Part 3: Aspirations

This chapter made a lot of sense. A leader has to be forward looking, they need to inspire others, they need to listen to ideas from others, and they are not always seen as the leaders of the organizations they are part of. The two things that always seem are a problem for leaders is taking time to stop, listen, and observe before looking forward to new things, and understanding the ideas of others. The first one I have seen be a problem for people because as the book said it's really hard for leaders to look forward a year, or three, or five. This doesn't just apply to Greek life, when I read this I thought more of my time as a Delegate in SGA. While the budget did go into the next year, we never really thought of huge things to do in the future for SGA, we only thought in short term goals. The second statement about understanding the ideas of others isn't because I don't think the leaders don't try; I think they try very hard. I have just seen people not understand because of lack of prior knowledge or different points of view because of life experience. This is just something that the best leaders I have seen have been able to work out how to understand others over time. Long term goals are something I think everyone should use, and that everyone needs.

The best leaders turn their followers into leaders...

Part 3 of A Leader's Legacy is all about realizing who you are as a leader, having a vision for the future, and including everyone else's aspirations into that vision. What struck me the most was the section "Leader's Follow". I feel like we're often told to be a leader and not a follower, when in reality some the best leaders are also followers. Every leader got to where they are by learning and following others; asking for help and questioning a process isn't a bad thing, it just means you're interested in others opinions and what they have to say. I feel like leaders get so hung up in being the head of something that they are afraid to ask for help or ask for advice. However, if they seek help it is going to provide a better end product and make the people they work with happy that their thoughts and ideas were able to come out in a project. All too often leadership is thought of as a single role. To gain a leadership position, you must get help from people and slowly make your way up to that spot. I think this is something everyone in a position of leadership needs to remember. I'm going to conclude with another quote I liked...

“Until you passionately believe in something it’s hard to imagine that you could ever convince anyone else to believe. And if you wouldn’t follow you, why should anyone else?”

Aspirations

Part three of this book was about being a leader and what you aspire to be like.  This section talked about how as a leader you’re not just aiming to achieve what you want personally but rather what the group wants to achieve as a whole.  It’s really important to have the groups best interest at heart.  A quote I got this from in the book was when the author says “Leadership isn't about selling your vision; it's about articulating the people's vision." Thanks to the New England Greek Leadership Summit at Bryant University this past weekend I learned from John Holloway about how values and passion determine your leadership skills. John was an amazing key note speaker and he taught us a lot about being a leader and made me away of utilizing my strengths and setting up my goals and positive assests I can contribute to the group. Leaders have credibility and are aware of what’s going on in the chapter as well as whats going on with themselves. Good leaders are able to keep their personal feelings separated from work so that they can positively affect the chapter. In the future I hope I can positively impact my chapter the same way our leaders now have been.

Leadership is a relationship...

I've really been struggling to get these blog posts written. I wasn't looking forward to having more work to do on top of all my classes. I made the commitment to GLAD and I'm determined to make the best out of it. After finally getting to read the second section-- thank you, Sandy-- I was struck by how much I actually learned. For the next section, I suppose it would be a good idea to get a head start on the reading so I don't post the day it is due!  I'm actually really excited to keep reading and posting for section three. (:

“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!

Part 3

Leaders can be defined by many different qualities. People say that a leader needs to be honest, trustworthy, dependable and forword going, etc... Leaders are thought to be driven indivduals that have a passion for what they believe in. They feel like they need to complete this task because they know in their heart thats what they want. Take the Kony 2012 campaign that started this past year to catch Jospeh Kony who is one of the most dangerous war criminals in the world. Several individuals are working to bring him to justice and find him. The group was able to have the US Government provide troops to train the Uganda army to fight. These individual were driven and determined to do what they believed in. These people are following a vision that they and other people want to happen. A leader that can help give people the vision that they want is a leader that can do well in a postion in power. Most leaders are bad because they relie more on the individual and not the group. Leaders need to understand that they need to look at the bigger picture here. Take the President of the United States for example, there are two groups that fight it out to determine who has power in the Government. Sometimes we worry about these groups more than what the people need all we ask is that they stop their bickering and arguing and just be the leaders that they say they want to be.

