In my early high school days, I was always someone who liked to be involved but let someone else take the reins in planning, supervising and suggesting ideas. I was a follower and there is nothing wrong with being a follower until it hinders your growth as a person. I am now seeing that, as a leader of a college student organization, there are so many benefits that can come with the decision to step up and become more involved in something I care about and want to see thrive. The following are things that I have learned so far as a leader in my college organization.
1. Teamwork really does make the dream work
I would not be half as effective in my position without the rest of my team supporting me and encouraging me in the process. It is very helpful to be able to ask the opinions of any of my team because we are all striving to do the best we can for the organization and the members. As someone who has a hard time asking for help, I am learning that it is okay to delegate tasks to the people you trust or ask for suggestions on how to improve at my job.
2. Making mistakes is part of the learning process
I have been in my position for only a couple of months now but I have already started recognizing what needs to get done right away and what takes time. Not only can I learn from my team but from every member of the organization. I am a resource for their experiences and suggestions from them are important to take into consideration when making decisions for the group.
3. Adaptability is something every leader needs in order to succeed in their job
There is a lot of unpredictability that comes with being a leader and being able to go with the flow and adapt to the best of your ability is very important. There are a lot of factors that go into planning events, activities, meetings and the like, so being able to have back-up plans or trying to anticipate the unexpected is a good trait to have in leadership.
4. Planning ahead is probably one of the most important things I have learned
I have never been someone who carried around a planner everywhere but when you are a leader, having a planner becomes your lifeline for everything you need to remember to have done and for all those important dates you cannot miss. Organization is something I am definitely still working on but having everything written down and planned out takes the stress away from you.
5. No one is actively waiting for you to fail or trip up
I have always been a little terrified of criticism especially when put bluntly. Every time I present a new idea to my organization, I get so nervous but I always remind myself that my friends in my organization want to see what I have to offer and my success is something that will benefit them. Making big decisions that can affect the experiences of everyone in the organization is daunting at times but it is worth seeing the growth and change within our community.
6. Creativity is one of the most important things a leader can possess
So many ideas get bounced back and forth and coming up with a really great idea that will make the organization even better can be used in the future long after my team and I have graduated.
I am ecstatic for the new experiences that my position within my organization will afford me and to continue growing from it. I would not have had the confidence to go for something like leading a group of over 150 women if I did not truly care about making it a success for all of the wonderful members in my organization.
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