Key Event #1: Soul Food

When thinking back on my college experience, the first key event that comes to mind that helped shape my understanding of leadership would be my small group during freshman year. The two girls who lead that group showed me each week great aspects of leadership. There was a specific week where a lot of stuff had changed in my life in such a short amount of time and they were the first ones to make sure I was okay and helped me through such a difficult time. They saw the type of leading I needed at specific moments and effectively led me in ways that I didn’t even realize I needed guidance in. They were willing to share their own experience in a manner that allowed me to recognize that I was not alone in my situation and to reassure me that I could talk to them about anything. While these girls were extremely strong and encouraging leaders, they were also very ready to be open and vulnerable with me which created a leader-follower bond that I had never experienced before. These two leaders really influenced the way that I now lead that same group, 3 years later. I was so influenced by the way that they cared for me and the other girls in our small group that I wanted to be able to do the same when I stepped into leadership during my sophomore year. I made it a priority to be readily available for the people in my group so that I might have the same influence on them. In the future, I hope to carry this into the workplace or wherever else I go. I want to be the type of person that people feel comfortable coming to in times of trouble, but I also want to be respected as a leader. I think that is one of the most important aspects of leadership, being an efficient leader and also being a friend when one needs it. Without my friends and leaders during my freshman year of college, I would not have the outlook on leadership that I do currently.