Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Leaders Care


"If you don't care, why should they?"—Jacquelynne Reaves
"If you don't like something, change it.  If you can't change it, change your attitude."—Maya Angelou


These two quotes, in my mind go together, and even though they don’t have the word leadership in them, I believe they show both sides of a leader.  For example, a leader should care about what they do or else how are others supposed to follow them by caring for the same thing?  Also a leader should also have the courage to change something they don’t like or have a different attitude towards something they can’t change.  A leader, in my opinion, should also be a follower as well as a leader.

When I work at the shelter, Tracy—the shift leader, lets us know what needs to be done and then she, herself, goes about helping with another part of the shelter.  She is a very understanding person and cares about the animals around her, so in my opinion she is following Reaves’ quote because I can tell she cares, so it’s easier for me to care about and for the animals.  Considering I’m an animal person, seeing someone with the same amount of, if not more, affection towards the animals as I do that helps me want to come in every time.

An accomplishment I've had, though not big, is being about to help direct some of the new volunteers that come in because I am one of the regular volunteers on my day other than two other people.  Also another accomplishment for me is not to walk out every week with a cat or dog in my arms, though it is very tempting.  It may be a silly accomplishment, but being an animal person, it is hard—especially since there is a puppy there I want to take home with me every week.


~~Deidre R. Hardy~~
                   John 15:5

Monday, November 19, 2012

Puppies & Kittens = the keys to happiness

"I am reminded how hollow the label of leadership sometimes is and how heroic fellowship can be." - Warren Bennis

After a while of trying to find a quote that I liked, this one stuck with me for some reason. Something about it just seems to make sense to me, more than a lot of the quotes about the "definition" of a leader, some of which I did not really agree with. This quote also makes me think of my experiences at the CARE Animal Shelter over this past semester.

When I work at the shelter, there is always one shift leader who is working, myself, and three other volunteers. However, I've noticed that the shift leader, Michael, doesn't boss us around or demand that we do things he says. Neither do any of the other volunteers, all of whom are older than me and who have been volunteering for much longer than I have. Instead, the five of us work together to take care of the business that needs attending to - we take the dogs for their afternoon walks and take turns cleaning the kennels while they are out. Everyone comes together for the greater purpose to accomplish what needs to be done, and besides, the animals don't care who has what "title". They just need to be taken care of.

My personal accomplishment for the semester is not one that is measurable, but it is still real to me. I've learned, when I go to the shelter, to forget about the concerns in my life for two hours and focus on the needs of others - the animals. It is easy to get caught up in the stresses of college, how busy I am, how many things I need to get done. When I am at the shelter, I have somewhere else to put my energy - and no matter how I feel when I get there, I always leave feeling great and re-energized. So for me, this itself has been a big personal accomplishment.

Cathy Robinson

The Little Things Count



“I think leadership comes from integrity – that you do whatever you ask others to do. I think there are non-obvious ways to lead. Just by providing a good example as a parent, a friend, a neighbor makes it possible for other people to see better ways to do things. Leadership does not need to be a dramatic, fist in the air and trumpets blaring, activity.” - Scott Berkun
This is my favorite leadership quote because of how well it applies to me and my style of leadership.  I am not always a take charge kind of leader, but more of a follower.  However, I love this quote because it shows that leadership does not just apply to those who step and take charge in situations, but those that contribute in small and everyday ways.  Being a friend, someone who listens and cares, and setting a good example in everyday life are all great examples of showing leadership, and they don’t have to be over dramatic and big.  I also like how the quote emphasizes integrity because I think having the integrity to be who you are and to stick to your moral and ethical values in any situation is important.  College has made me question who I am and what I believe, but I am glad that I have had the experiences I have had because I would not have grown without them.
One thing I would say I have accomplished this semester on my Summit Project would be learning how to be a better and more effective leader in the way I described above.  When volunteering at the animal shelter, there is not a need for a take charge leader.  Instead, they need volunteers who can help out with everyday tasks such as feeding the cats and dogs, cleaning cages, walking the dogs, and other small tasks.  Doing these everyday tasks at times may be tedious, but they contribute to making the entire focus of the organization possible; making sure that the animals are cared for and that they are eventually placed in good and loving homes.  Through volunteering at the animal shelter, I have been able to expand and grow in my leadership abilities and help out with a great cause, and I hope to continually grow and learn in the coming semester.
-Caitlin Lauer

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Walking the Fine Line


There is such a fine line between leadership and management and it takes time to learn and be able to distinguish between the two. I consider myself to be a good leader and will admit that there are many times where I find myself questioning this very concept. This quote is one of my favorites because so many individuals want to be a leader but so many of them think that leading is carried out by taking control and “telling others how to climb the ladder.” The best leaders are the ones who approach an opportunity, help give the input how to do a task, and then help others in accomplishing something that holds meaning for them. I great leader can be ‘great’ just by validating what another individual is doing; it does not necessarily take the action of physically doing the task for others. Leadership is full of cooperation, creative thinking, confidence, flexibility, and the ability to know when enough is enough. Without these qualities it is rather hard to oneself, let alone others.
Personally, I take pride in my ability to manage my time and contribute to many things. I may not be able to always be the ‘leader’ but that is fine with me. I take so much enjoyment from being involved in numerous things and if was trying to ‘lead’ all of those activities I would not succeed and would be forced to give some of them up. This goes back to knowing when enough is enough. A good leader needs to be able to decipher when their leadership is needed and when it is most appropriate to let others take the lead. I am a double major with three jobs. Needless to say, time is a little short in my book. By taking leadership in some of the things I do and letting the leadership go to someone else in other things I am able to maintain a doable schedule and still have time to volunteer. I have a passion for everything I do and I owe my ability to do all of these things to my specific leadership qualities.

Kay Honeycutt