Oh, The Things I've Learned So Far

The other day, my doctor prescribed me some medicine and told me that I should get it right away.  The thing is, this medicine is pricey without insurance and my insurance card was still on its way to me, so obviously I did not have a personal insurance card. Well, I was given a temporary insurance card and told that it should work until my personal insurance card arrived in the mail.

            When I got to the pharmacy, they told me that the temporary card wouldn’t work and that I needed to have my own card.  Long story short, the pharmacy ended up only filling half of my prescription and it ended up costing me $72.50. The whole way home, I just kept wondering where the hell I was supposed to learn this stuff. Was it in a class that was hidden away in my college’s course catalog? Where was I supposed to learn these things that everyone expected me to know but no one would teach me?

            I’ve been a part of the Leadership Conference Committee since September and when we were discussing our theme for this year’s conference, these things came up. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one concerned about how we’re supposed to know things that nobody teaches. Turns out, it’s not some magical thing that happens. You don’t just graduate or turn 22 and automatically know how to interview for a career or what “snappy casual” means as a dress code.

            It didn’t take much discussing for us to land on this as our theme. We decided that since nobody else was willing to teach us the things we needed to know, we would take matters into our own hands.  So, if you’re interested in learning about all of these things so you don’t feel like you’re graduating college with no actual knowledge of the things you need to know for the "real world," you should attend our conference.  It’s not magic, but it will be helpful.  At the very least, you’ll have a better idea of how you should and should not dress for a “snappy casual” work event. And no, I’m not making “snappy casual” up. It really does exist.

- Naomi Wallace, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Making a Difference Through Leadership

Throughout our lives, we will be confronted by ethical dilemmas that question our role as leaders.  Our choices throughout these moments will not only define us; our actions will speak louder than our words, sometimes threatening the stability of our moral compass.  Nevertheless, the effect these instances have upon our own personal development does not even remotely come close to the difference we may make in the lives of others simply by offering our help and guidance as they experience adversity.  It is during these times of adversity that acquaintances and strangers seem to most readily ignore and resist confrontation, as demonstrated by the show What Would You Do?  Verbal abuse is then perceived as a private matter, physical fights become too dangerous to intervene, and stereotypical remarks and racial slurs slide by simply for the sake of keeping the peace.  Yet, through silent conformity, the real victims experiencing psychological, physical, and emotional pain fail to be helped.  As leaders, it is crucial that we have enough confidence in our own judgment and enough compassion in our hearts to help others in need.  Undoubtedly, that’s why we’ve chosen the jobs that we currently hold as resident advisors or other student leaders.  Even moreso, this is why we are leaders striving to further educate ourselves as to how to be the best leaders we possibly can – to make a difference in the lives of others and encourage others to do the same.

- Alyssa Reardon, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Transforming into a Leader

Hey Everybody,

A true leader is one that can transform a follower to a leader. As we approach the leadership conference, it is imperative to realize that we cannot avoid being leaders in our lives. What we can avoid, however, is being effective leaders. I doubt if there is anyone who aims to become a mediocre, let alone, poor leader.

The internet is full of articles that define the traits of a good leader. Just type “leadership traits” on any search engine and you will be showered with a plethora of well- articulated articles that define how a leader ought to behave. It therefore seems that we have no reason to have unskilled leaders, at least not in a technologically-savvy world. Lack of information is not an excuse.

So what is the missing link? Given that leaders thrive under the same conditions, with no competition amongst them, what differentiate a fruit-bearing leader from a barren leader?

I believe the ability to transform a leader’s followers into empathic individuals is what separates a successful leader from the rest.  This task has been accomplished once the followers are able to experience the burden and eagerness of the leader, in turn, becoming leaders themselves. As we prepare ourselves for the conference, let us prepare in a way that will enable us to become transformers. Transforming is very closely and strongly intertwined with the application of what we learn. So, regardless of what we acquire from the conference—from the do’s and don’ts to short and long-term goals—let us make it our sole desire to make them an integral part of our lives.

