Final Post

As I read the final chapters of this book, I try to reflect upon all that I have read. But that is difficult for me to do, as all I view the final section -part four- to be the most meaningful and important to me. Courage is something I need a lot of work on. I always want to jump into things, and then I contemplate and analyze them until I scare myself out of doing it. For example, I have been expressing interest in positions in Gamma Phi, but eventually let my fear of messing up or doing a sub-par job get the best of me.

 I learned a lot from the chapter that discussed how hard leadership can be and how it is a humbling experience. I can visualize that. I can see myself realizing all of the hard work my current e-board does and saying to myself, "it's a lot harder than it looks". However, I disagree somewhat about how the higher up you go, the further you are from the base, where you started, and therefore it is harder to stay humble (coming from the word humus, meaning down to earth). I honestly can see myself being more humbled by a position, realizing its importance and the effort it takes to support and maintain it. However, there are occasions where I look to an eboard member and know she has lost some of her humility because of her position. I think, then, it really depends on the person.

I think everybody in the history of forever must read the chapter about failure being an option. Failure is never an option for me. In fact, good is never an option for me. I always feel the pressure to be great. But that's just it. It's pressure. From teachers, from parents, from friends and peers, from employers, from sisters, and from teammates. I want so badly to be able to venture out and try new things, but I know that if I do not succeed, I will be punished. That shouldn't happen. To Anyone! And if every leader from now until forever would read and understand this chapter, so much more in this world would be accomplished. Reading about Jeff Daniels and "The Squid and the Whale" reminded me so much of the time I was cast as Rizzo in my high school's production of Grease. Never in my life have I been a less-than-modest, loud, rude, mean woman, but the time had come to act like one. It was scary and new, but I tried and and succeeded with flying colors (so I'd like to think, at least...There are wose things I could dooo...).

The final sentences really drove home the point of the chapter for me. "Our challenge is to stay focused on the difference we want to make". This is so right. You take a leadership position in order to create change, in order to make your organization better. If you just stay focused on that, you will succeed, make a differene, and leave a leader's legacy.

It was awesome working with you all and I hope that I have the pleasure of working with you again in the future.


Jen Herzog