From My Point of View.

Leadership

There are a few important qualities that any leader must possess to be successful. The first quality is adaptability; situations arise quickly, and the team will look to you for answers. The ability to think on your feet is essential to demonstrate confidence under pressure. Another quality of a leader is the ability to delegate effectively. Determining how to use a team member’s strengths and then providing the guidance will help ensure that a task is completed in the right way. As Fitness Club President, I developed our overall plan for Fall semester and then provided a template for each Board member to build the details in each of their areas of responsibility (e.g., philanthropy, social calendar).
My approach to team motivation is create an environment with incentives and rewards. Team members want to be recognized and appreciated for the effort they put into a task, and rightfully so. As Fitness Club President, I introduced team dinners following certain periods of hard work. For example, my Executive Board put in significant effort to deliver a successful recruitment week for our club. Following this activity, I chaired our next meeting over a nice dinner to further to celebrate the milestone that we accomplished.

My approach to team motivation is create an environment that rewards each member when we succeed together. Team members want to be recognized and appreciated for the effort they put into a task, and rightfully so. As Fitness Club President, I introduced team dinners following certain periods of hard work. For example, my Executive Board put in significant effort to deliver a successful recruitment week for our club. Following this activity, I chaired our next meeting over a nice dinner to further to celebrate the milestone that we accomplished.
Accountability starts at the top, so I always seek to lead by example. I hold myself to a high standard by following through on the commitments that I make to the team. To keep myself and my Fitness Club Executive Team accountable, I ensured that clear expectations were set from the beginning and created roadmaps for all of our projects, so each team member knew what was expected to make their area a success. I used regular weekly meetings as a time for team members to voice concerns and offer opinions. By listening to their feedback, I have been able to create a strong team that is poised to take on the next challenge.

Leading a two hundred-person organization has been both rewarding and challenging. I have the drive and energy to get things done on my own, but I also recognize that there are times to ask for some help. Over the past year, I am taking a step back and making the extra effort to collaborate and place trust in others to help reach a common goal. By doing this, I found that I have more time to focus on things that matter (e.g., sponsorships, marketing).
Mentorship throughout my first year will be very important to me as well as developing a sense of community and strong bond with my fellow team members. During my first year as a Student Ambassador, I had to complete a thorough onboarding process to learn information about the school, and then to eventually become a full representative of JMU to prospective parents and students. Throughout the process, thus organization provided me with a specific mentor that stayed with me all three years as a resource. I appreciated how this organization hosted many events to get me acclimated to my fellow ambassadors and faculty. During my ReachMD/USHealthConnect internship, I was mentored by the ReachMD President who taught me the solution sales cycle. He then had me spend time with each team in the organization to gain critical understanding of their function, and how they contribute to the larger company goals. The effort to get me connected with various leaders made for an impactful internship.