career. It was a truly amazing experience, and I will continue to adhere to the passion and commitment that the agents worked with daily at the office.

My second key event which has shaped my understanding of leadership would certainly have to be the first key leadership course I have taken in my collegiate career: Leadership Effective for Agriculture with Dr. Rateau here at Virginia Tech. For someone who has simply only viewed leadership as a sort of theoretical concept which can only be learned through doing, I was very surprised to learn about the academic studies which make it a much more adaptive trait that anyone can inherit.

What?

So this key event is my first course about leadership associated with my own–new–major here at Virginia Tech. It is a very important class for my major, as it not only gave me a new, updated viewpoint in terms of agricultural leaders, but also taught me the ins and outs of what makes someone a leader, what is a leader, and also to figure out which type of leader I am in comparison to other classmates.

So what?

This key event in my college career is important to my leadership development for several reasons. Not only did it spike my interest in leadership concepts and ideas, but it also gave me the desire to look deeper into those concepts when applied to myself. In essence, I was being educated about what makes a good leader, what are some typical characteristics of a good leader, and finally the several different types of leaders. But on top of that, I was analyzing myself in comparison to these different types of leaders throughout the semester.

Now what?

Finally, this key event would not be considered a key event if I didn’t assess the key takeaways and leadership principles from the course that I can utilize to my advantage in the future as a leader in the agriculture sector. In the future, I will utilize the primary topics covered in the class to recall on what people need in a leader, when these different leadership styles are necessary, and how my own leadership style will contribute or hinder the progress for whatever organization I am leading. On the other hand, I will always remember the avid discussions regarding the need for leaders overall in the agriculture sect, as we learned that young farmers are decreasing in numbers. Thus, I plan on using those same principles to reach out to the younger generations in an effort to turn this shrinking percentage around. In my opinion, all leaders in agriculture must adhere to this goal as it will be even more difficult, but also even more important for us as a human race as the weather patterns shift, and climate policies will be implemented.

The first and perhaps the most influential key event in my college career that has helped shape my understanding of leadership would certainly be the night I was elected Pledge Class President of Theta Chi fraternity at University of South Carolina. There are several moments throughout the selection night that I remember which stuck out to me the most in terms of the responsibilities that are associated with leadership, particularly the weight of the burden if another member of my pledge class does not adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the President of the fraternity.

What?

In simple terms, this key event was simply the night I was voted by my pledge class to be the pledge class president throughout our initiation process. I was excited, determined, and proud to be selected to be the primary representative of my future 12 bothers. I was told the rules, regulations, and process for the upcoming months, and exactly how I would be monitored by those who founded the fraternity the year prior (it was a very young fraternity).

So what?

The significance of this key event on the shaping of my leadership was massive. I knew what a PCP (Pledge Class President) was at a fundamental level, but I had never gone through the process with my Vice Class President, in which we were briefed quite extensively about the core values, beliefs, and motto of the fraternity we were joining. It was both humbling and nerve wracking listening to the expectations that our positions called for. Specifically, we were essentially told that every act over the next two months by those in our class would be directly associated with how well we, as PCP and VCP, led our fellow brothers. It was an experience that has taught me to respect leaders of all types of organizations in the future.

Now what?

The key takeaways to this first key event are as follows: a leader is expected to hold an overwhelming majority of the consequences that come from non rule abiding colleagues, this burden can and will seem daunting for any leader, regardless of their leadership potential, and that being selected as a leader comes with a fine mixture of both pride and humbleness. I have continued to utilize these findings as I have now switched from University of South Carolina to Virginia Tech as I needed a new major, but the takeaways will continue to serve as a reminder that leadership comes with responsibilities, and no leaders should be taken for granted.

Personality Profile: KAI, StrengthsFinder, and CQ Assessments 

1. KAI Inventory: 

The KAI Inventory, also known as the Kirkton Adaptation-Innovation Inventory is intended to measure individual thinking style—thinking being the way in which we solve problems and are creative. Essentially, the theory states that people differ in cognitive styles in which they are creative, solve problems, and make decisions, and these two ends of the spectrum range from high adaptation to high innovation. My results landed me at a 90, which is about the middle to left third, and is slightly closer to the adaptive style. The results from this test provide me quite a lot of information as it pertains to future of the ways in which I will naturally collaborate with others in a project or simply a task. In the middle to left third, my interactions in collaborations will be moderately more of a possible mediator, who can help to bring both perspectives together, but in a case of a split second decision, it is likely that I would choose to abide by the pre-established methods or planning finalizations due to my more adaptive personality. From this test, I can see how my adaptation-innovation Inventory could help me in the future, specifically if I run into a decision that required a drastic change to traditional guidelines that requires an innovative thinker to help, I could try my best to persuade the CEO to give a lower ranked employee a chance to help guide—thus, resulting in a newer, more innovative plan in that moment.  

