Part 1

I really enjoyed this first section in the book! There were several components which I could agree and/or relate to. First off, the notion that all passionate leaders are willing to suffer, is a concept that I believe deems so true. I think that if you want to be a successful leader, you need to acknowledge the fact that being a leader means working towards improving something as a whole, and focusing on the something much bigger than ourselves. It means to be willing to give up leisure time or time out with friends to put in more effort, and work towards making this thing that you are so passionate about all it can be. If you are completely dedicated to something, I believe that you would be willing to give up a lot of time and are willing to suffer in order to make sure this thing is as successful as it can be. I can relate this to my feelings about my Greek organization. I am so determined to become a leader and to help my organization improve and thrive. Due to this desire to make my Greek organization and individual experience flourish, I have made Phi Sigma Sigma an upmost priority. I go to any and all sorority events or meetings, mandatory or not, as well as engage myself as much as possible in anything Greek. I ask questions, talk to other sisters about positions, and offer up my time and commitment to this organization. I want to play a part in making my organization all it can be, and I know that means giving up a lot of my time and putting in all my effort, but this is okay with me because I want to help my organization excel as well as help myself progress and work towards leadership.

 

“The best leaders are teachers” is a belief that I totally can agree with! I think teachers are given the greatest opportunity to lead, because students look to them for guidance and knowledge. A teacher is responsible for helping you learn things in the classroom, but I also think they extend their efforts out into the community as well. They teach life skills, morals, and so many other things that in hindsight we didn’t even realize they were instilling in us! We start listening to teachers at such a young age, and I truly think that they are some of the biggest and most influential leaders in our lives!

Another concept in this book that is so important is the significance of the people on your team! This is something that is always an important part of leadership. It seems to be of popular opinion that many may feel unappreciated or overlooked for the work they have done, and unfortunately sometimes this could be true. An important part of being a leader is to appreciate all of those other team members who are working alongside of you. What I feel many people forget to realize is the people working with you have the same aspirations as you and wish to make this project or certain thing become as successful as possible. Appreciating those who you work with helps you and your team because the more they are praised and acknowledged for their hard work, the more valued they will feel. Feeling important is one of the best means of encouragement, and this will inspire people to keep working hard and helping accomplish the goal you are working towards. A little appreciation goes a long way, and giving it out to those who deserve it will likely benefit the whole project or organization.

Part 1: Signficance

The first thing you will learn when you become a leader is that you need to learn how to sacrifice. Not everyone knows this. Finally someone straight out said that being a leader is hard, it's not for everyone, and it takes a lot out of you! I myself have not had the opportunity to experience this just yet, but I have seen multiple leaders in greek leadership slowly burn out over the course of a year from balancing school, work, and their sorority duties. This is why leadership is not just for anyone. This is what separates the real leaders from the people in leadership roles to enhance their resumes.

"The Best Leaders Are Teachers." When I read that I initially thought, "YES!" I strongly believe in leading by example. The Best Way to Learn is to Teach. You're forced to have all of your stuff together and down if you have to teach someone how to do something. Leaders may seem like they have all of their stuff together, but sometimes it's just because they learned something just before teaching you. As a new sorority on campus, I've seen our greek leaders learn, and then teach us. I can see their understanding on certain concepts growing as they explain things.  Legacies are made by stories. Everyone wants to leave a legacy. The best way to do that is to leave a lasting impression on someone. That someone will tell a bunch of people about that impression you left on them. You cannot have a legacy without at least one story.

"We All Need Loving Critics." I've never though about it like that before, but it's completely true. All too often people we love will keep their critical thoughts to their self as to not upset us, or are too infatuated too see anything wrong. Then there's the other end of the spectrum where all of the criticism we hear is from people who despise us. What we need are "loving critics." These are people who love us, but care so much that they will open up their mouth and say something to us. Because we also (probably) love them, we will listen to what they have to say because they aren't just saying things to be mean. As a leader, we cannot grow without feedback, and it should play an instrumental role for all leaders in growing.

 It is not the CEO who is the most important leader in an organization, it is the manager. The manager much more directly can control the success of a business than the CEO. "Leaders who have the most influence on us are those who are closest to us." Our work habits, aspirations, etc. are influenced by people closest to us such as our boss, family, friends, and professors or coaches. It is not the CEO of the fast foot company you work for that has influence over you. It is the store manager that hired you. Each person needs to take responsibility for his or her own leadership skills, because you are important and you will make a difference if you try.

I love every single thing this book has said so far. I haven't thought about things the way they have and it all makes so much sense. This book is truly an eyeopener so far.