Service and Leadership

Service and Leadership

"Leaders become great not because of their power but, because of their ability to empower others"

--John Maxwell

Service

In June of 2016, I volunteered to spend a day painting a Habitat for Humanity house in order to help my friend achieve her goals in her patch to becoming a Habitat homeowner.

In December of 2013, I called Ozanam Family Shelter and found that there were 12 families being housed there for the holidays. So I inquired on the number of children in each family and with the help of 4 of my grandchildren, we created 12 gift bags containing hygiene products, crayons, coloring books, puzzles, crossword books, etc. and delivered them a few days before Christmas. In addition to wanting to help families in need, I also wanted to expose my grandchildren to the homeless issue right in our own hometown, I want them to realize how blessed they actually are and to develop a sense of caring for those in need. 

Leadership

I've only found myself in one leadership role and that was from June 2000 - July 2000 when I became a Girl Scout camp counselor at Camp Koch for girls ages 9-12. I was in charge of 16 children and had to create a schedule that accounted for every 15 minutes of every day. I planned crafts, hikes, games, swimming, shower time and other activities. I taught them camping skills, songs, and how to be kind and helpful to fellow campers.  

On Being a Leader

Until recently, I had never really considered myself to be a leader, but apparently, there are certain scenarios where I would be considered just that. In my Introduction to Sociology class, I learned about a research project called the Asch Experiment where the wrong choice was deliberately made by 3-5 people only to find that more people would make the same wrong choice out of fear that they had either misunderstood the question or because they thought they should keep unanimity. In another given scenario, where someone in a public place pretended to need medical attention only to find that those passing by just passed the buck, assuming that the next person would either provide assistance or call 911. Just hearing about this type of conformity I was unable to prevent myself from saying outloud in class “thus a leader is born” and I knew at that moment, that I am not one of those kinds of people. First off, I would not choose the wrong choice in the Asch experiment for any reason. I would be the one to re-ask what the question was again and then I would want an explanation of how the other’s response was correct. Not because I want to be argumentative, but because I value having knowledge that is correct. In the second case, I would offer my assistance to a person in need and would insure that the necessary measures were being fulfilled and if not, I would assume that responsibility. Now, I’m not sure what kind of leader that makes me, but I know for certain that I am not a blind follower.

What I have learned most about being a leader, is that each and every one of us have the responsibility to become the leader in our own individual path of life, and to be in charge of the education and knowledge that we receive. Don’t be a conformist to information that you’re unable to reconcile with your thought process. Never fear questioning the things that you don’t understand and always know that everyone has a story and worn tread on their ‘proverbial shoes’ so until you’ve walked a mile in them…don’t ever judge. It is through these qualities that the foundation of a good leader is born.