In October, I was approached to step up as HCMSU’s Vice President and Co-Campus Correspondent. As someone who values the institution as well as the people it brings together, I was more than happy to accept the challenge. My transition into leadership began almost immediately, and my learning curve needed to be just as quick. This first semester has been a whirlwind of new experiences and learning what it takes to run an elite level chapter of an online publication.
There is a time to be compassionate and a time to make decisions. The president and vice president work together very closely, as expected, and have to troubleshoot differently from one problem to the next. While I am a firm believer in showing compassion to those we work with, there comes a point where we can only do so much before someone needs to help themselves. If a person or team continuously shows that they are not taking their position seriously, we may need to make some tough decisions. While it hurts to remove people from positions they may have had for years, sometimes the wellbeing of the group as a whole has to come before the feelings of an individual. That is a hard lesson to learn, but knowing that you are taking care of your own is reason enough to continue.
You can’t do it on your own, nor should you. I am so incredibly thankful for the executive board and every member of HCMSU. They are creative, expressive, and everyone has a unique perspective and new ideas to bring to the table. As someone who is very aware of their own abilities, I knew that I would turn to the president, editor in chief, team heads, or anyone else for more ideas or to get another opinion on my own. This semester, we had e-board members contribute to creating a disciplinary policy so that it was fair and wasn’t ONLY the work of leadership. Honestly, I never would have been able to think up the ideas that our board members gave us. While it’s my job to lead, I would never be able to accomplish anything beneficial without help from the rest of the chapter.
Being confrontational takes practice. I have never been a fan of confronting people. When friends did things that upset me growing up, I dropped it and never told anyone because I was afraid of what they would say back to me. Now that I hold a leadership position, I can no longer avoid being upfront with people in difficult situations. The first time I had to confront someone one-on-one, my whole body shook with adrenaline for five minutes. It has become easier since then, but I still have to practice what to say in my head and choose each of my words carefully. While confrontation is still scary to me, I know that it is a valuable skill to have and a necessity for going far in life.
Being vulnerable with your team will allow them to be vulnerable with you. As a chapter, we place great value on mental health. One of my greatest prides with HCMSU is that we have created an environment where members and leadership alike are able to be open and honest about their hardships while feeling supported by those around them. Because we are open about our struggles with the rest of the chapter, they feel comfortable enough to reach out when they are also struggling. As long as each person is able to pick up the slack when they are back on their feet, we have no problem making accommodations to make their lives a little easier. We are all here to support each other through the good times as well as the bad – that is what makes this group so special.
While it was overwhelming at times, I have loved every minute of my first semester as VP and CC. I have deepened so many bonds with my peers and learned so much in such a short time. I have never loved a group of people as much as I love HCMSU, nor have I felt such a sense of acceptance. These are my people and I cannot wait to continue learning from them as VP and eventually as chapter president.