Leadership and Research Leadership is required for a variety of professions.

Leaders must possess the ability to stand up for what they believe is right, engage others in common goals, and demonstrate behavior that is consistent with their beliefs (Kouzes & Posner). These qualities will be useful throughout my pursuit of a graduate degree, as well as in job interviews. This section will discuss the new leadership qualities I have learned, old leadership qualities I have built on, and my development as a leader through research experience. Development of Leadership skills. I have largely developed leadership skills through my research experience. Rather than managing (controlling the organization), I have learned to lead (change the organization) (Chapter 12). I have developed a stronger sense of employee-centered leadership. Employee centered behavior focuses on the people they work with, their success, and communication with them (Chapter 12). These leaders are focused on the quality of social connections the forms within the work place (Chapter 12). Employee-centered leaders combine high quality social units along with high performance in the work place. Specifically, I have strengthened my ability to focus on the social unit within my research lab. An example of this making sure that I am able to attend every lab meeting and lab luncheon, so that I can further develop relationships and strengthen communication with other members of the lab. I have strengthened by abilities relative to the path-goal theory. Path-goal theory has an emphasis on the leader helping subordinates reach their goals. This can be applied to research in the sense that those with more advanced degrees help others learn how to present, conduct, and analyze research. There are four components to path-goal theory: a) directive, b) supportive, c) participative, d) achievement-oriented. This theory is often acted out in my research lab. Weekly,

I or another lab member focuses on the task at hand thats been assigned to us. Supportive leadership occurs when I discuss my research or my future plans with my mentor or other lab members. We have lab meetings to discuss these plans with one another. Participative behaviors often occur when I consult with my mentor before making serious decisions, which also occurs during weekly lab or private meetings. Achievement-oriented behaviors take place when my mentor sets goals that I need to achieve in order to further my performance. Not only am I learning to strengthen my leadership qualities, but I am learning to also be a substitute leader. Therefore, the substitute leader affects subordinates. I use the leadership qualities in order to direct and lead newer research assistants when they are in need of assistance. My mentor is often not available due to a busy schedule, and RAs often have questions about their work, so substitute leaders step in and help one another. An example of this is: a new research assistant is assigned a task of which she is unsure of; she can ask me, or another senior RA for guidance. My transactional and transformational skills are being further developed through my work as a research assistant. Transformational leadership is the process whereby a leader engages others and therefore increases motivation (Chapter 9). Transactional leaders do not individualize the needs of subordinates (Chapter 9). Transactional leaders exchange things of value with subordinates to further their own and their subordinates agendas (Chapter 9). Substitutes for leaders act in place of the leader, making the actuals leader behavior unnecessary (Chapter 12). An example of this is simply working in a research lab. It is in the best interest of subordinates to do what the leader asks (Chapter 9). By working in a research lab, I gain invaluable experience relative to conducting, analyzing, presenting, and writing research. I also gain the opportunity to network with others in the lab as well as my mentors peers. Finally, I

will have gained a close relationship with my mentor, who can write detailed recommendation letters about me. In exchange for this, I volunteer for free in my mentors lab. Although I have been granted the opportunity to conduct my own research through Provost, much of what goes on in a lab is directed by the mentor and not by the research assistants. Therefore, in exchange for experience and a close relationship with someone in my field, I work my hardest to complete timely and well thought out work in a volunteer position. On the other hand, my transformational leadership factors improve on a week-to-week basis. These include charisma, effectively motivating followers, and being in support of a greater good rather than self-interest. I believe that doing research should always focus on a belief in the greater good, rather than ones own agenda. Therefore, I experience and further my abilities in transformational leadership every time I work on a research project. New research aspects learned in addition to leadership experience. I have learned invaluable skills throughout taking University 391 in conjunction with my leadership and research experience at Loyola University. Leaders are innovators and pioneers (Kouzes & Posner). They should be aware that experiments dont always work, change can be stressful, and people make mistakes (Kouzes & Posner). Ive had to learn this the hard way in my research experience, however this is an invaluable skill that will follow me throughout my career. When hypothesizing about my research project and considering the data set I had to use, I was sure that I would have significant results after running analyses. However, after running several analyses, the findings were null. There are several reasons that may have caused this, however it was a disappointment for my mentor and myself. This required me to get back up, hypothesize why I had null findings, and look at things in a different perspective. There was celebration that I was able to run these analyses myself, however re-analysis of the project was

