A641.9.3.RB_DellElceCamila

A641.9.3.RB – Becoming A Resonant Leader

Dear self,

            I hope this letter finds you well and that you are happy and healthy. I hope that life is treating you well and that you are working on making your dreams come true. I wanted to touch base with you on how things are going. Do you recall that Resonant Leadership course you took in April 2016? Throughout the course you have examined yourself, the impact and necessity for exercising emotional intelligence, as well as bridging the gap in organizational leadership. In a personal vision statement you wrote, one of the main themes you listed was about having a lasting impact on people’s lives while becoming a doctor. As I am sure this goal has not changed, consider three learning goals, along with milestones, action steps, and who will you turn to, to help you make the changes necessary.

            By employing the Intentional Change Theory, or ICT, you can layout your plan to make changes you seek to move from where you see yourself today, to your vision for yourself. Remember, it is easy to decide to change and identify the real and ideal self, but deciding what to change and then actually implementing those changes is another matter entirely. Practicing intentional change is ideal for someone like yourself who struggles to stay on task. I know, it can be easy to get sidetracked over time and suddenly the routine you started to develop is gone. Remember that sustained change comes through intention. Think about what your ideal self was during the time of this letter, how you closed the gaps between the vision and your real self at the time, or are there still areas that could be further developed? Reflecting on the gap between your ideal futures and where your real self is now is a vital component to intentional and sustainable change. Your personal vision sought a desire to overcome negative talk and encourage self-confidence. Intentional change can help you reach that goal by setting small goals and working to build your confidence. Accomplishing this milestone would be a huge benefit for you because it’s the first wall that has been holding you back from your idea future! Don’t let it! You are a capable and motivated person who brings a special gift to the world, just like everyone else. Don’t forget that you are the only person who can dictate your future. Choose to overcome these difficulties by starting with ICT and developing an action plan to take on anything that appears as a negative attractor or element holding you back.  You don’t need that in your life!

            Integrating this into your life will be simple. I’m sure you can think of many reasons why it will not work, but there are equal and more important reasons for why it will. Remember what you said about tipping points and how you discussed that you have yet to have a negative experience from accepting these tipping points? Does that still hold true today? Remember that for every negative, there is an opportunity for growth and development. Stay positive and focused on the goal. You have an abundance of people waiting on the side to help you when you need it, don’t forget about them. I know you sometimes get caught up with your internal motivators, but remember that the relationships you’ve built with others are equally as important to your success. In order to reach this achieve, remember your husband loves you and is there to help you.

            Improve your emotional intelligence by understanding when you feel yourself reaching a boiling point or are at odds with someone whose values may come in conflict with your own, to be aware of those conflicts and to not react too quickly, by listening and not assuming you know where they are headed. To improve emotional intelligence, start reading Emotional Intelligence, The Strength Finder, and of course, finding a mentor will go a long way to helping you. With the two books, there are online tools available to help you determine actions to take, identify your strengths, and provide tips on how to make us of your strengths, and of course with a mentor to help you navigate your changes. I find my current manager could potentially help to achieve this goal, as she is a great example of a leader and I can always count of her if I need her.

            Become a leader coach to bridge leadership gaps. Your passion for leadership and developing others is commendable, but you should be careful to ensure you are properly prepared and are trained to do this. This may require you to find a mentor of your own, someone you can bounce your ideas off of, take the necessary classes to ensure you do the coaching properly, and then of course, you need to find someone to mentor. As you work to become a coach, you can use professional mentoring programs such as the International Coach Federation at http://www.coachfederation.org. There you will find information on training, levels of certification, and of course mentoring sources. In addition, you may consider looking into the formal mentoring programs available through DLA, and as you position yourself to become a mentor, you can use these same tools in reverse, or initiate a mentoring program within your organization on your own. I believe both; Dr. Knab and Dr. Spruill will be willing to help if I ever need any feedback when it comes to leadership due to their significant background.