Strength

I truly agree that any given strength can become a weakness. Although that may sound ridiculous at first, really put your thinking cap on... you can become cocky. Think about an organization that has amazing advertising.. what happens when the PR person graduates or begins to slack off. Then that strength rushes down and becomes a weakness. Should that happen, now an organization isn't advertised properly and lacking attendance. It is important to constantly keep up with all of your strengths so they stay strong; and work on your weaknesses. Practice surely makes perfect, but only if you are willing to dedicate your blood, sweat and tears!

I Spy...

Just because I envision a change, an action or have a new idea, it doesn't mean I can solely make that happen. Although I may be the leader of that vision, I might need some help. For example, I wanted to bring Domestic Violence Awareness to campus, that was my vision and I was the leader. But there was no way, I solely make that happen.  I needed the partnership and participation of our community and my sisters. With the participation of everyone, including residents, Greek life members and class officers, it was able to happen. It might have been my idea, but I needed help to make my idea successful. If I hadn't reached out, it would have stayed just an idea.

Being Liked

So in the second section there is a chapter that talks about being liked and/or loved in the workplace and while you are in a leadership role. I have been known to say things like "I don't care what they think about me!" Actually I said it most recently while in OSIL with MB. It referred to me wearing some clothing combination that most people would not be caught dead wearing. I meant it in a way to say, it doesn't matter to me what Sally Shortbread or Johnny Appleseed thinks about my fashion style. But After reading this section I realized that I should probably stop saying things like that. Although it really does not matter to me what some random Joe Schmo thinks and if he likes me or not it does matter if those that I lead like me or not. The book put it perfectly saying "He was a real jerk, but I sure was inspired to do my best for him." I care if the people that I lead do not like me, because that presents an issue that needs to be taken care of. I know that everyone will not like me and that is something that I realized years ago when I was really starting my journey as a leader. If you are a leader of people, eventually you will have to make a tough decision that not everyone is going to like. I have accepted that fact and I live with it everyday. I know that I have made decisions in the past that some people do not like but that is usually something that we can all get past and move on with our lives. Generally the people that I lead understand that I have to make the tough decisions and although it stinks, it must be done and they respect me and my decisions in the future for having to do those things. Ultimately I want and need the people that I lead to like me or else they will not stand behind me in my decisions and they will not want to follow the rules that I put in place and the things that I believe in. Ultimately I want to be reelected for my Sergeant At Arms position in the next election so I can continue to provide the same quality of leadership and continue to shape the IFC in a good progressive direction. And the only way that I will be reelected is if they people like me and want me to be there.

Post 1: Being a Leader

When I think of a leader, I think of someone I look up to, someone that is capable of making positive decisions to lead a group down the right path. But how do you become a positive leader? Is it something your just born with or do you become a leader? Once you are classified as a leader, it comes with a list of tasks one must complete. Many of your followers will constantly come to you for advice and always look up to you. As a leader, it is crucial to remember you are a fish in a fish tank: whether you know it or not everyone is always watching.

Relationships

    This section of the book relates to how important it is for leaders to allow people to know them. When you are a power figure some people find it hard to relate because they do not know much about you.  I have always believed that having a relationship with people you work for or work with will always make the job more comforatble. During my high shcool job I worked for a family restuarant who were family friends. During my first nights washing dishes I was so timid I would keep making stupid mistakes, putting dishes in the wrong spot, not loading the machine correctly, and I even broke a dish. It was the most uncomfortable night I've ever had. I did not know much about them, they were closer to my parents then with me, but it wasn't until I started asking Giovanni about his life in Italy and why he loved to cook he opened up and we became really close. I became comfortable in my work atmosphere and did so well that I advanced to waitressing. That was not the only thing that came out of become closer with Paula and Giovanni. As my graduation present I was invited to join them in a 14 day trip to Italy.
   I've learned from that work experience that sometimes it's better to go in right at the beginning and talk about strengths and weaknesses, because then it will not come as a surprise to a boss that you are struggling with certain situations or assignments.
    When I first became the New Member Educator in Gamma Phi Beta I was nervous that they would think I am intimidating or unhappy, but I could tell that all of the NM's were so nervous about me liking them that none of them were asking questions, they were all polite, quiet, and anxious. It wasn't until I did an Ice Breaker that the girls begin and laugh and talk.

