Leadership is a relationship.

I was really dragging to start reading and writing this blog, the novelty of the first reading and blog entry had worn off for me and I was not looking forward to more work than I already had on my plate. But, I had made a commitment to making the best out of my 8 weeks in GLAD and that including doing all the assignments. I will not make the same mistake next week. I learn so much from reading this book and from reading other people’s blogs that it makes me excited to see what will come in next week’s section (I guess I could start the blog earlier than the day it is due but what fun is that?—Clearly I am still working on my time management skills).

“Leadership is a relationship” is the first line in the section and to me is the most important. In order for a person to respect their leaders they need to develop a relationship with them and know about them and what influences them. How can you respect and trust a person’s decision if you don’t know anything about them? True leaders need to be candid and open about who they are and their values.

In relationships you want the other person to like you and the same is true of leaders and their subordinates. Wouldn’t you work harder for someone you like rather than someone you hate? Although not everyone is going to like a particular leader, there will always be haters who don’t agree with a certain decision or policy, it is important for leaders to want to be liked. I love the quote in the book that says, “If people don’t want to be liked than they probably don’t belong in leadership.” I think this is really true a leader should want their constituents to genuinely like them.

These were the most important parts of the section to me. And I am now excited to say that I am officially half done with the book and my blog entries…and doing today’s wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought!

Blog #2: Relationships

Here I am sitting in the library attempting to write my blog, it is proving rather difficult due to circumstances that I will not discuss but this book really does make you think. If it wasn’t for our fearless leader, MB, I would not be writing this blog. In chapter 7, it is discussed that “we work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct proportion to how they make us feel.” I want to write an excellent blog post as to make MB happy because we like her and think she’s the best and that is certainly a motivation to write the rest of this blog.

Finding understanding is a needed capability in a leader. Without understanding, there would only be battles. And running away from these battles is not always an option as seen in this quote, “Fleeing is really not a viable option. Besides it’s tough to leave a legacy if you leave the relationship.” Sometimes you come across tough times and there is no learning and growing without these tough times. This is why finding a common ground and some understanding is very important.

I truly believe in the title of chapter 6, “Leadership is Personal.” If people don’t know things about you, they are bound to not listen to your requests or not work as hard. “If people are going to follow you they need to know more about you than the fact that you’re the boss.” Since our organizations are like our family it is easy for us to get to know our leaders and I feel like that is very important for the strength of our chapters. If we didn’t know our leaders, how would we be able to put our trust in them? But since we were able to elect them ourselves, we already know them and that allows us to put our trust in them. Also, leadership is personal in the way that, if you don’t know yourself, then how are others going to get to know you. Since obtaining a leadership position, it has caused me to do some soul searching in order to find out what kind of person I really am and what I can do for my chapter as the person that I am. This search is in progress but I feel as though it is probably one of the most important progresses I will go through as a new leader in our community.

Obviously, this book has got me doing a lot of thinking and only more to come in the two final sections of the book. Stay tuned.

Second Blog! :)

First off, I struggled thinking of a creative name for this, because I touched upon more then one topic. So I unfortunately went with the generic, but I promise this is a good blog submission, so please do continue to read onward! :)

It's time to post our second blog, and we're now already approaching week 3 of GLAD?! Time flies.. but I have definitely been taking in a lot from not only the book, A Leader's Legacy, but also from our weekly meetings and guest speakers we've seen thus far. Bear with me here, I feel like I have a lot to reflect on from Part 2!

This Section is all about relationships within leadership. As I read, I've realized that I consider myself as a leader completely different then leaders I know now, such as the president of my organization, advisor to my chapter, a professor, or my boss. I think this is definitely a wall I need to knock down, and I saw it evident even in my last posting and the feedback given. When I think of leadership or a legacy, I immediately am prone to thinking of the future, post graduation. When in reality people all around me, and even myself are in positions of leadership every day.

When I think of myself as a leader and positions I have held that required leadership, I definitely connected with this chapter and its advice. I wanted to be liked, as does mostly everyone, I wanted to create a fun environment, that at the same time was serious when needed and above all I also wanted, and still want, to be an approachable person, easy to talk to, but at the same time respected. One instance of leadership that comes to mind, is my senior year of high school where I was Captain of my Varsity Field Hockey team. I wanted to make the practices fun and exciting, but also get work accomplished so we'd hone our skills not only as an individual, but as a team. I wanted to be approachable, where players felt they could voice their opinions and suggestions to me. And at the same time, I wanted to be respected. I wanted punctuality at practices and games and for players to be serious and attentive when needed, and most important I wanted my team to be proud I was their captain.

