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 :)