Creative Leadership
Important to realize is that the following information is based on not only, my personal reflection but also on received feedback throughout the years
The Teamworker
As mentioned at "my CV" page, I thrive working in a team, coming up with creative ideas for solving certain issues such as, more brand awareness, and increating market share, but also developing new concepts for new projects. I always strive to perform better than previous projects.
Moreover, I always am an asset to the team, because I usually am the one who is creating the right atmosphere and is keeping the harmony if everything runs smoothly. I also noticed that I often think and say arguments in where different perspectives are considered.
I love to create some kind of band with the project members that I work with. In general, I would mainly do that by small talk, but I also suggest to have some kind of team building activity in order to get to know one another and to in the end have more effective and efficient meetings.
Jesse Barnett, STYG
We believe that the main purpose in this life is to make sure that when the time comes to die.. and you sitting there with your life flushing before your eyes, that you are proud of what you see there...that you are proud of what you see flushing before your eyes..cause this life that we have here on earth is very very short.. so you better live every single moment with love, compation, kindness, and you better give back as mch as you possible can cause that is what life is about,that is what being human is about and nothing more... I don't give a **** about your phone, what car you drive car.. none of that matters.. what matters is the person next to you. We still Believe.
The Communicator
When looking at the previous project in my portfolio, you can see that I have gained several experiences involving presenting my concept for a relatively large audience. Especially, DCLivingLab was an eyeopener for me, to not be so nervous and to just stand on stage and present my concept with a microphone. Nobody knows what I have to say about my concept better than myself. My latest project is to create a unique concept for a new restaurant. Together with the two owners I will organize, take the lead of one or two creative sessions to come up with a corporate name, and a unique concept.
As mentioned at the second core quadrant, I am able to motivate, inspire and convince where necessary. In project groups, I am often the creative brain of the team, and try to set the right atmosphere in the group. I am motivating team members who tend to struggle on some subjects. This school year somebody said to me that he/she is giving up on a certain project, because it was too stressful. I answered with: 'When you give up, that means that you have lost already. I know you feel the time pressure as we all do, but just give it your best and not give up for anything.' It was just what he/she needed, and wasn't giving up anymore.
Throughout the previous few projects that I participated in, I mostly took on the task of a leader. To prove to myself that I am able to do that and to set a step forward. I am a more democratic leader and I like to often have meetings on progress and content. During those meetings I always make sure everybody can have their say, and I am open to discussion if somebody thinks differently than me on certain topics. e.g. last year's operational management project it became obvious that I had the most knowledge about financial statements and therefore I had to lead the meetings. Eventhough you are sometimes the experienced person in the group, you can still sometimes be amazed by other team members and their perspectives towards the subject.
Within a project group, communication is maybe one of the most important aspects. Overall, I am trying to communicate as clear as possible, also when we are not in a meeting. I am always responding fast and provide updates about the progress on the project.
Being my own coach
Especially throughout the second and third year of my studies, I am trying to develop a professional attitude. I express this by taking every project and assignment seriously, to try to get the most experience out of the project. When looking back at my second year I only had high grades for all my projects. A part of why I receieved high grades is because I am more critical towards the assignment, I get motivated through real clients, to get the best out of the projects. 'One life, One shot, Give it all you got'.
However, it is not solely because of the mentioned arguements above. It is also because I tend to strive for the best result on a personal level. I often receive feedback/notes of my team mates, because I ask them for feedback regarding my personality or work especially during the project, not only because that way means that I don't have to wait for the peer evaluation, but also because I love exploring myself and to see how I come across to other people. Often you mean to express or do the one thing but it comes across totally different, especially in a international environment. So, last year I had to work together someone from Riga and when I asked my group for feedback, she told me that I am sometimes too direct. I took this by heart and thought about it and I could see why she thought that.
Having said that, I do not only reflect on myself through other people, but I am also often thinking of how I can improve myself. I mainly do this by analyzing the particular situation and to see where the improvements are. This could also be related to presenting/pitching my concepts or projects. Currently, I am dressing myself more professional, i am not hiding behind my notes and I am trying to really tough the audience with a wonderful and interactive presentation.