Overall, what I've taken from that section is basically that if I wanted all those things when I was a leader, then my leaders now hopefully feel that way too. I definitely think I could work on bridging the gap between myself and my leaders, getting to know them on a more personal level. The book says that we are more likely to work harder, stay additional hours and go the extra mile to accomplish tasks for those we like and I completely agree with this. I already feel I work harder for those I respect and like, and if deepening a knowledge more on a personal level could help me to strive even more, then I could be an even better employee, sister to my organization and a leader too.

"Focus on the Purpose and Not the Person" This title and the paragraphs following it really stood out to me. All too often I think we focus too much on someones personality, to the point where it will sometimes even effect the rate or level at which tasks are completed. Our book gives a good example, it talks about a women they call Amy who is frustrated with Karyn because she has a negative attitude and poor interpersonal communication skills. This excerpt from the example, really made an impact on me: "Amy, you're never going to change Karyn. But just remember, her heart is in the right place. She loves this station as much as you."

This stood out to me in tremendous ways. I immediately thought of my sorority. A room full of 7o something girls, sounds intimidating and overpowering, and sometimes it can be. I'm not going to lie and say that every minute of every day all 74 of us are in perfect harmony, however I will say that I do love, care for and respect each and every one of my sisters, alumni and new members always. I think sometimes we all let each others personalities get in the way of what we're trying to achieve. All together we are working towards one common broad goal; To leave this organization better then it was when we joined. Whether we're working towards this or a smaller more refined goal, if we all look past differences in thought processes and personalities then we can ultimately reach our goal quicker, easier and with much less stress. We all love and are dedicated to the same thing, and if we realize that instead of our differences, different positions and leaders are going to get along and work much better!

Blog 2 complete! I'm really enjoying this greek leadership and development process and the book we've been reading. I've taken so much out of it already and cannot wait to continue moving forward :)

Relationships

Being in a small organization, it makes it easy to know something personal about EVERY member. I know from experience that letting people know you better leads them to trust and respect you more. When I went in for my interview, I told something very personal. Being that open with people made them really trust me since I had trusted them with something so personal. When you know something personal about your leader it makes them more human and more like a real person. You give trust respect when you are given it. If someone trusts and respects you enough to tell a very personal story you are automatically touched and connected with them. Because we are so small their isn't anyone who isn't in a leadership position. But there are certian times when one person is in charge of a particular thing and we all need to follow them. In these moments, although someone is "the boss" we all are more of a team. Thats one of the nice things about being in a smaller organization, we are a group. Last semester we went through a lot. We had differing opinions which resulted in a lot of butting heads but we made it through a stronger group. Though we saw things in a different way we all wanted to better our organization which ended up bringing us together in the end.

Leaders Should Want to be Liked

• "You don't love someone because of who they are,"he said, "you love them because of the way they make you feel. "
• "The Leaders people want to follow are the ones for whom they have genuine affection."
• "being motivated to have others like us will result in more empowering actions on our part than just wanting to be respected."

The problem with wanting people to like you while you are acting in a leadership position, which everyone does, is you are less likely to stand up for what you believe in and less likely to own your decisions. The authors don't mention that part, that sometimes the leaders that accomplished the most are maybe not the ones you liked the most. Being liked and being respected are two separate ideas. And looking back at any of my experiences, leaders for example coaches, have clouded decisions when they are trying to be your friend first. This doesn't mean I support acting like a tyrant. To some degree you need to have the backing of the people you are leading, and most people won't support you if you are unlikeable. People with unbearable bosses tend to quit. So I can see where the authors are coming from in that light. What the authors should have said was "Hey don't be a jerk and people will probably listen better."

I really loved the final piece of advice the authors gave at the end of chapter seven. It was sassy!

"If you have people working for you in leadership roles who truly don't care if other people don't like them, then fire them. They may not like you, but everyone else will."

What I really take out of this part of the book was simple. Be fair! People will be more motivated and more excited to work for you if you can be nice sometimes. Leaders want people to like them, and people tend to remember the leaders they liked.