Post 2: Relationships

Relationships. When relationships first come to mind, I think about a couple dating. But is that all a relationship really is? Absolutely not, I can think about the relationship I have with my family, my co-workers, my sisters and my residents. Depending on the population I am working with my relationship is slightly different. For example, I would never say some of the things I talk about with my friends to my family and I may not share my personal life with my co-workers, yet would with my sisters. But why are relationships so important as a leader? I think it is important to constantly stay true to you. Never to put on an act when interacting with a certain group, because that isn't fair to anyone. However, I think it is okay to express yourself in different ways when it comes to interacting with different populations. Being a leader and having a positive relationship with a wide variety of people will make you more open to all different types of people, allowing you to better serve as a leader.

Relationships

The chapters in the second part of the book pointed out how important it is to cultivate good relationships. Whether as a leader or not, having solid relationships with other people is essential to leading a fulfilling life. Whether in the workplace, at home, in school, anywhere at all, connecting and networking with people is tantamount to success. As a leader, it will be important for me to keep in mind how other people feel about me and the way I handle things. Being aware of the feelings and thoughts of other people is a skill that I need to master in order to excel in my future.

The Significance of SIgnificance

Reading through A Leader's Legacy, I have learned about some of the various qualities that are important for leaders to carry. It is also interesting to learn about some of the reasons leaders lead. Being considered significant is something that seems like an intangible goal; what may seem significant to some may fly under the radar of others. As a leader myself on this campus I posed the question to myself; do I feel like what I am doing here makes a difference to others and I must say that the answer is yes.

Being the associate member educator for Phi Kappa Theta allows me to be responsible for ushering in new generations to our wonderful brotherhood. They are charged to me to shape and mold into the picture of the gentlemen that we consider ourselves. Seeing the way my new brothers have changed over this past year has made me feel an unimaginable amount of joy and pride. Seeing my work actively help to develop out leaders of tomorrow is the greatest thing I have accomplished thus far in my collegiate career.

As an RA in a first year resident residence hall, I feel like my work is continuing in much the same direction. I am helping to guide the new members of this college into their futures and it is up to me to ensure that they meet their goals. I love my job more than I expected to. Everything that I do now makes me feel significant  whether I am helping one person or a group of people, making a difference is what matters to me. It's no longer about me and what I do, it's about having what I do make what they do great.

Part Two: Relationships

From the first page of this section of the reading I knew I was going to get a lot from these chapters, and I was right! I have always been the kind of person to give others the benefit of the doubt and recognize others' differences, so when I read, "People don't always see eye to eye, and people don't all have the same personality", I realized that this benefit of the doubt giving can also be directly applied to leadership positions. It's not always just letting people off the hook, though. In order to gain respect, leaders must form relationships with those who follow them.

When I was reading these chapters, I have to admit my mind did not go straight to Gamma Phi, but instead to my workplace. My bosses are very distant. They come to work, give us orders, oversee everything and check to make sure we are doing what we are supposed to be doing, then lock themselves in their office or simply leave. Though I have been working at Subway for almost two years, I know little more about my bosses than the fact that they have three children and live in Milford. I'm not saying that the reason they leave a bad taste in my mouth is because they never take the time to share about their lives or that they never let me open up, but I suppose it could be a prominent reason. As much as they drive me crazy, I realized from the book that the only person I can change is me. If I don't like the way they are doing something, then I have to change my attitude toward the situation. I can't change the way they manage the business.

My brain eventually did switch to my sisterhood, though, when I began to read the chapter "You Can't Take Trust for Granted". For leaders, trust is the willingness to be vulnerable and subject yourself to possible harm (mental, emotional, or even physical). It's a sccary thought. I want to run for eboard next semester, but I'm nervouse about giving my trust out freely, or that people will breech my trust for them simply because we are friends and they think they can slip past me. Similarly, I know I will have dificulty dedlegating and "letting my people go" because I like to have ontrol over everything. But it will be a really good learning exxperince for me if I do get chosen for another position next semester. I will have to trust that the relationships I have built with my sisters will lead to mutual trust and that both I and those who work with me will take responsibility seriously.

I am really enjoying both the book and GLAD, and I can't wait to be with everyone again tonight to discuss our strengths!

