ARTIFACTS
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
Click on the image to open each artifact
This course was not what I was expecting at all – rather than a strong focus on culture and leading in a globally and culturally diverse organization, the course tackled the challenging topics of globalization and what kinds of impacts it has around the world. We really dove into the double-edged sword of globalization and its impact on labor rights, economies, the environment and politics, especially impacts to developing countries. I expected a deep dive into office politics: instead, I was confronted with the very real dilemma s facing organizations and societies today. Globalization requires organizations to balance competing priorities of financial success with fairness, sustainability, and social responsibility. As “corporate responsibility” takes on new meanings in current times, companies are challenged with evolving their own standards and ethical considerations – no small commitment, especially as different societal and social norms regarding safety, equality, health and fairness begin to clash. This course opened my eyes to many new ideas and considerations when it comes to globalization and what challenges there are for leaders tasked with balancing across political, social and organizational norms.
INTRO TO GLOBAL SYSTEMS
ORGL 570
To be honest, I went into this class completely blind. It was a difficult course to categorize the experiance for. The course material leading up to BEF was helpful (and challenging), as were the zoom sessions with alumni, but I still had a hard time understanding what I was getting myself into until BEF actually began. Having such a wide perspective and few expectations helped me in some ways, but it also made me nervous about participating in BEF. After the experience, I left a lot of self-doubt behind me in Beligum, preferring to instead pack my bag with chocolates instead of worries. And as a result, I took home a revitalized sense of identity and self-worth. Via my participation in the simulation, and especially the times of Zag connection and vulnerability shared with my classmates (now friends), I was able to achieve a great deal of self-assurance. Personally, I feel like I've undergone a transformation thanks to this course; I've shed a lot of the "imposter syndrome" and other self-doubts that had been holding me back. I was surprised by how much I took away from this course about leadership and international relations on a personal level. I'm sure that I'll keep discovering new insights about myself as I reflect back thanks to this experience. This course elevated my interest in the international community. I considered myself a well-traveled individual before taking this course, although my focus had been more on Asia than on Europe. I did not, however, extend my interests beyond cultural appreciation. Since then, I've become interested in learning about the world beyond its cuisine and culture, including its institutions, effects of geography, political parties, historical influences, etc. Now that I know more about the international community as a whole, from individual nations to the European Union and NATO, I can better appreciate the United States and its place in the world. What I gained from this experience was a deeper understanding of what culture is and how it affects business and relationships on a daily basis, not only as a tourist attraction, and a reevaluation of certain long-held ideas and ignorance I hadn't addressed. If given the opportunity, I would take this course and participate in BEF again because of the impact it has on my development as a global citizen.
GLOBAL ISSUES: BRUSSELS
ORGL 577
This was a course I have been looking forward to since beginning the ORGL program, and it was well worth the wait through COVID in order to experience it. As an artist, the opportunity to link my love of art and art history to leadership studies was just too good of a promise to pass up! This course challenged my assumptions of what art could be, and how impactful it was and continues to be in our society. Although I have visited Florence before, I was able to see the city and the art through new eyes and make new connections. There were so many moments that impacted me, but there were two big highlights from my time in Florence. First, during the trip I was able to use my collection of art and art history knowledge in new ways, and I was able to share valuable information with my classmates. Being able to provide context to certain artistic choices and how they translated to society and life allowed us all to engage in deeper conversations. The positive feedback I got from this boosted my confidence that my final leadership project could provide value by connecting leadership and art. The second moment that stands out to me was giving a presentation to the class on art and the value of its influence even in todays modern world. I experienced a flow state during that presentation, the moment where challenge and passion were perfectly balanced, and I knew exactly what and how I wanted to share my ideas. The comments and feedback I got from that experience were incredibly validating, and even today I think of my main thesis and find motivation: Technology and art aren’t opposites, they are complimentary forces, both of which we should embrace. We rarely think of art as having a place in the business world of today, but truly, its absence is a tragedy because technology is an evolution. With technology, we build on what is there, improving and changing it but never truly creating something new. Technology alone can only take us so far. But art is a revolution – art is where new ideas are born and boundaries are pushed. You can find more on this theme in my artifact - a digital art journal of my experiences and learning in Florence - by clicking on the image to the left.
RENAISSANCE LEADERSHIP
ORGL 510