Waking an Oblivious Leader
In grade school, my teachers usually identified me as a precocious child as well as a distraction to my peers. I developed a strong sense of confidence at a young age, and I find it easy to make friends because I am fascinated by our commonality. My name Samantha means “listener” in Aramaic, so perhaps I can blame my desire to talk to and learn about others as predestined.
My father was in the Air Force and met my mother in Minot, ND. I was born in North Dakota and lived in a few places around the United States and its territories until age six. I developed my love of travel and ability to engage with new people from my nomadic beginnings. I have also gravitated toward customer service jobs that allow me to interact with as many people as possible. I am genuinely excited to learn about new cultures, others’ stories, and how our paths happened to cross.
I enjoy reading and learning new things, and I devote my free time to countless craft projects and hobbies. If I am interested in a project, I will watch a YouTube tutorial or find a step-by-step guide online to educate myself. The trouble is that I start many projects, and then find a new passion project. Crafting is one of my favorite hobbies because I enjoy the challenge of trying to master a new medium and add to my skills. I also enjoy hosting craft tutorial nights for my family and friends to share my knowledge and supplies.
I found this zest for learning throughout my career. I do not believe you are ever too old to learn new skills and try new things that contribute to your career path. I have tried different industries, including education, the medical field, technology, hospitality, sales, and a short-lived job in construction. While I am happy with my current role, I will not rule out a possible career change if an exciting opportunity comes along. I value the work that I do and the individuals whom I collaborate with every day, so I am incredibly fortunate. However, I have many roles and responsibilities that I need to transfer to my colleagues to improve my work and life balance.
As the director of the student accounts office at Gonzaga University, I supervise a team of six incredibly brilliant individuals who are passionate about their work. The best part of my job is experiencing their joy when they can help our students and their families find a way to afford a GU education. My team includes representatives from several generations, and I find it hard to lead people with such diverse backgrounds and work experiences. By listening to and workshopping solutions to their problems, I have gained the trust and respect of my colleagues, but I want to empower my team to try solutions on their own without me.
I earned my current leadership role because I learned about all our software programs out of curiosity about how everything was interconnected. My peers approached me with system issues or clarification when a system process broke down because I can usually troubleshoot or analyze the data quickly. During my ascension to the director role, I have befriended most of my department, so it is difficult to transition to a leader or superior in our team. I have to navigate the fine line between making a friend and making a team member feel comfortable coming to me with a problem. I consider myself an oblivious leader on a journey to enlightenment. I am developing my leadership and communication style to start delegating my previous job responsibilities to my competent and passionate team.
I joined the COML program to learn more about how I can become a better communicator. I also want to share my knowledge and provide a space for growth for my team. As an oblivious leader, I am used to doing my job and giving feedback to my peers when they have questions. I want to become an effective leader who guides by example and empowers my team to develop their problem-solving skills. I want to transition from operational leadership to organizational leadership and work on professional development opportunities for my team. The Communication and Leadership Studies Program will help add to my toolbox and give me the confidence to step back and let my team shine.