We Lead Our Lives Out In The Open

After reading the second part in A Leader's Legacy, I have learned even more about what leadership truly means. I think it is important that everyone knows not only is leadership a relationship but also that leadership IS personal. If you are or want to be a leader, than you must know all parts of yourself first. If you do not know who you are, what you are prepared to do and why, than you cannot expect to accomplish anything too grand. Leadership is the relationship which defines those who aspire to lead and those who just chose to follow.

One of the most vital aspects of leading I have realized through reading is trust. Trust is a key ideal that must be achieved if anything else wants to get done. Not only do members have to trust their leader, but leaders also have to trust all those they have chosen to lead. Leaders must trust everyone they help welcome in to an organization. It is after all the people after them who are going to be in charge one day, and the people responsible for handling and upholding their legacies. While it would be nice to assume trust would be there whenever we need it, realistically it is not. Trust is something that must be worked on each and everyday; to help it grow and develop and to sustain it. I know that I personally at times can have trust issues but I am understanding more and more that I need to be open and let trust build between myself and others. I do trust my sisters and know that no matter what they would be there, but I am also responsible for making sure that my sisters know I would be there for them too. Trust, along with most things in life, is a two way street.

From reading Part Two I have also learned that the only person I can change is myself. While it is nice to be helpful and want to aid someone so they can achieve their highest potential, the only person that can allow themselves to get there is them. As leaders we must first work on ourselves and realize that if we want to make a change in our behavior, we can only control us, but by setting a good example, those who look up to us and follow us may follow. It is important that leaders focus on their purpose and the purpose of what they are trying to accomplish and not specific people. Because again, we are only in charge of ourselves.

I am really enjoying this book. It is such an easy read and is so inspirational. If I didn't have other homework to do or meetings to attend, I am sure I would have already finished this book multiple times. I am learning so much about how to be an effective leader, how to better myself and how to be the person that lets others know change is here, and it is good. The only person who can create change is us. We are the leaders of today, not of tomorrow.

Liking Your Leaders

I think this is the most important lesson that all leaders should and will ever learn. Being a good leader means nothing if nobody likes you. Maybe you have great ideas and maybe you'll be successful and that's awesome. But, if nobody respects or likes you, then you'll have no followers. Unfortunately, people have this notion that being a leader isn't concerned with being liked. They think that just because they have been put in charge, they have the power. And boy, are they wrong. The best leaders are the ones who can do their job and make their subordinates feel equal all at once. I've seen this first hand in all aspects of my life. People in a position of power assume that they have the ultimate say; in return, they get attitudes and no motivation. However, put someone else in the exact same position who makes everyone feel important and respected and bam! It seems like magic. The attitudes dissipate and everyone is willing to work. People need to realize that being personal and open isn't a bad thing. Maybe they feel vulnerable or maybe they feel like nobody will care about their ideas; whatever the reason, opening up is the best thing a leader can do. Show your subordinates that, like them, YOUR HUMAN! Just because you're in a position of higher authority doesn't mean you're any better or worse than someone else. Lastly, don't let power change you. I've lost one too many friends because power and egos go to their head. Being a leader doesn't mean you have to lead with an ego. Never lose who you are, the essence of character. Because when it all comes down to it, it was that personable you that got elected in the first place. :)

"Thank you for your quiet leadership."

When I decided to enroll in GLAD I wasn’t even sure if the “L” in the acronym (standing for Leadership) accurately described me. I’m still not sure. However I am comforted by the “D” (Development) and recognize that leadership is a journey, not a destination.

One of the things I hope to get from GLAD is a clearer image of exactly what a leader is. Is a leader a bouncy OL? An elected SGA representative? A dedicated RA? A combination of the above? Something more? I am intensely interested in what exactly makes a leader because I hope to use my investigations to help answer a burning question: Am I a leader?

The accompanying book to the GLAD program, A Leader’s Legacy by Kouzes & Posner, does seem to assert that anyone can be a leader with the right skills and tools. The authors recognize that leadership isn’t easy and is something that requires practice. I know that there is always the possibility of failure and I have certainly made mistakes in my life but whenever I do I try to ask myself: What have I learned? I think that viewing mistakes as opportunities for growth can be a way to enhance leadership skills.

So far I have found the book to be very interesting and helpful. I appreciated the insight that the best way to learn something is to teach others. I also like the focus on leaving a legacy because the question of influence is something I’ve often pondered. Forgive the morbidity, but I have at times imagined my own funeral and asked myself if, how, or why I will be remembered when I’m gone. I do aim to leave a legacy so that I have something to pass on.

