LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Paige Fitzwater

Ohio University College of Business
 Balance every frown with a smile
 Always give more than I think I can give
 Never stop learning
 Constantly work to improve every weakness and strengthen every
strength
 Maintain a sense of optimism even in the most dreary situations
 Remember that everyone can be great if they just try
 Strive for happiness in work and at home
 Fail and fail again; only then will I succeed
 Practice patience
 Never settle
 Be the person I want to be
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
- Gail Devers
Ohio University College of Business
 Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable

 Remember that leadership involves a team, not just one person
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
 Reach the top not by stepping on other but by pulling others up with
me
Paige Fitzwater
Mission Statement
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Despite my strengths, I possess areas of improvement that I am
constantly working to improve
 Creativity: I tend to think in a very logical, black-and-white
manner. While I can often work off of another person’s ideas
and develop ideas off of that idea, I find it very difficult to come
up with completely new, innovative ideas. To balance this
weakness, I attempt to harness the creativity of the other
members of my group.
 Stress: While I love working on projects and staying busy, I
sometimes can feel overwhelmed. When I take too much on, I
worry that the quality of my work will decrease, thus causing
me a great deal of stress. I am learning to deal with this by
removing myself from the situation and coming back with a
clear mind.
 Micromanagement: Related to my high stress personality is my
inability to micromanage. I overestimate the amount of work I
can take on. I assume that if I work on a project, I can both
ensure that the quality is high and allow my team members to
take a break. I need to micromanage to give myself a break and
harness the skills of my team members.
Ohio University College of Business
My style is enhanced through the use of my key strengths:
 Desire to motivate a team to produce the best work possible
 Focus on completing goals and objectives on time; no
procrastination
 Communicating my ideas effectively to my group and making
sure that everyone is on the same page
 Close attention to detail

The leadership style is difficult to define as it varies depending on the
situation. I often focus on leading by example. I believe that I cannot
ask a member of my group to complete a task that I myself would not
complete. I am effective at implementing plans, as well as standing in
front of a group and speaking my opinion. I believe that leaders are
also important team members. Any accomplishments should be
recognized equally throughout the entire group. The leader might
have guided the group in that direction but the group as a whole
accomplished the set goal. I try to lead in a principle-based style,
letting my ethics guide me through most situations. No prize is worth
disregarding my ethics.
Paige Fitzwater
Leadership Style
I have also seen a different side of her that gives me even more
respect. Seven years ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast
cancer. Like all cancer patients, she suffered through the treatments
and experienced many low points. Through it all, she somehow
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Jeannette Fitzwater. My mom started out in an entry level position
at a local bank. Through hard work and determination, she worked
her way up the corporate ladder in a male dominated industry to
become the Senior Vice President-Director of Corporate Services. She
currently oversees four divisions. I personally witnessed her work
countless hours of overtime to complete a project with perfection. I
have also spoken with countless coworkers who commend her for her
ability to grab the attention of a group, encourage them to finish their
tasks quickly and effectively, while still maintaining a personal, caring
attitude. She is one of the most well regarded leaders at the bank and
people often turn to her for advice.
Ohio University College of Business
Bill Gates. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, started at the bottom
and worked to revolutionize the technology industry. His innovation
and determination allowed him to develop an entirely new idea,
implement it, and distribute computers and software all across the
world. All the while, he held true to strong moral ethics. He did not try
to scam his workers or customers. He became a leader in the computer
industry through honest hard work and creativity. Through all of his
fame and success, Gates maintained a level of humility. Despite being
the richest person in the world, he used his money to found the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at
enhancing healthcare and reducing poverty worldwide. I admire Gates
because he revolutionized an entire industry and rose to fame while
still maintaining his ethics and humility, two important principles in
leadership.

Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc was born a peasant girl in eastern France,
claimed divine guidance, and the led the French army to several
important victories during the Hundred Years’ War, all of which before
turning 20 years old. I admire her for her courage and determination.
She went into the war as a woman, the only woman fighting. Men
laughed at her and yet she kept fighting, never giving up in order to
save her country. It is hard to continually move forward when no one
believes in your abilities. I want to be able to do this one day.
Paige Fitzwater
Leaders I Admire
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Ohio University College of Business
Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson is a great leader for two main
reasons. The first includes his actions as one of the nation’s founding
fathers. He saw that Great Britain was abusing its power and took
matters into his own hands. He was willing to die for the United States
and the freedom that it promised. This I greatly respect. On the hand,
he also recognized the problem of slavery a hundred years before the
Civil War. He knew at the time that there was nothing he could do to
stop slavery so he did what little he could by releasing his slaves upon
his death. I respect this ability to reasonably see what he could and
could not accomplish, and instead of giving up, doing what he could to
make the world a better place.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King saw civil rights as a
huge issue in the United States and made it her personal mission to fix
this issue. He risked his life to speak out against racism and
inequality, but always doing so in a nonviolent way. I most admire his
conviction. He could have easily compromised his morals to blend in
with the crowd and not cause a stir. Instead, he stood by his principles,
doing whatever he could to be the change he wanted to see. In the end,
this led to his assassination. I admire anyone who can live and die by
their morals.
Paige Fitzwater
maintained a positive attitude. Publically, she never let her illness
bring her down. She worked throughout the entire process, only taking
off two weeks of sick leave over a span of many months. My mother
was determined to never let anything stop her from reaching her goals,
even if that challenge standing in her way was a life-threatening
disease. She managed to defeat her disease while still accomplishing
countless projects at work. She continued to lead her coworkers and
help them in any way possible, at a time when others wanted to aid
her. This strength and determination is a sign of a great leader who I
greatly respect.
Upon pledging Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity, I
immediately took on the role of pledge class president. My previous
leadership roles had been more in the form of titles than actual
requirements. This was my first taste of leadership. We were given a
list of tasks to complete before initiation in six weeks and as president,
I was in charge of getting this done. I found out quickly that leadership
is not as easy as I once thought. I started scheduling meetings for my
class of 16, planning activities for all of us to get to know each other,
and developing my leadership style.
When working with my pledge brothers, we often got into discussions
about the numerous events that we had to plan. In these situations, I
liked to sit back and listen to my team members. In one instance, we
got into a discussion about an event we were asked to plan. I
contributed some ideas, but encouraged everyone else to also present
ideas. After listening to their ideas, I realized how much better their
ideas were than mine. We used those ideas for the event and it went
over wonderfully. Through pledging, I learned that a large part of
being a leader is also being a team player. Only once you are a strong
team player may you work to become a strong leader.
Integrated Business Cluster
I once again found myself in a leadership position during cluster.
During my first group meeting, I immediately realized that I, along
with another girl, would be leading the group. Throughout the process,
we both took charge. I scheduled meetings, set deadlines, and assigned
individual tasks. She checked over work and focused on the end
product. Through both of us working together, we formed a cohesive
leadership unit that resulted in strong project results.
I also found myself acting as a mediator in my cluster group. While my
joint leader produced excellent results, she had horrible temper issues.
She would yell at our other group members and call them names. In
such cases, I worked to calm her down individually and let her vent
about the other team members. I then made sure that our team
members knew that they did not do anything wrong, that her insults
were not justified. These actions kept the group together in the last few
weeks of the project before we adjourned. While the member’s
PORTFOLIO
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
LEADERSHIP
Delta Sigma Pi
Business
of Business
College of
Fitzwater  Ohio
University College
Paige Fitzwater
Ohio University
Paige
Leadership Experience