2. StrengthsFinder: 

I believe this assessment was the most crucial and beneficial of the four that we participated in the past few years here an the Leadership and Social Change Minor. Of course, an assessment which measures the five top strengths I possess is something that is great to know for the future, but for me the results impacted in a much more long term way. I immediately realized that in my previous classes, predominantly my leadership classes, a very common theme from semester to semester was that a good leader should lead in a way that highlights or enhances their strengths, rather than one that would make their weaknesses obvious  or as a roadblock towards leading a particular group of individuals. Thus, I took this assessment with the end-goal in mind to be as straightforward and honest about myself as I could with hopes that it would be an accurate representation of the strengths I could utilize for the remainder of my time at Virginia Tech, as well as in my career as both an agriculture advocate and wherever it might be helpful elsewhere.  

According to the results, my top five strengths were the following: Competition, Command, Adaptability, Positivity, and individualization. From this information, I can gather from a broad sense of perspective that my leadership strengths all contribute myself to an individual who aims to (positively) influence those around me, as well as an obligation to bring those I am working with closer to each other on an individual level where bonds can be formed through our cohesive goal of achieving a collective goal or solution to a problem. Thus, I would consider myself to be an individual who does not see myself as solely someone who wishes to guide or coach a group to a solution, but rather would focus on how each unit of that group and their own attributes can help in finding a solution through meaningful relationships. From this information comes both a heavy sense of responsibility or duty to make sure I continue to influence those around me by example—i.e. proving my self worth by the ways in which I strive to accomplish something quickly and effectively—while making sure to positively reinforce the need for a common group identity that will bring us together beyond simply a machine who act individually. 

3. Cultural Intelligence Assessment: 

The Cultural Intelligence Assessment, or CQ, is a person’s capability to function effectively in a variety of cultural contexts—both internationally and domestically. There are four levels that make up this assessment, and each is measured on a scale of 0-100 with low, medium, or high rankings. Those in the low range are listed in the bottom 25% of worldwide norms, those listed in the moderate range are in the middle 50% of worldwide norms, and those in the high range are listed in the top 25% of worldwide norms. The first CQ capability is known as CQ drive, which is essentially the individual’s level of interest, persistence, and confidence during multicultural interactions. On this this category, I scored an average of 63/100, which puts me at a moderate to high rating. The second category listed is known as CQ knowledge, and this section concerns an individual’s understanding about how cultures are similar and different. This was my lowest score on the assessment, coming at a 31. I will most certainly need to improve this area of cultural intelligence in the near future. The next category is known as CQ strategy, and as the name suggests, this section is important because it ranks your awareness and ability to plan for multicultural interactions. Surprisingly, my score came in at a 56 for this part of the assessment, which I was not expecting because I had never really considered myself as a forward thinker before I met anyone, regardless of their cultural differences. On the fourth and final section, known as CQ action—a measure of ones ability to adapt when relating and working in multicultural contexts—I received another moderate score of 58.  

What I have learned most from this assessment compared to the others is that the interest that I have with meeting other cultures is primarily an extrinsic interest and for a main purpose of self-efficacy. Now, this does sound a little bit selfish, but I think everyone at some point realizes that they can be a better leader, and an overall better person, if they are culturally diverse in the people that they work with. Secondly, I have learned that when I socialize or work with people in any various setting, I usually do not have a very good sense of the values and norms of that particular culture, as well as the socio-linguistic tendencies of other cultures, as well. So, I must get better at understanding different cues, whether it be verbal or nonverbal, that will help me in interacting with those from cultures different from mine. I plan on utilizing these finding in every aspect of my future career, whether it be at the airport of a foreign country or even at an office I will work at somewhere down the road, it will be important to understand these differences between my culture and those around me if I am to effectively communicate with different people.