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International Leadership Association Case Study Competition
Signing up to do the International Leadership Association Case Study Competition (ILA) was one of the better decisions I have made in CLP. With a fantastic team that included Will DeKlotz, Sarah Barsky, and Katy Rettenmier, we finished second in the competition and had the privilege to attend the conference in Vancouver in October.
The process of working on our case study was no doubt stressful, as we were short of time and didn’t quite know what it was supposed to look like. Despite those struggles and stress, we managed to produce a case study around the houseless population in Spokane. The whole process of writing the paper and presenting it was one that was super insightful. My understanding of adaptive leadership and it’s application is much deeper, and I feel like I have a much better understanding of the houseless problem in my community. I’m glad we were able to identify and choose an issue that was right here in our community, as it created a more passionate and powerful presentation from us.
The opportunity to go to the ILA Conference was beneficial in multiple ways. In CLP we read a variety of books from a variety of authors. Having the experience to connect with some of these authors or those of similar stature was like meeting celebrities to us. Despite being one of the few groups of students, everybody was so passionate about leadership and the community the ILA had built. The conference broadened my understanding of a variety of different types of leadership and the dilemmas and situations that leaders encounter across the globe.
Being able to see leadership techniques discussed and applied by some of the industries best was an opportunity most other people don’t get. I am forever grateful to the International Leadership Association, Will, Katy, Sarah, Josh and CLP for providing me this unique opportunity.
Case Study
This was the second case study I had done in the semester that asked me to apply adaptive leadership to my local community. The cool thing is that both focused on different communities and different issues in them. Having the chance to learn more about disability accommodations at Gonzaga was very eye opening. I was tasked with looking at our communities strengths and vulnerabilities when addressing this matter and it was very eye opening for me, as I hadn’t really recognized it as a problem. This case study made me more aware of the amount of injustices around campus.
This was also my second chance to practice putting adaptive leadership to practice in a community that was close to me. It was really insightful to go through the process and ideas that we talked about in class and apply them to a problem at the university I attend. Using adaptive leadership to empower change was something that I felt more confident in my ability to do after this presentation. This held different value than the ILA case study as the people I had to empower were fellow students, and the problem wasn’t on as large of a scale as houselessness in Spokane. With the right people leading, and the right acrtions taken, this case study felt like something we could work towards finding a solution. This felt like something students could lead towards finding a shared solution.
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Vocation Reflection
In class this semester, one Wednesday we had four different speakers come in and talk about their vocation or calling. The amazing thing about the four of them is that each person was vastly different from the other three, with one getting fired three times to another who applied to USC film school because it was the first that popped up on google and got it. Some of they felt as if they haven’t found their vocation, despite being at an age where society tells you that you should have, while others did. This discussion left me pondering what I felt my vocation was.
While I can’t quite put a finger on where or what area, I feel called to work in sports. My entire life, I have grown up playing or watching sports. I have learned invaluable lessons from them, created lifelong relationships and have developed an understanding of how larger of an impact they have in today’s world. Sports like soccer, running and swimming are all universal languages with the ability to transcend the confines of race, gender, religion, politics and more. I feel called to help share this idea and to help foster the connected passion that so much of the world has for sports. This semester I have had the opportunity to work with the Spokane Chiefs as an intern. This time has solidified my passion for sports and underlined my happiness and joy to have the ability to bring sports to people as a form of bliss and connection. I have met incredible people, some who attend every game, and others who have attended none. Yet both find themselves at the Spokane arena to watch 16-20 year olds skate around a rink for 60 minutes. There is something so awesome about the ability that sports must bring people together and I want to foster that experience further.
During my time in Australia, I truly understood how powerful sports can be. In Australia, the three main sports are cricket, rugby, and Australian football, none of which are popular in the US. Going there, I was oblivious to the rules, players, and support that these three sports involved. I was quickly brought up to speed on rules, with comparisons used from baseball and American football to help me understand. Once I had developed an understanding, I was hooked, despite having no ties to any of the teams, players, or the sport itself. That simple understanding of the rules brought me closer to the people around me. It allowed me to share intimate moments with some of the best people I met while abroad and from there I have realized that I am called to bring these opportunities and enjoyment to as many people as possible. That is what I believe is my vocation.