required in order to step back and consider other contributing factors. These qualities will assist me well in a leadership position in the sense that I will be able to think critically and understand that sometimes what we expect to happen doesnt always happen. Personal Development Research, Leadership and Personal Development. I can connect my personal development to my experiences in research and leadership in several ways. Research Methods Chapter 1-3 informed me of a variety of types of research, which furthers my ability to decide in the future whether I a) want to conduct research and b) if so, what type of research I will be interested in conducting. Research Methods defines research as a social and intellectual activity that involves systemic inquiry aimed at accurately describing and explaining the world. Using a view of research such as this one, I can pursue research that explains and describes the world. This is preferable for someone in a field such as psychology, wherein explaining and describing the world is an ideal form of research. Being aware of varieties of research as well as definitions of research advances my personal development in the sense that when applying to graduate school I must be aware of what field I want to pursue and how involved in research I want to be. Research Methods also enhanced my ability to write research papers. Using words such as suggesting, indicating or likely to explain uncertainty are extremely important when writing research papers, as Research Methods describes. When writing research papers, specifically in psychology, using words such as these change the meaning for papers. Therefore, it is very important to have a firm understanding of how they relate to research. I have been required to write endless amounts of research papers, and I am always interested in furthering my abilities to write more solidly.

The leadership theories connect directly to my personal development. These theories can be applied to several aspects of daily functioning in a research lab. Further applying these theories to my development as a research could quite possibly enhance my success in the future. As I pursue my graduate degree, leadership will become more and more important. Being able to listen to my subordinates with compassion will create a positive social unit. Searching out new opportunities to grow will continuously allow myself to improve as a leader, such as applying for the Provost fellowship (Kouzes & Posner). Having the ability to focus on the tasks at hand and get them done promptly and efficiently, all while considering those who work with me would create a nearly unstoppable work unit. One individual alone does not complete a research project. Experimentation and taking risks in order to grow will enable me to learn from my mistakes, for example in finding null results (Kouzes & Posner). I must be able to recognize others contributions in a lab, while celebrating our victories (such as poster, grant and paper acceptances) and our losses in order to be the best leader, and researcher that I can be (Kouzes & Posner). Graduate School and Future Plans. University 391, research, and leadership experiences have further solidified my future plans in endless ways. Graduate school and future job placements will also put my personal development relative to research and leadership to work. Specifically using the leadership theories, these theories would be an excellent discussion point during a graduate school or job interview. Leadership qualities are desirable in any position. Informing an interviewer that I can combine transactional and transformational leadership factors would enhance the likeliness of receiving a call back, especially when a leader is desired for the position. In using transformational leadership, I would be able to motivate others to follow, come up with innovate

techniques and new approaches, all while being aware of subordinates needs and values (Chapter 9). When using transactional leadership, I would come up with agreements between the followers and leaders in order to achieve goals, and use active approaches to management. Combining these two would make for a strong and stable work unit, which any employer would appreciate. Overall Research Experience Overall, I have made numerous developments as a researcher. Through university 391 and research experience, I have enhanced my skills in several areas as well as learned many new things in the field of developmental psychology. I can relate what I have learned throughout these experiences to the leadership theories, research methods, ethics and community based research readings we have gone over in class. Ive developed as a researcher relative to the Kouzes and Posner leadership theories. I have found my voice by clarifying my personal values. In terms more specific to research, I have narrowed down my research interests by confirming what I am truly interested in, which will make me a more competitive candidate for graduate school. Ive sought out new opportunities and ways to grow, while experimenting and taking risks. Specifically, I have applied to national and undergraduate conferences and was accepted as a Provost Fellow. I took a risk and attempted to understand complicated statistics. Research Methods chapters 1-3 along with University 391 has enhanced my knowledge of research in general. Being an educated consumer is one reason it is important o be knowledgeable of research methodologies. Research Methods states without a grasp of research methods, you will be at a disadvantage in applying for jobs, advancing into leadership positions, and attracting financial and political support for your program or cause. This demonstrates the