- Geoffrey Rugarabamu, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Leadership Conference Connections

As a conference co-chair I am wrapped up in the big picture and small details all at the same time. However, there are moments when that is put aside and I can focus on what the conference can bring.  There was one such moment last week when my friend and former co-worker called me with a question.  Immediately I was transformed, I had a chance to connect with a friend and professional in the field.  We chatted about the conference but then quickly turned to playing catch up, talked about the holidays, recent snow storms and mutual friends that we’d had contact with. 

The friendship I have with her started many years ago when our work overlapped for two years at the same institution.  The relationship started like many others you might have, as professional.  She was a hall director with me and we needed to rely on each other for duty issues, programming questions, student follow-up, and consistency.  As an RA I am sure this sounds very familiar, you rely on your staff members for many of the same things. 

But as the semester and year went on we began to develop a stronger relationship, learning each other’s goals, pushing each other to achieve them, listening when the other had a bad day, offering to cover duty and not ask for the same in return.  This is when you know you have a solid team, when you are connected to the whole person and looking to make sure that everyone is taken care of, not just yourself.  It is this connection that will make sure your friendship lasts even when you are no longer working at the same school or even in the same state.

I want each of you to take a look at your fellow staff members, either in your building or as a whole.  Who have you connected with?  Are their friendships that can be strengthened?  What do you know about your floor partner or senior staff member aside from their year, major and that they are a student leader?  Take the chance to learn more.  That connection will bring you closer together and will help to ensure a friendship past your time on staff together.  You never know when you’ll get a phone call to reconnect and end up taking a stroll down memory lane.

You may be wondering how the call ended with my friend, we have tentative plans for the Sunday after the conference for lunch and shopping in NYC. 

- Michelle Eichengreen, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee Co-Chair

Leadership Tools for Life

"Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margret Mead

Congratulations. The day you became an RA or a leader in your community you were chosen to be a member of this small group of people capable to change the world.  Whether we want it or not we have the ability to influence those around us in a positive way.  This year’s leadership conference is organized around the theme of "packing your leadership suitcase" and our goal is for everyone who attends to leave with the tools necessary for this journey.  When I became an RA I knew that I would now be responsible for a small group of students living in my building.  Not only would I be there for them as an ally but as a positive role model.  These students look to me for support and leadership.

When we leave college, we take with us the leadership skills that we have learned while at school and we can apply them to our every day lives as well as our careers.  In the business world, it is important to know the tools needed to take charge and help others.  During the conference, we want you to learn and grow as a leader and gain the tools needed to help us in the “real world”.  We hope you will be able to apply information such as resume building or how to conduct yourself on a job interview. There will also be opportunities for you to see how others act as a leader in their community. 

While doing research for this blog, I found some ways that anyone of us could become leaders.  I found five characteristics that every good leader has and I wanted to share them with you:

1) The first characteristic that any leader needs to have is the ability to plan.  Leadership means you are able to identify a problem and then work toward solving it before it becomes a crisis.

2) The second characteristic a good leader posse’s is vision.  Without a vision you wont have direction and with direction it is hard to accomplish anything.

3) Once a leader has captured a vision they must share that vision with others.  Being a good leader means working with others and by sharing with others your vision can grow.

4) A leader is not afraid to take charge.  You must be able to make a decision and stick with it.  Be confident with your decisions and work toward a goal.

5) Finally a leader inspires others by being an example that we can look up to.  Leadership is defined by action and by acting like a leader you will be able to inspire others.

Once you have gained these important tools you can begin to grow as a person and utilize them in your own lives.  On February 19^th you all will have the opportunity to grow as a leader.  We look forward to you all attending and I hope you have enjoyed this blog.