Jen H.

Part 2: Relationships

When trusting others as a leader can be diffcult for some, like if they will complete the task efficeintly and in a postitve light for the organization. The chapter's first sentence is important when trusting others since we need to value and respect others to trust them. When being a leader you need the people that follow you to trust and respect you for the decisions that are made to benefit the organization you are trying to better. When trusting a good leader it helps to know that the leader is not just trying to benefit them and their best friends in the organization, but the others sisters that are in the orgainzation that you might be the best friends with. When you have sixty five girls you are going to have drama and sisters not always getting along, being a great leader for that organization it would mean to not think about the people you do not always get along with but also put their needs into your mind as well.

By trusting a leader you must also take in the legacy that they are leaving the organization. The leader must help the future leaders run the organization so the goals that you gave the organization stay and will only get better over time. As a leader if you do not help the person that takes our position once you have ful-filled your time in this position does not give you a good legact or make you a good leader.

PArt 1: A Leader's Legacy

To be a leader is have pssion for something and the wanting to make it the best that it can be. With the passion for the organization dedication is also needed to achieve the goal of bettering your organization, because with out passion and dedication their would be no love or motivation to accomplish what is needed to be done by the leader. Once having having the passion and dedication for the organization a leader must also be a little bit self-lessness in order to scarifice other things that are important to that individual, so the other oblingations that are needed of the person can be accomplished.

To start my journey as a leader was shown different approached by reading this first chapter. It taught that teaching is a large part of being a leader not only teaching others in the organization, but to teach ourself to always have your organizationa top priority as a leader. Once you are a leader and do not have your priorities gathered in a way to hurt your organization the least, would the most harmful to the organization as a whole. Also being a leader means taking critism and feedback from others to see if there can be another efficeint way to help the organization.

Katy

Part 2

Leadership can actually change a person's life. When a person has a place of leadership they have that postion and carry it through out their everyday lives. If your the President of a faternity even when you do not waer those leaders you still have that title on you. It may not be a big flashy neon sign that you have over your head but its a title that you have until your time is done. Not all leaders are liked but a leader wants to be liked. People may not like the person incharge because of whatever reason it maybe but if that person was voted in then there a reason why that person was chosen. A leader had to be able to comprise and come up with solutions all the time. Issues may come up but not everyone sees eye to eye as it is said. That is how come compromise was invented because their may be two different sides to every conflict but eventually common ground.
Andrew Okseniak

Part 1

What defines a leader? That is a question that was asked the 1st time when I arrived at GLAD. Reading the 1st chapter of this book A Leader's Legacy to me is showing what leaders are capable of doing. I know that a leader will try to and do anything to achieve their one goal which is to be successful.I know that we all love to talk about the stories of how success helped out our organizations. Whether its getting 10+  new members or achieveing a high amount of community service hours, we all feel successful after an event. The event feels extra special for the chairman or executive board member who put on the event. They say that a leader has to be able to make sacrafices in order to achieve their goal and one of those sacrafices is time. We all take times out of our schedule to do what we do in Greek Life. One thing we learn is to be proactive when we do tasks, whether its looking for a job or planning an event, we all want to get the job done. To be a leader you have to work hard and get the job done but you can get it done if oppurtunity presents itself.
Andrew Okseniak    

Part 2

Part 2: Relationships

"Leadership is a relationship... between those who aspire  to lead and those who choose to follow".  This section of A Leader's Legacy helps to stress the importance of the relationship between the leader and the follower.  As a follower you must TRUST the leader to make the right decisions for the group however a leader can never lead on their own, they need the followers as much as the followers need the leader.  This section talks about how without a relationship, people will not follow.  I think this applies in my organization because although there are students who hold high positions on e-board, the sisters of my organization most likely won't follow or listen unless there is a relationship developed or trust gained.  We don't just give positions to anyone and one must uphold their position through the trust and help of other members in the chapter. Although it is thought to be better for you to not have too close a relationship with your followers, I personally believe this is not always the case.  Personally I believe that it depends on the position  you hold and the dynamic of the organization.  In our organization trust and leadership are taken quite seriously but I find that good relationships make for a better leader. Another aspect that this section talks about is the goal of trust.  "We lead our lives in the company of others, and that is where we leave our legacy". Legacies are passed down through word of mouth and keeping your legacy alive will be determined by your relationship with others.  If you are liked by your teammates then odds are they will talk positively about you in the future.  Trust is a big part of being a leader and having the best interest at heart for your group is important.

