Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership

This ePortfolio captures my graduate experience in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University—a program deeply grounded in the Jesuit values of purpose, reflection, and cura personalis (care for the whole person). This transformative journey reshaped not only how I think about leadership, but how I strive to embody it daily.

Organizational Systems: Structure, Culture, and Behavior

The program introduced me to the foundational frameworks that influence real-world leadership. Through courses in organizational leadership, I developed tools to analyze and improve how organizations function.

Key takeaways include:

  • Diagnosing dysfunction within organizational systems

  • Assessing and shaping organizational culture

  • Understanding how structure impacts team behavior and outcomes

This systems perspective helped me see organizations as living, dynamic ecosystems that require alignment between trust, clarity, and strategic vision.

Servant-Leadership: Redefining Power with Purpose

One of the most influential aspects of the program was studying servant-leadership—an approach that reimagines leadership as a form of service. I learned that effective leadership begins with empathy, listening, and a commitment to others' growth.

This leadership model inspired me to:

  • Center others’ needs before my own

  • Lead with humility, not hierarchy

  • Create inclusive environments for collective success

Ethics and Integrity in Leadership

Ethical decision-making was at the heart of our leadership development. I engaged deeply with moral frameworks and real-world dilemmas where leaders must balance competing values under pressure.

This exploration challenged me to:

  • Reflect critically on what “doing the right thing” means

  • Ground decisions in both justice and accountability

  • Examine how integrity influences organizational trust and impact

Strategic and Interpersonal Communication

Strong communication emerged as a core leadership competency. Courses focused on both the spoken and unspoken dimensions of leadership communication, helping me develop tools to navigate complexity across diverse teams.

I strengthened my ability to:

  • Lead across cultural and ideological differences

  • Facilitate meaningful, constructive dialogue

  • Address unspoken tensions that shape team dynamics

Diversity, Equity, and Intercultural Awareness

Studying diversity and intercultural communication expanded my understanding of how identity, power, and privilege operate within organizations. Through self-reflection and collaborative inquiry, I began the necessary process of unlearning biases and practicing inclusive leadership.

Program insights include:

  • Recognizing how race, gender, class, and culture shape access and voice

  • Examining personal and systemic positionality

  • Committing to equity-driven leadership with humility

Resilience and Adaptive Leadership in Uncertain Times

In today’s ever-changing world, leaders must adapt, respond, and help others thrive through disruption. Courses in resilience and adaptive leadership prepared me to lead amid uncertainty with a mindset focused on growth, not just recovery.

I explored:

  • Models of organizational and community change

  • Strategies for leading through crisis and ambiguity

  • Practices for cultivating collective resilience

A Leadership Journey Shaped by Reflection and Purpose

This ePortfolio chronicles more than academic growth—it represents a deep integration of leadership theory, personal values, and transformative practice. Through challenge, reflection, and collaboration, I emerged with a leadership identity rooted in justice, empathy, and care—for people, systems, and the greater good.

ORGL-500:  Organizational Leadership

Demonstrated expertise in organizational leadership by applying integrative leadership models, analyzing workplace dysfunction and bias, and fostering inclusive, future-oriented strategies through collaborative dialogue and critical thinking. LINK

ORGL-501: Methods of Research

Designed and proposed a qualitative phenomenological study on servant-leadership in NICU settings, demonstrating advanced skills in research design, ethical inquiry, APA scholarly writing, and synthesis of peer-reviewed literature to explore leadership impact on neonatal care outcomes. LINK

ORGL-502:  Leadership and Imagination

Explored the intersection of imagination and leadership by analyzing cultural artifacts—architecture, film, and philosophy—to apply creative process dynamics and interdisciplinary insight to organizational strategy, decision-making, and community-centered leadership. LINK

ORGL-503:  Organizational Ethics

Applied Cooper’s Ethical Decision-Making Model to complex organizational challenges—ranging from neonatal care to vaccine ethics—demonstrating strategic ethical leadership, critical reflection on personal worldview, and the ability to align moral reasoning with organizational values and community building. LINK

ORGL-504:  Organizational Communication

Conducted a strategic organizational communication audit and applied sensemaking theory to analyze communication breakdowns, silence, and dissent—enhancing leadership effectiveness, cross-functional collaboration, and ethical decision-making in complex organizational environments.
LINK



ORGL-505:  Organizational Theory

Applied Bolman & Deal’s four frames and Morgan’s organizational metaphors to analyze real-world systems—proposing equity-focused reforms in Early Childhood Intervention and examining adaptive leadership and culture change through case studies like Men’s Wearhouse and Apollo 13. LINK


ORGL-506:  Leadership & Diversity 

Applied intercultural communication theory and Bennett’s Developmental Model to enhance empathy, recognize systemic bias, and lead inclusive dialogue—demonstrating growth in diversity leadership, self-awareness, and equitable decision-making across cultural contexts. LINK

ORGL-516:  Organizational Development

Applied Kotter’s Change Model and OD frameworks to drive equity-focused interventions in pediatric and NICU systems—integrating systems thinking, cultural analysis, and practitioner insight to lead change, challenge organizational silence, and advocate for inclusive service delivery. LINK

ORGL-522:  Community & Leadership 

Integrated Benedictine principles, contemplative practice, and community-based leadership to design a national NICU volunteer program—applying participant observation, strategic dialogue, and ritual-based frameworks to foster belonging, resilience, and systemic impact. LINK



ORGL-530: Servant-Leadership

Applied Greenleaf’s and Spears’ servant leadership principles through executive interviews, developmental film analysis, and personal reflection—demonstrating leadership maturity, ethical influence, and a commitment to growth, empathy, and relational integrity in organizational settings. LINK

ORGL-660:  Independent Study 

Conducted an in-depth case study of San Luis Obispo, CA through the lens of servant leadership—applying Greenleaf’s and Spears’ frameworks to analyze civic transformation, ethical governance, and relational leadership in community development and municipal strategy. LINK

ORGL-680:  Leadership Seminar

Synthesized personal narrative, servant-leadership theory, and systems thinking into a digital ePortfolio and capstone initiative—Courageous Steps—demonstrating visionary leadership, professional identity development, and strategic advocacy for systems of care in prematurity and educational equity. LINK

ORGL-689: Leadership & Hardiness

Applied psychological hardiness and existential leadership theory to real-life adversity and organizational case studies—leveraging the “three Cs” (commitment, control, challenge), reflective storytelling, and experiential learning to cultivate resilient, service-oriented leadership in high-pressure environments. LINK



ORGL-690:  Organizational Theory

Adaptation and Application:  Designed and led a PALAR-based action research project with Hand to Hold, using survey design, stakeholder interviews, and nonprofit strategy to strengthen NICU partnerships—applying community-based research, service-learning, and evidence-informed leadership to build organizational credibility and trust. LINK

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PhD in Leadership Studies