Sorry it has been a while since my last post. With my senior year at CMU kicking off, I've been busy getting things on track. In addition to working on my honors senior capstone project and my leadership internship, I've been serving as president of CMU PRSSA (among other commitments).
One of the things I've learned through my leadership minor and experience is not to be afraid to let others lead. George S. Patton once said, "Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."
I really like this quote because it exemplifies the concept of delegation and the type of leadership philosophy I try to exemplify. I really am not a fan of micro-managing because I know I personally love having a little creative freedom.
I also think it is extremely important to demonstrate appreciation and value for the work of others. If you assign someone a task and you don't exactly like the results, don't just re-do it yourself. Go over it with the person and talk about your concerns so they can learn and improve upon the project while maintaining ownership of it. Similarly, if you ask for the input and opinions of others, don't just let them speak and then ignore what they said. Listen to their thoughts and give each serious consideration before making a final decision.
As president this year, I'm really hoping to shake things up a bit and get out of the mindset of "this is how it's been done in the past." I want to try new things and take our chapter to the next level.
So far, I've tried to just put my faith and encouragement into my executive board members and give them the tools they need to get their jobs done. I've been pretty pleased with the dedication and efforts the executive board has put forth thus far and I'm really excited to see where things will take us in the future...
Has anyone ever surprised you with their results? Do you have any tips for effective team leadership?
Good insights Angela! I agree mostly, especially about not micro-managing the tasks that need to be done. As leaders of an organization we have to remember that to keep things going, new people have to learn how to do the things we do, because soon we'll be gone. I will admit though, when there is a deadline, sometimes I will step in and "just do it myself" but that's rare.
ReplyDeleteLast year as VP, I was constantly surprised by our Firm Director, now President Amanda. Ideas I completely would have shot down, she embraced and made work and that inclusiveness really brought a team feel to our firm.
Thanks Evan! That's a great point about helping students become the future leaders of the organization. It's important to work together to provide a smooth transition when dealing with new leadership.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the input!