Another part of this section I really enjoyed was in Chapter 9, where the topic of trust is discussed in detail.  The first sentence to the section about taking trust for granted says "Trust is openness" which I fully believe because you need honesty and communication with someone in order to trust them.  It says "Trust is valuing other people such that you respect their opinions and perspective", which I also agree with because you have to keep an open mind and hear everyone's ideas and give respect to those who deserve it and not just ignore anyone.  There was one sentence that definately got me thinking and that was "Trust means moving outside your comfort zone and letting go of always doing it your way, or even the way that it's always been done before'.  This sentence got me thinking about Bridgewater and our Greek Life here on campus.  I know personally for our organization sometimes the alumni have trouble accepting change.  They believe the organization needs to stay the same as when they were active members.  If this were the case the organization would never grow and become the better organization it is today.  The alumni should not want to hold us back, they should want us to move forward, make changes, and make this organization better than they could ever dream it to be when they joined. 

Erin :)

Part 2: Relationships

I really loved this chapter, it's something I think we could all learn from. There was a statement that really stood out to me. "Trust is valuing other people such that you respect their opinions and perspectives. You listen to them. Trust means moving outside your comfort zone and letting go of always doing it your way or even the way that "it's always been done before" (pg 74). The first sentence I really like because that's what I think when I think about trust, valuing others and respecting what they think and feel. However, I think that a lot of people regarding the third sentence is where there is difficulty in Greek Life with trust, not just with Active members, but even more so with Alumni. I know from past experience and talking to some of our more recent Alumni whenever I or they have tried to make a change to something we have always received extreme opposition from the Alumni. The reason behind the Alumni not wanting change is because it has been a tradition or "it's always been done before". While I am not for taking away from traditions that made the Fraternity into what it truly stands for, I am always looking to make sure that what we are doing represents who we are today. I think many organizations have a hard time doing this because of the way things have "always been done". I never think an organization should take away from something if it does follow the core values of what their organization stands for (and as long as it's safe), but rather look into anything that doesn't exactly match up with those values and at least question what is being done and if it's something that can be improved upon to stand for the ideals that the organization is really about.

One of our Alumni Jen put it best when she was encouraging me to continue trying to make changes when she said that what we do now does not change what the Alumni remember from the time they spent as Active members of our chapter, but when we change something for the right reasons it should be in order to reflect who we are now, and what our organization has always stood for. The Alumni have over time chosen the people to continue on the chapter and those people have chosen us and therefore they should trust us because we all are extensions of the decisions they made. The alumni should trust us to love our chapters like they do and just want the right thing for them.

Sacrifice of Passion

When someone asks what I am passionate about I could tell them a lot of answers. I could answer I am passionate about my sorority, Greek life, my family, my friends, the beach and many more things. Something I learned while trying to become so involved on campus is that you do not have the time to do everything. How you can tell what you are passionate about is what your mind wanders too in times of decisions. In the past I have been a member of the frisbee, residence hall association, an office assistant and active in intramurals. In recent times I have had to look at where I can grow the most and build leadership and that in which I can is what I am passionate about. I have sacrificed certain activities for the benefit of others. It is not that I do not love those that I don't do anymore but it is impossible to do everything and I want to commit myself to those that I can grow. I know that the relationships I have made through those organizations still exist and that I can rely on my friends I have made but that I can no longer commit myself to the larger group because I have had to sacrifice in order to gain in other aspects of my life.

Sacrificing for the Better Good

Every leader of any organization has to make sacrifices for the ultimate good of those they lead. These sacrifices often times go unnoticed. I am fine with making these sacrifices for my group as long as it leads to an ultimate goal, or in some way bettering others and myself.  As a member of IFC E-board and an up and coming leader in Phi Kappa Theta; I am tasked with making decisions that will end up being crucial in the long run. I was voted into my position by the delegates of IFC because they saw the vision that I had for shaping Greek Life. They noticed something in me that they liked and wanted to see come true. When I accepted the position I was unsure of what really laid ahead of me. I had little experience in the field but I took it head on and am doing the best that I can, to better the Fraternities of Bridgewater State University. But when I took this position, I didn't realize the intense commitment that I was undertaking. There are countless meetings and leadership conferences that I must/want to attend to better myself and everyone. The time that I have and will put into this organization will go unseen and unrecognized by the vast majority. However I am okay with that because I know that whether my hard work, dedication and passion are recognized or not; that I am doing what is right for our community as a whole and I am making a difference that will outlast time.

