Manifested Competencies
During my journey through the organizational leadership program, I assumed that I
would naturally lean in and gravitate towards manifesting competencies that aligned with servant
leadership. Moreover, this is what I have found to be true while working on the capstone project,
and what I wanted to showcase regarding competencies and a proper action plan to help others
bridge the gap that I noticed hindered them from advancing in an entry-level leadership role
within our company. Excel is essential for employees to have a basic understanding within our
company, as the company uses Excel to create reports, charts, and perform basic data entry.
For the beginning stages of my capstone project journey, I collaborated effectively with a
couple of colleagues who have also used Excel for many years, and they were of tremendous
value to the project. Leading the team, meeting with them, and collecting ideas on what to
include was a new strategy that resulted in achieving the project goals and hitting target
timelines. After completing the Excel slideshow, I was able to have one person test it out so far
who had never used the Excel program before. To help gauge the results of the training, I created
a pre- and post-test to demonstrate an increase in Excel knowledge.
The hands-on experience of completing the tests helped demonstrate that the participants
had a better understanding of a basic framework with Excel. The participant provided feedback
and was excited to show the spreadsheet with data that he had created with a pivot chart. In
addition to servant leader competencies such as empathy for others, active listening, and
commitment to growth, I also considered strategic thinking about the project. My thought was
that it is essential for people wanting to reach the leadership level within our company to
consider organizational goals and to support them on that journey with Excel. I aimed to
empower them, showing that the program is not something to be afraid of, but rather something
to embrace as part of their leadership journey.
Finally, it was crucial for me to connect my everyday life with my capstone project,
ensuring that it remains a tool for ongoing learning and improvement. Excel is not only
important for our organization, but it also undergoes regular updates, making it a valuable skill
for many years to come. While I focused on the Basic level of Excel for this coursework, my
forward-thinking approach is to include other levels of Excel, leveraging my solid working
knowledge of the program to benefit individuals and the overall business strategy.