-Elizabeth Terlizzi, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

What I've Learned About Being a Leader

Here are some tips that I’ve learned about being a leader that I would like to share with you. Sometimes being a leader is more than meets the eye. It takes skill and patience to be a leader when working in a group. You have to learn to listen to people and be able to listen to opinions that may differ from your own. An important characteristic of being a leader is just to be able to humble yourself to the idea that you may not always be right or have the most practical and/or appropriate solution to a problem. A true leader offers his/her ideas in addition to those ideas of others and treats each idea equally, careful not to impose their idea onto others. A leader should be able to work his or her way up to gain the respect and trust that is needed from his/her peers. This is when I experience true leadership.

Each person has their own leadership style and timing. This past weekend, I went for an intensive ballroom dancing class and we talked a lot about leading and following and the respective roles. These ideas can be used for leadership training as well. Sometimes when you are leading people, you have to not only be able to lead, but also be able to follow the lead of others. Although sometimes it can be difficult for a leader to follow the lead of others, this is another instance where the leader must humble themselves and allow someone else to take the lead. Sometimes in order to be a great leader, you have to be able to follow someone else’s leadership to achieve the best solution. This applies as much to leading groups of people as it does to ballroom dancing.

One of my favorite quotes by George van Valkenburg states: “Leadership is doing what is right when no one is watching.” Many times to be a great leader, you have to do things when no one is looking. Doing this sets the standard for everybody else who is watching. It takes time and practice to work at the skill. It also takes patience hard work and a bit of a funny bone to laugh off the silly things. I think it is important to have a good sense of humor when working with other people. But just because you have a sense of humor doesn’t mean that you don’t take things seriously. A true leader is able to differentiate the difference between what is serious and what is funny. Humor helps to keep things in perspective, doesn’t allow you to get too uptight and allows you to really focus on what is the real objective. During the time of your leadership, you’ll gain not only valuable lessons that will help you in future positions, but also friendships and relationships that you will want to keep long term.

No one said that being a leader would be easy, but just remember it takes time, patience and trust to develop good relationships with those who you are working with. I hope you enjoy this blog and I am looking forward to seeing you at the leadership conference in February!

- Isabel Iparraguirre, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee

Why Focus on Leadership?

Leadership consists of influencing others with the intention of achieving a goal. Leadership has been studied for years because of the importance of the role of leaders. Because we live in functional societies, there will always be at least one person that will become a leader in that society. In my opinion, leaders can be born and can also be made. Some people are just born with a magnetic personality that attracts others to follow them, but having this personality is not always enough. It has to be shaped to agree with the circumstances. For this reason, leaders can also be made. There are different theories that provide different approaches to the study of leadership. Some of these theories are the Trait Theory of Leadership and the Process Theory of Leadership (as pictured at right).



Trait Theory of Leadership (left) and Process Theory of Leadership (right)



The Trait Theory explains that leaders have traits that make them appealing to others such as intelligence, charisma, and extroversion. The Process Theory explains that it is the interaction between the leader and the followers, which is in turn observed by others, that makes a person a leader. This theory is in accord with the idea that leaders are made from the situations. Communication is key. This is true both for verbal and non verbal communication. If the followers feel that the leader genuinely cares about them, they will be more inclined to work harder to achieve the goal. Also if they feel that their leader is trying to push them to achieve the goal, but knowing their limitations and without making them have to do something they cannot do with their current set of knowledge and skills, they will also try to fulfill their task. 

The workplace is greatly influenced by the capacity of its leaders. If the manager is a true leader and not just a boss, then there will be an inspiring environment and people will want to excel and improve. The concept of leadership is a key element of any successful organization. For this reason there are hundreds of leadership trainings and conferences, such as this one, taking place throughout the year. The Manhattanville College Annual Leadership Conference will take a practical approach to leadership in the way of giving participants the tools to succeed in the workplace and in life after graduation. We hope you will join us on Saturday, February 19th for a great day learning about leadership.

- Anna Gabriela Batlle Reyes, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee