My Leadership Philosophy

Neha Tahir

Describe a time when you modeled good leadership and/or citizenship.

A time when I modeled good leadership and/or citizenship was in my senior year of high school. In my senior year I was in a class called the Health Occupation 2. In the Health Occupation 2 class, we would go to the Sikeston Convalescent Center nursing home every Thursday and Friday to get our training done. So, we can become Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA). In the nursing home, I learned that a lot of families left their parents in nursing home because they felt like their parents were burdened to them and they would never visit them. I come from the background, where it is our responsibility to look after our parents. I was always taught that every parent

has sacrificed their need to take care of their kids. So, when a parent get older and are not able to take care of themselves then their kids should step up and take care of them.
When I learned that I was shocked, so some of my friends and I decided to spend some time with them, because a lot of patients would have spent majority their day in their room without talking to a single person. We would usually go to them and paint their nail for them. Because it was great to spend time with them and it also made them feel good about themselves. In the beginning it was hard for them to open to a group of teenagers because they were not used to it, but slowing they start opening up to me. When they finally opened to me, I felt so good, because my mission was achieved, which was to make them feel like home.

Choose a leadership role you hold/held and explain your vision for that organization.
In high school, I was a member of the Operation Hope Mentor Program (OHMP). The Operation Hope Mentor Program was all about helping fifth and sixth who come from a lower-class family. Each person in the program would get at least kid to mentor year. We would meet them twice a month for about one and half hours. The mentors job was to encourage their kids to work hard and tell them that one day their hard work would pay off. Also, mentors would buy their kids things that they needed. For example, some families could not afford a jacket for their kids in winters time, so their kids would go everywhere without any jacket on snow days. As a mentor, it was our responsibility to buy jackets for our mentee. Being a mentor to my mentee was an amazing experiencing.
To me, this organization was everything. When I moved to the Sikeston, my family struggling a lot that time. I wish someone would have created the same organization that time, because my parents could not afford any of things too. When I learned about this program I want to be in it. Because I knew how it is feel like not have anything. Being a lower-class family can be difficult a lot time, especially for kids, where everyone wants to fit in with everyone. So, giving these kids what they need and seeing the joy on their faces was everything to me. Also encouraging kids to not to give up was a such a good feeling too.

Describe a scenario when you had to challenge your peers, an authority figure, or the status quo to do what you knew was right.
In beginning of my sophomore year of high school, I was really worried about going to my English class. I always heard horrible things my English teacher, Mrs. Wilson, from my sibling and other students how was in the military before teaching and that made her not like any Muslims. So, I was really scared to go to her class on the first day of the school. In the first quarter of the sophomore year Mrs. Wilson made one or two racist comments towards my cousin and me about our national. So, I decided to stay away from her, because I was scared that she would say something racist to me again.
Then one day in the middle of the first semester, I was having a little trouble in Mrs. Wilson class. So, I decided to go to her and ask her for help. She told me to meet her after school, so she can help me with homework. We would meet everyday after school for two weeks, because we were spending extra time together, we got to know each other better. I learned she was not as bad as other students describe her to be. When second semester started, we get really close. We develop a relationship of mentor and mentee. I feel I showed her not always Muslims are bad people. In the end, she saw me as a person who wanted to learn, so one day they can achieve their goal. Not as a person who forces their beliefs on other people.
How do you motivate others to get involved in your leadership vision?
For me, if you want to motivate others to get involved in your leadership vision, then you need to prove to them you are a good leader.

To become a good leader, you need to set your goals first. In high school, one of my teacher was all about being diversified and open minded. She would motivate her students to follow her leadership skills by making her students form “A United Circle”. “A United Circle” was all about clearly our differences and working together. One day everyone was arguing in the class, because no one was able to settle out their differences. Everyone in that class was so different from everyone else, so we were not able to get over our differences. So, the next day, my teacher made whole class form a circle. In the circle, everybody in it told the group their problem in order. After all the problems were solved, she told our class that everyone over here is capable doing anything and if we all beautiful people start working together then no one will be able to stop us ever.

I would probably motivate others to get involved in my leadership vision by using same method as my teacher. The first thing I would do is figure out what are most important leadership qualities to me. Then explain and show to group why following my vision of a leader can benefit all us. It is important to show to people developing any qualities of a leader can useful for them and people around them like my teacher did. She first made her students settled their differences, then encourage them by working together can help you find a solution to any

problem.
What is the most meaningful reward you’ve received as a result of your work as a leader (in any position)?
I have a friend, Peyton, who was really shy in high school. Whenever she had to do present or had to give a speech she would always shake uncontrollably, and you would not hear anything that comes out of her mouth. So, basically, she had very little communication skills. In senior year of high she wanted to be the president of some club. The process of becoming the president was that she had to give a speech on why they should select her the president of a club.
For speech practice, on the first I helped her organize the speech and helped her memorize the speech. I told her to stand outside of her bedroom, while I’m standing inside her bedroom. So, she can speak loud and clear. On the second day of her practicing’s, I took her in my car. I told while I drive around the town, you are going to practice your speech as loud as possible. After practicing for one hour, I told her to practice speech in medium pitch tone for one hour more. On the last day of her practice, I made Peyton practices by making her stand in front of a mirror. I asked her, when she is speaking does she look uncomfortable, because if she does then her audiences would be uncomfortable too. I told her by not being so monotone would make her audiences listen more.
After her practicing done, I wished her good luck and she went home. One week later she texted me telling that she has become the president of the club. After reading the text I felt so prove of me for helping her get over her fear of public speaking.