I am a graphic designer and an engineer; I am a daughter, sister, and wife; I am a dog lover. But above all that, I am a forever learner. I learn from everything in my surroundings and beyond, and I strive to inspire others and awake curiosity among those surrounding me. I am friendly and believe in working with people collaboratively. I am someone people can talk to about their problems, fears and new ideas, without any preoccupation about hierarchy or status.

I define a great leader as a manager with a vision, who has a clear and exciting idea of where they are going and what they are trying to accomplish. A great leader needs courage to take risks in order to achieve their goals, and always, ALWAYS, tells the truth, to all people, in every situation. Telling the truth sometimes means admitting that one was wrong, and a great leader needs the humility to recognize that they might not have all the answers, and the confidence and awareness to recognize the value of others.

What can you expect from me?

• Humility: A job well done should be praised and recognized. I seek to learn from others and recognize your value.
• Teamwork: I will actively listen and seek your input on how to make things better. Together we can accomplish our goals.
• Integrity: I will set an example and align my actions and words with my values. My words and my actions should be one and the same.

Expectations of you:

• Be the best version of yourself. Be willing to reach your full potential, accept constructive criticism and do your best to improve. Learn how to give and receive feedback.
• Be accountable. A potential solution is needed when identifying problems. Find more than one solution before coming to me with a problem.
• Be willing to collaborate. Focus on the end goal and work with other people to achieve it. Don’t be scared of sharing credit.

Non-Negotiables:

• Dishonesty. Purposefully omitting information is the same as lying. Don’t try to cover up a mistake, take ownership for your actions and the outcomes of your decisions.
• Disrespect. I won’t tolerate people who are disruptive, disrespectful or abusive towards others.
• Unwillingness to help others. Teamwork is crucial to success. The team success is a group effort, and it’s not measured individually.

Personal idiosyncrasies:

• I’m very practical. I’d rather spend some time thinking about the best approach for a difficult job, and find an easy way to do it.
• Secrecy is not allowed. I apply this rule to my personal and professional life. Communication has to be fluid and reach all team members. I keep everyone on the loop.
• I’m curious and eager to learn. I love a challenge. I am constantly working on my academic and professional development, as well as my personal, to ensure I offer the best version of myself.

Overall, I stay true to myself, both inside and outside the organization. I encourage people to learn and contribute innovative ideas, listen when they have problems and help them find a solution. I practice what I preach.

Transformational leadership theory proposes that leaders can transform their followers by enhancing their motivation, morale and performance.

Originally proposed by James Burns (1978), the theory is associated to a higher moral position; motivations and values are key in determining how a leader approaches power. Bernard Bass (1985) introduced the four elements of transformational leadership: individual consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence.

A transformational leader goes beyond their self interest, they identify a need to change, create the vision that will inspire change to their followers, and carry out the change with the dedicated team members. It is an idealistic view of leadership and its success depends on the desire or ability to change of the followers.

The importance of change and transformation in this theory speaks volumes to me. The flexibility and ability to change is a strength of mine, and I aim to combine it with a powerful vision that will inspire those around me.

Bass, B. M. (1985) Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, NY: Free Press.
Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York. Harper & Row.

Path-Goal Theory of Leadership explains how leaders motivate their followers to accomplish goals, and how its effectiveness is contingent to the leader’s behavior.

Derived from expectancy theory, House and Mitchell (1974) proposed the Path-goal theory. It explains how by choosing the appropriate style, leaders increase followers expectations for success and satisfaction: directive style, supportive style, participative style, and achievement oriented style. Followers accomplish their goals thanks to the direction, guidance, and coaching from their leaders. This leader-centered approach assumes that team members are oblivious to their needs, and if something happens to the leader, an organization can fail.

I don’t perceive path-goal as the only route to leadership: I believe in helping others to reach their goals, but a leader’s help and guidance shouldn’t be the only factor. Success and satisfaction is ultimately within the individual.

House, R.J. and Mitchell, T.R. (1974). Path-goal theory of leadership. Contemporary Business, 3, Fall, 81-98

Servant leadership turns the power pyramid upside down, the leader serves the people, resulting in higher performance and engaged employees.

The term Servant leadership was first conceived by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 (Greenleaf, 1977), and it refers to the leadership that focuses on the service to others. Servant leaders serve followers, focusing on people’s needs  nd helping them grow as individuals, and how they can best serve their communities. Servant leadership is more like a philosophy or long term behavior rather than a style, and it may make leaders struggle to earn respect in  ierarchical, autocratics cultures.

I strive to make an impact in those around me by believing in what I do and doing it with passion. I reflect this approach by serving others and being concerned with the success of the society as a whole.

Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant leadership: a journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.

“Musk is an inventor and builder wrapped in one, kind of like a combination of Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs, on steroids”
(Ottinger, 2013).

Elon Musk is focused on changing the world. His powerful vision includes affordable space travel and the colonization of mars, sustainable energy, electric cars, artificial intelligence… and overlapping ventures like driverless cars. He is confident and perseverant, and is always eager to learn, which often leads to generating new ideas.

The leadership of Musk is analyzed under a transformational leadership lens. His characteristic view of the world guides his leadership style, he is determined to share his vision by inspiring and influencing others, always considering individual’s unique situation and challenging them to think creatively.