Leadership Lessons 2012
Specific Time of Year
“The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.”
~ Andrew Carnegie
The Fall Starting Line
The fall term is underway and it may feel like you
and your group members are still waiting to start the race.
The first few weeks of a semester are typically dedicated
to “getting to know you” experiences, goal-setting opportunities and preparing for the road ahead. As you put the
finishing touches on preparing the organization to provide
intentional, rather than accidental, leadership this coming
year, be sure to cover these bases…
#2: Tap Potential Leadership
Make a list of two or three members in your group
whom you feel have potential, but are being overlooked.
Think of several ways you can encourage them to participate or how you can better tap into their skills and talents.
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Inquire about their interests and talents.
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Identify small organizational tasks they can take on
initially.
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Recognize them for contributions made to the work
of the organization.
#1: Identify Your Group Profile
Prior to heading into the year, it is best to know what
direction you want to go in. Think about the future you
would like for your group. Pretend it is the end of the
school year and your campus newspaper wants you to
submit highlights on all your organization accomplished
this year. What would you want the highlights to be?
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When asked, what would non-members say about the
contributions of your organization to campus?
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Who are your members?
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What did your group accomplish?
#3: Be a Respected Role Model
Understand that while you may be able to separate you, the person, from your role as a student leader,
others may not see the difference. Many a public figure
has sabotaged his or her reputation by being a poor role
model. Don’t make that same costly mistake! Remember
that the paparazzi can be anywhere.
Here are some important things to consider as an
institutional representative:
Leadership Reflection…
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Weigh your answers and actions before you act.
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Think about the various implications of what you say
and do.
Take a few moments to consider where your
organization is at today. What still needs to be accomplished before everyone moves forward in their
respective goals? Does the group need more team
building? Has everyone been introduced?
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Determine what message you want to send to other
students.
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Reconcile who you, the individual, are and what you,
the campus leader, want to convey to your organization and campus community.
Be sure to finish up the basic steps of coming
together at the start of the year before you dive into
doing good work on campus and in the community.
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Once you have considered the above, ensure that
your self-identity and student leader-identity complement each other and are not in conflict.
Assess Where You’re At
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Prepared for our institution by PaperClip Communications.
Reproduced or retransmitted under license by PaperClip Communications.