“No One Likes To Be An Assumption”, chapter 5 of the book, really resonated with me, especially the line about “Not expressing appreciation to others is equivalent to making them invisible.” Invisible, unrecognized, and powerless was exactly how I had felt just days earlier in the same week I had read this chapter! I was feeling down because I honestly felt unappreciated by those around me and had begun to wonder if any of the effort I made mattered to anyone. Luckily one of my dear sorority sisters made me feel better simply by asking if I was OK. She had actually noticed that I was down and that small gesture made a world of difference to me because it meant that someone cared about me. The mere fact that she noticed I was down and cared enough to check in helped me feel better and I very much appreciated it. Thank you Audra!

The title of this blogpost comes from a comment written in my 8th grade yearbook by Mr. Sheedy, the teacher who advised my middle school’s Student Council. These words have stayed with me through the years because although “quiet leadership” still seems like an oxymoron to me it’s helping me to realize that there are various types of leaders and that you don’t have to necessarily fit a “mold” to be one. I remember being caught off guard during my first semester of college when I was recommended for the Emerging Leaders program by one of my professors. I had never really considered myself a leader and wondered if he had somehow made a mistake in this recommendation. However, I decided to participate in it because I respected the fact that he saw something in me that had the potential for leadership. In the years since I’ve completed the program I have gone on to pursue other leadership opportunities but I am still not convinced I’m a leader. Someday I hope to be confident enough in my skills to be worthy of that title.

What is my legacy?

I can honestly say that once I opened A Leader’s Legacy, I did not want to put the book down. And had it not been for the stack of homework I had to attend to, I probably would have read it, right there, cover to cover. It is easy and enjoyable to read, and touches upon things one can easily relate to. After reading part one, the main thing that stuck with me is what is my legacy? What are people going to think of when the name Kelly Ried is brought into conversation?

Every leader wants to be known for something, and this book touches upon how to go about doing so. This has definitely crossed my mind before but I don’t think I fully realized it until reading it; you are going to be remembered not by what you do for yourself, but what you do for others. For some reason I’ve always thought that my legacy wouldn’t come until after graduation, until I’m older and have my career in place. But while reading, I started to think: my legacy can start now. Why wait to start making a difference, why not focus on that now? Each day I can be remembered by one or more people by doing such miniscule kind things. A friendly hello or even holding the door for a stranger will give someone a great impression and positive way to remember me. Not only this, but I want to be a leader and help leave my organization better than it was when I entered. From the reading, I’ve realized there are many small ways I can go about this, and to be a leader doesn’t always mean holding the highest position, it means teaching and helping others.

Only 50 some pages into this book and I already feel as if it’s helped expand my knowledge on leadership. I’m excited to read onward and for the rest of the glad experience as well! I can already tell these next 8 weeks are going to make me not only a better leader, but a better person in general.

Quoting Leadership and Legacy

This is my first ever blog. So I decided to read and highlight, then take the quotes that triggered that “double take, and you realize that you’ve just heard something extremely profound and a whole new world is about to unfold” when I read them and comment.

“but when you look up the word passion in any dictionary that includes origins you’ll see that it comes from the Latin word for suffering. Passion is suffering!”

All I could think about when I read this line was just how true and on point these authors were. Suffering and sacrifice, two words I have read numerous time in this book, and two words I have lived since joining a Greek organization. And the first thing that comes to mind each time is sleep. And how much I’m missing. Last semester with chartering, I lost sleep for emergency leadership team meetings trying to pull everything together for our deadlines. I lost sleep for sisters who decided at 1 am they desperately needed to plan out their lives and needed my opinion. And I think so far, sleep has been my biggest sacrifice.

“Knowing they have made a difference in others’ lives is what motivates their own, giving leaders the strength to endure the hardships, struggles, and inevitable sacrifices required to achieve great things.”

And this is where I accept I have lost sleep. Reading this all I could think about was chartering. The entire time I was looking around at everyone’s faces. It was such a high and an accomplishment. It was worth it!

“It inspires us daily to discover new experiences that will enable others to grow and develop”

Growing and change! They are so important. Without them there is no progress! How boring! I think if I had to take one thing out of this chapter, “the best way to learn is to teach”, I would take the importance of finding new ways to teach. I intend to do this too! It’s a reason why I am so excited to go to NGLA and find new exciting things to bring back. I’m already brainstorming.