Ohio University College of Business
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Paige Fitzwater
comments were still a sore spot for the group members, I learned how
to deal with difficult group members. I also learned the importance of
individual recognition. This was the source of a lot of my team
member’s anger. Once I let her know that I appreciated all of her work,
she calmed down and worked significantly better.
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
In addition, I possess a strong desire to learn and improve. I am not
perfect. I will never be perfect. But I will always strive for perfection. I
recognize that I need to constantly grow and learn. I try to get the most
out of every class, every seminar, and every interaction. I want to gain
knowledge in my field, make more connections with people, and
improve my leadership skills. Becoming a great leader is a continual
process and I am determined never to give up on this process.
Ohio University College of Business
Another advantage I have is my passion. I tend to get involved in
projects and throw myself into them. I can get consumed by a project
that I love and work on it for hours, even after everyone else has given
up. My passion extends past work into extracurricular activities. I am
actively involved in multiple organizations and try to serve them as
much as possible. Recently, my friends and I were joking about
dressing up as each other for Halloween. My roommate immediately
interjected that to dress up as me; she would just have to wear clothing
with the logos of all of my organizations. My passion extends to all
areas of my life.

One of my main differential advantages is the high quality of work that
I produce. I am extremely detail-oriented and will work on a project as
long as it takes to make it perfect. There are many projects that other
individuals in my classes gave up on after a few hours but I stayed up
all night to complete. I hate the thought of disappointing anyone and
this leads me to produce the best work I can possibly produce. Along
with the quality of work is my timing. I set deadlines and always
complete them. I have never turned in an assignment late; usually, I
have assignments done a few days before they are due. My dislike of
procrastination has given me the opportunity to produce the best work
possible.
Paige Fitzwater
Differential Advantages
Year Four. After graduating, I plan on studying and passing my CPA
exam soon after college so that I can be as prepared as possible for my
job. I would like to then settle into my career in accounting in a large
accounting firm, making a strong impression from the beginning.
Year Five. I would like to continue to work hard at my job and begin
working my way up the corporate ladder. After working at my job for
two years, I plan on reassessing my current position to ensure that I am
happy with my professional and personal life.
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Year Three. During my senior year, I want to dually focus on my
schoolwork and student organizations. I want to gain as much
knowledge as possible for college before graduating so I would like to
finish out strong in my classes. In my student organizations, I want to
continue to take on leadership roles and overall leave a lasting market
on the organizations that have helped me develop so greatly.
Ohio University College of Business
Year Two. As a junior, I want to focus on developing professionally. I
plan to work on extending my network and applying for internships. In
the fall, I would like to secure two internships, one for spring semester
and one for the summer. My goal is to intern with a Big Four
accounting firm and secure a job offer.

Year One. As a sophomore, I want to begin to take on leadership roles
in my organizations. I am already involved in multiple organizations
but I would like to become even more involved in one or two. I plan on
running for a position in my fraternity and possibly another
organization. I would like to make the most out of my upcoming
international experience in Hungary this summer, learning and
developing as much as possible.
Paige Fitzwater
Five Year Plan
LEADERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Ohio University College of Business
I have tried to make sure that Ross has also had a positive relationship.
I express to him how much I appreciate all of his help and try to help
him grow through our discussions. I think he enjoys the time we spend
together and the intellectual conversations that come about as a result.
Since I do not have many professional skills to bestow upon him, I try to
give him friendship and understanding.

I think the Ross and I have shared a positive mentor-mentee
relationship. Although Ross has only been my mentor for a few weeks, I
have already learned a great deal. He has been able to guide me in what
classes to take and how to deal with stress. He has given me advice on
what to do after I graduate and has impressed upon me his desire to
help me advance. I very much appreciate his constant offers to look over
my resume, do mock interviews, and anything he can think of to help
me grow professionally. In addition, it has been nice to develop such a
great friendship. Ross has been great about letting me vent about
classes and encouraging me to do better. He is an excellent motivator,
which is just what I need.
Paige Fitzwater
Mentorship