When I started my academic journey, I always prioritized personal growth and leadership experiences. Therefore, I have been involved in many volunteering services, employment opportunities, and clubs on campus. And while being in Honors Program, I was able to reflect on my leadership experiences and better understand my leadership philosophy. One main thing I learned was that a solid leader helps their teammate realize their strength and continuously help them grow while working on the same missions and goals.

 

Before focusing on practical leadership experiences, I took the GALLUP Strengths Finder assessment to identify areas of leadership that I am strongest. My top 5 strengths were futuristic, relator analytical, consistency, and competition. My results were not a surprise because I can identify experiences in which I have been a leader and recognize these values within those times. Many of my strengths match what I believe to be beneficial for a finance professional to have when leading. Better understanding my strengths allowed me to apply them in my leaderships experiences and attain outstanding results.

 

In my sophomore year at college, I received an offer for the Community Advisor (CA) position. This experience was crucial in my personal growth because I could apply my strengths and develop my leadership philosophy. Initially, working as a CA was a challenge because I had to work in a big team with many students every day. This experience allowed me to recognize that my leadership philosophy is fundamentally based on the Democratic Leadership style. My philosophy of making decisions as a group through brainstorming benefited the whole team because we could develop diverse ideas and provide each other constructive feedback.

 

Also, I had an opportunity to work as an Orientation Peer Assistant, where I expanded my leadership philosophy. I learned that when having a team of knowledgeable and competent people, it is reasonable to work individually towards the same goal. As Steve Jobs once said, “The greatest people are self-managed — they don’t need to be managed. Once they know what to do, they’ll go figure out how to do it — they don’t need to be managed at all! What they need is a common vision — and that’s what leadership is.” However, I also realized that relying on each other’s strengths is crucial for the best outcome, but it does not mean that leaders always have to rely on others. Instead, it is better to challenge yourself to overcome weaknesses and gain experience in areas where I do not excel.

 

With these leadership skills, in five years, I see myself as an asset manager who will assist clients or companies with investment decisions considering the health of the economy, industry preferences, and security analysis. I believe that the leadership philosophy I have developed will allow me to serve my company and clients ethically, competently, and transparently.