“What stories will others tell about me in the future” What will others learn from those stories”

I want them to laugh when they hear stories about me and know that I am fun. But I really want them to understand my dedication. I think that if there is one thing about me that benefits my leadership team it how hard I am trying to give back and contribute. With ideas and events like planning our first ball, which is so exciting but so nerve wracking because it’s the first. That is such a big responsibility. I know it will be fantastic. I hope to make it easier for the next girls though and that’s all about planning, documenting, and transitions which is another rant for another quote J

Three things to take out of part one!

ü Leadership is about sacrifice.

ü Conscious and Unconscious decisions both have a legacy.

ü Leading through teaching is one of the best ways to create positive progress J

So excited to keep reading !!

A Leader's Legacy: Part One Significance

“Are you on this planet to do something, or are you here just for something to do?” This is the first sentence of the first chapter of this section of A Leader’s Legacy. This question resonated most with me.

I have never considered myself a leader and have never held any leadership position in any organization until now. I have now realized that I want more from life and that I am here to do something. As Vice President of Operations, I am a vital part of my organization. I never considered what type of legacy I would leave until reading this book. It is a rather important subject to think about it.

In the first chapter, sacrifice and suffering is talked about. I realize that being a leader requires a bit of sacrifice and I have always found it to be something I was willing to do and here I am giving up my free time to learn how to be a better leader which is probably the best thing to be doing seeing as I have no real experience. I am not the only one making sacrifices and I realize that and I see all the others in my organization giving up their time to make our group the best it can be. I have the utmost appreciation for everyone.

The second chapter discusses how the best leaders are teachers. For a while now I have been tutoring many of my sisters in my areas of strength. I think that the fact that I seem to be a good teacher, gave them the confidence to elect me into a position that I had no real experience in. Without the amount of support they give me, I wouldn’t be here today.

This book has given me a lot to think about. What am I doing here? What will I do next? Are people going to appreciate me? Will I leave the best legacy I can?

A Leaders Legacy

In the first part of the book A Leaders Legacy it really opens your eyes as to the “qualifications” and aspects of a leader. Also the book speaks on legacies that leaders leave. It is important to understand that leaders do not do what they do to leave legacies, someone doesn’t base their decisions on a legacy. Something that stood out to be was that you don’t have to be a CEO of a company to be a leader, A true leader is someone that supports you, and can put someone else before themselves. This part of the book gives me hope that there is a space for people in the background of an organization to be leaders and that you have to appreciate everyone for what they do.

One topic in the book reminded me of our Greek community at Bridgewater. This topic states that you always want to leave something better than you found it. I believe this is true for all of our organizations, we want to better it for future members and this is why we are making effort to become better leaders.

Something that I thought was very important in the book is that Leaders ask for criticism. I believe this is a good quality for a strong leader to have, because you should want to hear the input to make themselves better at what they are doing and getting closer to leaving a legacy.

Passionate Leaders are willing to suffer: this left a very significant meaning to me. In live nothing comes easy, and I believe you gain strength and wisdom from pain and mistakes. This applies to the making of leaders. Nothing happens overnight and what the books says about these leaders being willing to suffer is absolutely correct. I believe someone that is considered a leader has overcome many obstacles to gain that respect.

With only this first part of the book, I realized that I have more leadership qualities than I give myself credit for. People have a cliché of what a leader is, when in reality anyone can be a la leader. I know that I am not smartest person in my class, the most outgoing, involved or loudest person in the organizations I’m at. Yet, I’m always willing to help someone that needs my help with anything and in one way or another I’m working my way up to becoming a leader.

A Leader's Legacy Part 1

Reading the first part of A Leader's Legacy really made me think about what it is to be a leader. To be a leader you need to be able to not only do the dirty work, but also be able to show the people working under you that you are not above them, but that you are like them. This had reminded me of this past summer when I began coaching field hockey. I went back to my high school to begin coaching these girls, but the program has historically not been a successful one. It is hard to motivate people to want to win when they are just so used to losing. It took almost the whole season but finally I had had enough and could not handle the losing attitude anymore. I had to sit my team down and tell them my story. I had to tell the players that not that long ago I was a member of the same team, I would even still wear my t-shirts to practice, and tell them it is no longer okay to lose. We need to win and we need to want to win. Telling them that I had faced the same exact competition and the same attitude had helped them to change their attitude. I believed in them and knew that they had the abilities to win and finally they did. They went on a roll to win the rest of the games (even thought it was only 7 games).

