Today is Her Campus Murray State’s first birthday. I’ve been trying to figure out what I wanted to write today because I have to write something sentimental, right? Isn’t that a requirement for first birthdays?
Image via Rawpixel
I like to think that I’ve learned a lot over the past year, and I have. But I think the most important thing that Her Campus has taught me is how to be a better leader.
When I set out to bring Her Campus to Murray State’s campus, I didn’t really think about the implications that would have for me as a leader. I knew that I was going to be tasked with running the campus operations, but for some reason, in my mind, that never really added up to leadership. But it is. That’s exactly what it is. Starting out, I think our team was about ten people, including me. Now, a year later, that number is closer to 30. That transition hasn’t exactly been the easiest, but it did force me to step up and become the leader that everyone around me seemed to think I could be. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I feel like now is a good time to pass on some of these leadership lessons I’ve learned, whether it’s because I failed at them or because I managed to figure it out.
1. Making everyone happy is never going to happen. Stop wasting your time trying.
2. Being a leader sucks a lot of the time.
3. People are going to get mad when you call them out. You still have to do it.
4. Getting people to do things on time is not an easy thing to do.
5. You’ve got to be organized as hell. I’m serious. I have THREE planners now.
6. The meetings never stop!
7. Being able to provide people with a platform to be themselves and speak their minds is one of the most rewarding things you’re ever going to do.
8. Planning an event that everyone on a team can attend may as well be a mission to Mars.
9. Finding time to take care of yourself is going to get harder. Make sure to allow yourself some relaxation time.
10. People are going to expect you to fix their problems. Sometimes you’re going to have to let them figure it out alone.
11. Being a leader means being open and honest. You are no better than anyone else on your team, remember that.
This list could go on forever, but who wants to read that? In the past year, these 11 lessons are the ones that have come up the most and also allowed me to grow as a leader more than any other. Here’s my final message about leadership: being a leader is not easy, but is anything worthwhile ever really going to be easy? Not in my experience.