Part 1- Significance

           During the first part of A Leader's Legacy it was interesting to read that the leader is invested more in others success and not their own. I've definitely gathered that being a leader does not just mean you are a CEO or manager (Greek life's can be e-board). The people who are seen all the time making progress for their chapter are also known as leaders. After reading part one I'm aware that I am a leader, I am the New Member Educator for the Gamma Phi Beta chapter here at Bridgewater and that right there makes me a leader. Although I do not consider myself a learner, I've now gained ways that I can become a better leader.
          I believe the first part of A Leader's Legacy opened my eyes to a different world of leaders and how to make progress with your leadership. By accepting honest opinions and feedback make me a better person while in my position so opening it up into my leadership position would help me grow even further.

Significance

                 When I first signed up for GLAD, I thought, learning leadership skills? Cool, sounds easy enough I mean I feel like its something we all have permanently embedded in our brains anyways. Be a role model, learn from mistakes, be someone you'd want to look up to. But when reading this first section of the book It dawned on me, knowing how to be a leader might be easy at first glance, but what kind of leader to I want to be?
                   How do I want people to remember me? All throughout life, people judge you based on first impressions alone, and its quite difficult to break out of that impression and prove people wrong a lot of the time. This got me thinking, I go through my day not really caring about what people think of me, and just saying to myself "if they don't like what I'm doing, oh well its not their business." In reality that's a very good way to look at life; however, most of the time we all spend to much time worrying about the stupid things people could think of us "oh how's my hair look?" "do I look fat in this?" "was what I said just now totally embarrassing?" When in retrospect we are worrying about all the wrong things.
                  Worry in general is not a good way to spend you're time, but the good things to worry about are the good qualities you have in you. As said in the first section of the book, what kind of legacy are you going to leave behind? This got me thinking, how do I want others to see me? How do I think they see me now? How do I even see myself? I think all of these questions have to be answered if one truly wants to be a good leader. In order to be a good leader I feel that you have to be comfortable with yourself and how you appear to others, before you can be comfortable having others want to follow in your foot steps.
                  Before reading this section I was like all of those other people I just mentioned, I cared way to much about what people thought about me for all the wrong reasons, and none of the good. There are so many ways to leave behind a legacy, some good and some are definitely bad. I want to leave behind a legacy to where years from now after I'm graduated and moved on from Bridgewater, people can remember me with good thoughts, and I can smile at the person I had become.

Part One: Significance

The first part of A Leader's Legacy was all about significance. My favorite part of this section was the chapter about individuals being the most important leaders in their organizations. Sometimes when you are at a lower leadership position within a group or an organization you feel powerless or less important than those higher up in the group hierarchy. This chapter did a wonderful job of showing that no matter where you are within an organization you have the opportunity to affect change and influence those around you. 

Leaders are not just the Presidents, or CEOs they are also the managers, the general labor, and in the case of Greek life, the members themselves. You do not have to be on your fraternity or sorority's e-board to be a leader. All you have to do is be the best person you can be and set a positive example for others in your life to follow.

I really love this quote from page 36-37, "Whatever your role in life may be, you make a difference. There is a 100 percent chance that you can be a role model for leadership. There is a 100 percent chance that you can influence someone else's performance. There is a 100 percent chance that you can affect what someone else thinks, says, and does. There is a 100 percent chance that you will make a difference in other people's lives." I think this quote accurately describes the fact that every action you do has an effect on those around you. Whether or not you mean to, you will influence those around you with every choice you make. 

Since we all effect those around us it is important to think ahead about how our actions will reflect ourselves, as well as the organizations we represent. As members of Greek life we need to keep in mind that we're "always in our letters" and strive to be positive role models in our community. 

