This session by Monika Korra impacted my understanding of leadership because I learned the meaning of self empowerment and courage that is required for a person to rebuild themselves after a traumatic event.  For a leader to be an efficient leader he or she must be able to be strong mentally and physically themselves before they can lead a group of followers. Monika Korra was able to come back stronger after her trauma and thus was able to help groups of people who have been victims of rape. She is powerful because she is encouraging others to make sure that their attackers get punished for their crime. Monika is not afraid of what others think of her, she only cares that the victims of rape get justice for the crime as well as rebuild themselves after the attack.

I learned that personal values, integrity and ethical leadership all tie to together when creating a leader. Monika valued the most that people do not see her as a helpless victim of rape. She wants to be perceived as a strong woman who is not going to let this attack define her life. Her personal values helped her come back from her attack and shaped her into becoming a stronger person. She refused to give up after her attack and continued to change her image by speaking to groups about her assault and how someone can still make sure that the event does not take over them. Monika’s integrity helped her by making sure that her attackers were put behind bars. After a year after her assault, Monika had to find the strength to face her attackers once again in court. This was hard for her because she had not seen them since the night of the attack. However, she pushed herself to go through with the trials because she knew that if she didn’t someone else could be hurt by these same people again. This ties in with ethical leadership as well because Monika made sure that the attackers received the punishment that they deserved. Back in her hometown, if something like this were to occur the attackers would only get a few years in prison. However, Monika wanted to make sure that they would feel the guilt for the rest of their lives because their crime had a huge impact on her life.

I can apply what I learned from Monika to my life because if she can come back from a traumatic event like this and be even stronger then I can also be a strong person and fight for those who need it. My future career as a doctor will be shaped by this talk as well because it gives me the courage to fight for my future patients and make sure they receive the treatment that they need to get better. Like lawyers, doctors also take care of people when they are the most vulnerable. Often times people can take advantage of the patients and not give them the full treatment that they deserve. I want to be an advocate for my patients and stand up for them when they are unable to do so.