Being a leader does not mean that you are immune to the feelings that those below you feel. You need to feel the way that they do and try to understand why. Once you can understand why the people working for you feel and act the way they do, you can try to help them. This is what it means to be a leader. You need to relate to the other employees, and show them you did not just appear in your position, but that you had worked your way up and earned your spot. You were once in their shoes, and you were them.

A Leader's Legacy Part 1

Most people want life to be easy and to get out of it what they can for themselves but leaders are different. I think the part that resonated most for me in this first section of the book is that leaders are servants first and a good leader understands and accepts this. Leaders need to be willing to be at the "bottom of the pyramid" in order for the people under them to suceed.

I think sometimes we all forget the bigger picture and things are just important in the here and now but that really isn't the case. Even in situations where a person is doing good they still sometimes want their name attached to that and thats really not what is important. The book points out the fact that it is more imporant for a leader to be leaving a powerful legacy than for someone to remember his/her name, people will forget names but remember actions.

I know for me something in the first section of the book that made me think was the part about how we can hand out critism (whether it be bad or good) but are not very good at accepting it. Accepting positive critism is a sign of a true leader according to the book. I know in my own experience I sometimes have trouble listening to things people say to me that I view as negative when really the person is trying to offer me constructive critism.

After reading the first section of A Leader's Legacy I am really excited to read the next section and hopefully learn more that I can put into practice in my own life.

The Beginning of My Legacy

After reading this first part, I started contemplating my own legacy as a leader. How will people remember me? What will my big milestone for my chapter be? Then it hit me. My legacy has already begun. Maybe not on a whole campus wide or even chapter wide scale yet, but it has begun. I've taught lessons to my closest sisters and from those lessons learned a great deal about myself. My main lesson has been belief. I believe that at the end of the day, it all works out. I believe in giving something your all even when the odds are stacked against you. And most importantly, I believe in believing in yourself even when it seems nobody else does. These are lessons that I have passed on to others; these are lessons that I hope to leave as part of my legacy. I'd never really given much thought to sacrifice as a leader. But reflecting upon all I've done, I realized how sometimes the smallest sacrifices are the ones that matter most. For instance, I sacrifice my Tuesday nights to be a part of something. Maybe sacrifice is a strong word for this example, but it's definitely a start. Without the 65 or so women of my chapters' sacrifices of Tuesday nights, we wouldn't be where we are. And lastly, I started thinking about myself as a leader and the role I take. At work I'm a Shift Supervisor and go out of my way to make sure and praise those who do well. When doing things for my chapter, I'm always sure to send out emails thanking everyone for their hard work and cooperation. From here on out, I am striving to maintain and improve my role as a leader. In doing this, I'm certain that my legacy will be everlasting. 
 

A Leader’s Legacy Response 1

In the first section of A Leaser’s Legacy the topic of our Significance and leadership was brought up. Like most stories in the book I too agree that there is someone that I look to for advice and use as a standard to judge myself as a leader. I have had many leaders who have been very influential on me some in good ways and some in bad ways.

The first leader that really showed me how to work hard and give my all was my mother. I was working with her one Christmas. It was retail… So you know that long hours and many angry customers were in store. The story that will forever stick out in my mind was the day that we got to work at 7am and didn’t leave until 4am. I don’t remember what day it was but it was close to Christmas and orders for engraving was backed up. We got to work early to try and make a dent in the orders… We did however the person who was going to come in and help at night didn’t come. It was at that point that my mother was going to drive an hour home to drop me off then drive an hour back and work through the night.. I was not going to let that happen. I thought that if she could do this then I sure as heck could. She didn’t get extra thanks for it she was the store manager so she actually made less money working the long hours (downfall of being on a salary). But one thing that she did do was instill a work ethic in me that to this say is alive. I don’t leave until the job is done.

