Leadership Self-Portrait

At the beginning of my occupational therapy master’s program, a professor instructed us to create a self-portrait of a leader by answering questions and following prompts to draw certain shapes and items based on our beliefs of leadership. Now, we are second years and the same professor instructed us to complete the activity one more and compare how our portraits have changed or stayed the same. Mine surprisingly came out to look almost exactly the same.

My views of leadership and leaders in occupational therapy have relatively stayed the same based on the prompts. I still believe that leadership is a trait that can be both inborn and nurtured. Some are born with traits that make for great leaders and continue to grow them, while others work to develop the traits they are lacking. I also still believe that all occupational therapists are leaders. A therapist may not be a manager or an administrator, but he or she is daily guiding and leading patients towards their goals. Finally, I believe that both creativity and organization are equally important in leadership. A leader needs to be creative and adaptable, but they also must maintain a system of organization in order to enact changes and lead others effectively.

                My view of leadership, however, has changed in the sense that the definition of a leader continues to expand. The more professional and personal experiences I have the more I am exposed to different and sometimes unlikely ways people can lead. This quote sums it up well:

“Leadership is not a position or title, it is action and example”.

                                                                       -unknown