importance of research methods, and I feel I have a better grasp on the subject that I did before this class. Ethics is an important topic relative to research as well. Research ethics issues can come up in any type and at any point in time of research. Rules are necessary when conducting research; otherwise the researching world would be somewhat of a free for all. It is necessary that there are reviewers, the Institutional Review Board, and professional rules of conduct in order to uphold the codes of ethics for each specialized researcher. As the Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research stated, ownership, collection, storage and sharing of data should be carefully considered when conducting research (Steneck, 2007). This is an important area of concern for the research I am conducting because neither my mentor nor I own the data. We discussed in class that data can be passed from one person to another, which is the case here. This has directly affected my development as a research, whereas if I hadnt had access to this data, I would not have been able to conduct this study. Educating myself in Community Based Research has sparked an interest in pursuing research in this field. The goal of Community Based Research is a betterment of society, social change or social justice (Chap 1-3). Although my research isnt specifically CBR, I do feel that the goal of my research is a betterment of society. I am researching self-regulation as a cause of delinquency for possible outcomes such as early childhood intervention or prevention attempts. Rather than just advancing knowledge within a discipline, I have developed into a critical thinker, pursuing goals larger than just knowledge itself. I hope to have an impact on someone or something, rather than just researching for the sake of doing so. New aspects of research and my development as a researcher.

Ive learned countless new aspects of research this semester alone. A few skills that I have learned throughout the semester include furthering my academic style writing skills, analyzing data using SPSS, writing posters and abstracts, questioning my findings, conducting detailed literature reviews, and writing annotated bibliographies. I have written abstracts, intros, methods/measures, results and discussion sections of academic papers. I have also met weekly with my mentor and the rest of my lab and mentor to discuss this project, presenting my project as it came along. This has allowed me to openly discuss the results and address any questions that I have come across. These weekly meetings have decreased my fear and anxiety of presenting in public. As stated in my blogs, I have learned to accept disappointment, think critically, and solve problems. These are qualities desired in any position, whether it is a graduate school placement or a job. Along with the skewness of the variables in my study, and my null findings, I have had to use all of these soft skills in order to develop my poster and analyze possible explanations for these results. At the beginning of this semester, I didnt have the first clue how to use SPSS to analyze statistics. Now, at the end of November, I feel confident that I could run simple analyses if asked to do so. The Jesuit Mission and research. Loyolas mission states that LUC is a diverse community seeking God in all things and working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith. This is directly associated with research, specifically drawing on the section working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith. Research is a constant perusal and growth of knowledge. Conducting research requires a background of knowledge in your field, as well as a continuous desire for more and new knowledge, or the unknown. As you

discover new things, you have to learn them, and readjust past knowledge in order to accept newly discovered factors. Research can be tough and tiring, so you must have faith. This could be taken in the sense of having faith in God, faith in yourself, or faith in your research. You must persevere through the difficult times in hopes of gaining some new insight, and Loyola University strives for their students to demonstrate this attitude. LUC also states they are preparing people to lead extraordinary lives. This statement resonates something deep within me, and sticks with me when I am feeling as if I cant continue due to stress or pressure. This aspect of LUCs mission can be related to any field, however taken into the context of research, it holds a special meaning. Leading an extraordinary life in my opinion is doing something to help someone else, somewhere. It doesnt matter who, or where, or how you do it; but doing something good for someone else is what matters. The research I am interested in, is just this. I am interested in the causes of delinquency in order to prevent future children and adolescents from leading lives of crime. Researchers investigate cancer, HIV, depression, and numerous other diseases and disorders in hopes of finding cures. If conducting research in hopes of helping another human being somewhere isnt leading an extraordinary life, Im not sure what is. Conclusion I have developed a great deal in the past few years at Loyola, academically and emotionally. I have strengthened my research skills relative to research methods and ethics. I have strengthened my leadership skills relative to developing new techniques in order to be a leader in the future, taking peoples feelings into consideration but at the same time getting work done. I have learned how to write academic papers at a scholarly level, conduct statistical analyses on SPSS and detailed literature reviews. I am aware of enhancements in my personal

development through discussions with my mentor, lab members, and awareness of soft skills that I need to further develop for future schooling.

The classes I have taken, research I have conducted, and readings that I have read for UNIV 391 have all contributed to my development as a future competitive applicant for either graduate or medical schools. I have had the opportunity to connect my research experience to my future goals, which many students have not. Programs such as Clinical PhD programs, Developmental PhD programs, and Medical school often have some or a majority of their focus on research. My current experience with research has given me a first hand view of what I will be doing as a doctoral student, and granted me the ability to decide whether I feel it is the right choice for me.