Illinois Leadership Certificate ePortfolio

Leadership Workshops:

Fostering a Culture of Feedback

In this workshop we explored the power of feedback through an interactive exercise where we hid a toy in the room and practiced giving positive, negative, and no feedback to locate it. We learned the difference between constructive and destructive criticism and discussed how to deliver feedback with empathy to promote growth and maintain trust.

Practicing Servant Leadership

This session introduced the concept of servant leadership, emphasizing putting the team’s needs first and building trust. I realized this style aligns with my natural approach, and I reflected on how prioritizing others fosters stability and stronger collaboration in teams.

Leading With Empathy and Compassion

In this workshop we examined the differences between sympathy, empathy, and compassion, then practiced active listening in a three-person exercise with roles of talker, listener, and observer. This activity highlighted the importance of patience, presence, and deep understanding in building strong, compassionate relationships.

Telling My Leadership Story

This workshop focused on personal reflection and guiding us to identify our “lollipop moments” (times when our actions made a positive impact on others). It helped me connect past experiences to my leadership journey and articulate my story with authenticity and confidence.