"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
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