I’m a firm believer that you don’t only learn from being patted on the back but you learn from getting kicked in the butt. I once worked for a man who never had anything nice to say. It was a small business so it was hard to hide when you saw him coming. I got it worse because not only was I the “new guy” but I was the youngest and the only one working as an data storage engineer that didn’t have a degree in computer engineering. The one day that he ended up being nice to me and gave me encouragement was the day that he had to lay me off. The company hit some bad times and last in first out were the rules. It was sitting in his office that I finally saw his true colors. He wasn’t mean to me because he didn’t like me and didn’t want me in the office. Or because he thought that I was not able to do the same job as someone else employed there. But he was hard on me because he know that I had a lot to offer the company and while talking to me that morning I could see that it pained him to have to lay me off. While some people may think that he was a little too rough and too mean I think it was just what I needed at that point. It is because I went into that job extremely arrogant and leaving the doors that day I knew that I grew as a person because not only did I have thicker skin but I knew more about my weakness and how to handle tough situations.

While they both have different styles of leadership and different management styles I feel that they both are good leaders. It is because they both got the most potential out of me while I worked for them.

A Leader's Legacy: Part One

After reading part one in A Leader’s Legacy, I am already extremely inspired by what I have read. People believe that they will be remembered not by what they said but by what they actually do. This may be true; however, it has hit me that after reading, people are going to remember us not for what we do for ourselves, but what we do for them. By being a leader, you want to better yourself, but more importantly you want to better those around you to build a stronger community. As a leader, your greatest achievements are the triumphs that the people you are serving accomplish. You may be a strong person and do a lot, but an organization is not made up of solely one person. It is important for leaders to realize that everyone is important and without each and every single member, the organization would not be the same.

After reading I have also been thinking a lot about what is my purpose? What am I here to do? Am I someone that is meant to be a leader and help those around me? It is slightly overwhelming to really sit and contemplate why you are on this earth. I know that I have a purpose and that I am here for a reason, but for exactly what reason I am not sure. I am not a hundred percent sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. Not being positive on what I want to do is something I think about all the time. Should I have stuck with my Elementary Education major? Or is Communication Disorders and Special Education the right thing? I guess I am lucky that I know I want to work with children and help others. I have never doubted that helping people is something I want to do.

As I continue through my college years and the journey of being a member of Greek life, I hope that I can impact not only my own chapter, but the entire community. I know it may seem like I am overly ambitious. I don’t want to not be remembered, but I am also not worried about being forgotten. I am not out to just hold positions because of the power and the reputation, but because I want to better not only myself but others. I also know that you don’t have to be the president or on e-board to be a leader and help others. I hope that some way, somehow, I can impact someone and teach them. I know that while I am teaching them something I am going to be learning just as much, if not more than they are.

An organization is a strong as its weakest member. I think that is a fact which is very important to acknowledge. I hope one day, my passion and drive can be reflected and seen in those around me. In order for a group to succeed, everybody needs to want it. By making myself a stronger more open person, I hope others will follow. The best leaders are after all, teachers.

Passionate Leaders Are Willing to Suffer!

I am not going to lie. When we were asked to read A Leader’s Legacy and blog about it I was a little skeptical about how interesting this book was really going to be. I am honestly really surprised at how easy and enjoyable this book is.

This section had a lot of interesting parts but the part that still has stuck with me is the section titled ‘Passionate Leaders Are Willing to Suffer.’ I can relate this back to my life in so many ways. For example growing up dance has pretty much been my life because I have been dancing since I was four years old. I was so passionate about dance that I was willing to mentally, emotionally, and physically suffer at times to get more out of my dance classes. If you are passionate about anything in life you are going to have be willing to suffer a little but in the end most of the time you are rewarded for what you have done.

Finally, I cannot wait to see what else I am going to gain out of this book. Next section is on relationships which is pretty exciting because everyone can us a refresher on how to improve on relationships and form better ones in the future.

Greek Leadership and Development (GLAD) Spring 2011

Fraternities and sororities at BSU and across the country value leadership, scholarship, service, and friendship. For the past few years up and coming Greek leaders at BSU have enrolled in an 8 week leadership development program entitled Greek Leadership And Development (GLAD). This year we are adding a new twist the the already popular program. We are using this blog as an avenue for participants to write about the book they are reading: A Leaders Legacy by Kouzes & Posner and how it relates to their leadership journey in Greek life and beyond. I can't wait to share what they are learning and experiencing with everyone. Tonight was our first GLAD meeting of the semester and the blog posts start next week... oh man, I'm psyched!! I hope you will follow along throughout the semester and be active cyber-participants to our program!

Fraternally,
Maribeth