Part 1

I really did like this chapter of the book about significance. It seemed to make a lot of sense. It was weird reading it in more of a retrospective view of my time at Bridgewater. Overall though it seemed like most of the groups I have been a part of have done many things right from what the book was trying to say. The part about being a "loving critic" really stuck with me though. It's true not everyone is perfect but people tend to view their leaders more harshly than anyone else. I started thinking about the past 3 years with this comment and it was true a lot of people don't know how to be "loving critics", people normally receive nothing but praise. This is bad for an ego but also bad because very rarely does everything go exactly to plan, there is always some room for improvement. However on the flip side of that I know how miserable it is to get nothing but grief for just trying something new with a group to see if it will work better. I think this is one of the things that most people need to work on doing, myself included. I think most organizations would run a lot smoother if people were able to be critical about everything that is going on while still giving encouragement to the current leadership because there was a reason why those people were voted into their positions, and while they may not be doing everything the way that was envisioned they are normally doing the best that they can.

Part 1: Significance (A Leader's Legacy)

Being a leader isn’t always about dedication but it definitely helps.  Having passion for something important to you means sacrifice.  You have to sacrifice a lot of time to be a good leader.  You also have to do what’s best for the group, not just yourself.  You have to be willing to give up certain things for the positive change to your organization. Something that stood out to me was that leaders are servants.  Leaders do what the people want, and what will benefit their organization in the best way possible.  The most important leaders are not the CEO’s but rather the people we see most often.  This section was full of new ways of thinking about the definition of a leader. 

Thanks to this first section, I now know how to begin my journey as a leader.  I know why being a leader is so important and how to attack the world through new eyes.  Being a leader isn’t all about who has the most knowledge or experience, but rather who can teach.  Something from this section that caught my attention was the phrase ‘the best way to learn is to teach’.  I had to think about it for a while but I agree with this statement.  I am currently enrolled in a class where the students all teach each other. While I thought this was a very lazy and peculiar way to teach a class, I have since realized that I do retain majority of the information that I personally present to the class.

Another section that stood out to me was about giving feedback.  I personally have no problem giving feedback, but I struggle taking it and applying it to my work.  I have noticed in any organization that anonymity holds preference for students over saying something to everyone.  Staying anonymous helps the person feel protected and they don’t feel the threat of rejection.  Thanks to this section I have realized that speaking out honestly is very helpful, so I will try to give more feedback because I know how invaluable it is and I will put these words into use for future leadership positions.  This first section got my thinking about what kind of legacy I would like to leave when I graduate and what kind of commitment I need to have for the future.  I hope through the suggestions I can take from this section I can do better for my organization and help out more by being a positive asset to the group.

-Erin

Part One: Significance

As I absorbed the words written on the pages of this book, I really visualized myself putting them to use in possible leadership positions I may step into. One of the things that really stuck out to me was how they spent an entire chapter proving that having passion for something means sacrificing what's important to you. By sacrificing, leaders demonstrate that they hold a certain position ro benefit the froup as a whole, not themselves. This really helped me conceptualize what would happen if I were to step into a leadership role. What is important to me right now that I would be sacrificing? Time. Time is incredibly important to me and I know I would be giving a lot of that up for my organization. Am I okay with that? Absolutely. I'm willing to make sacrifices for my organization if it means that positive change will be born from it. I genuinely want my sisters to have the "I want to do this" mentality as opposed to the "I have to be here" one. Another topic that stuck out to me personally was when they explained that to learn is to teach, and to teach is to learn. This applies to me in a few ways. First, the position I plan to run for in a few weeks involves teaching many people new things in Gamma Phi. Second, I plan to be a teacher in the future, so I flagged these pages for future reference outside of Greeklife. Requesting feedback was another section of the book I found appealing. I know that is something I struggle with personally because sometimes I'd rather not know how I'm letting people down and just push through it. But after reading this chapter I realized the importance of simply asking, "How am I doing?". I am enjoying reading this book so far and can already feel a change of thinking happening inside my head. I already make conscious efforts to think about a situation and try to apply what I've learned from the book to it before I act. I look forward to our next GLAD meeting and am egar to learn even more! On another note, I've never blogged before so I look forward to reading other Greek's perspectives and what stood out to them.