The first core competency put in place by NASPAA is the ability to lead and manage in public/nonprofit governance. This includes establishing and implementing ethical and legal policies and practices as well as investing in the professional development of employees. In order to illustrate this competency, I've chosen the following coursework:
While enrolled in the Leadership course, I was required to write a reflective memo about ethical leadership. This assignment encouraged me to focus on what an ethical leader looks like, my own leadership style, and how ethics plays a role in the public servant I want to become. While working on this assignment, I was able to discover my leadership values include transparency, authenticity, accountability, inclusivity, self-awareness, empathy, and excellence. I was also able to create an ethical decision-making tree. By becoming more aware of these core values, I learned how these values inform the way I engage with communities and with colleagues in the workplace.
This core competency focuses on a student's ability to manage their employees. This performance appraisal assignment required me to think about job descriptions and develop a document to use when evaluating the performance of an employee. This assignment helped me develop the skill of collecting data and providing constructive and constant feedback to my future employees. Having strong appraisal materials and processes allow those being managed to grow and it fosters a positive work culture.