how can i respond to this using the provided references to support

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As a sophomore at Bridgewater State in 2019, I went through several rounds of interviews and was selected to lead a team of fellow students for a preschool literacy program called JumpStart. Though my team members were great in the classroom and had plenty of classroom experience, and I had no classroom experience, our team meetings frequently turned into an echo chamber. Our team struggled to open up with each other and offer opinions, innovations, and unique contributions because they lacked trust that our meetings were safe. Part of this was due to my prideful confidence in making snap decisions with little discussion, so they didn't need to step in. They knew I would always have an idea and solution to our problems because, as the leader, I falsely assumed I always had to have an answer. As a result, despite our kids showing the most improvement in socioemotional processing and literacy compared to the other teams, my team was still awkward and carried itself with tension outside of the classroom. I failed to be vulnerable first and express doubts and questions, so they never were vulnerable, and we failed to establish that vulnerability trust discussed by Lencioni (Gomez, 2014). While engaging with my team, I failed to " hold up a mirror and reflect back to [them] what they say they most desire" because I never really gave them the opportunity (Kouzes & Posner, 2021, p. 65). People like to work on teams where their contributions feel essential and where their voices are heard, so if I could go back in time, I would spend time crafting a shared vision instead of accomplishing my goal of being the best team. I would spend more time at the beginning and during our training to make sure "all involved feel that what they do is unique and believe they play a crucial role" beyond playing the game called "follow the leader" (Kouzes & Posner, 2021, p. 69). To build trust as a leader, it's essential that we intentionally take a step back and demonstrate trust in our team by allowing them to work together and problem-solve. Leaders need to make room for discussion and aim for inclusion if they want to build a team that is comfortable speaking up with one another so that every voice is heard. The unique contributions of each team member are felt by the team and the community being served.

References

Gomez, L. (2014). Five Dysfunctions of a Team Patrick Lencioni Talk 2013. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5EQW026alY

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2021). Everyday people, extraordinary leadership: how to make a difference regardless of your title, role, or authority. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.