Leadership Roles in Campus Activities

Servant leadership is a personal philosophy that describes how one can manage with love at the core of relationships, with respect in the center of communication, and with compassion as a guiding principle. It describes leadership as serving others, so they can be empowered, acknowledged and appreciated. Servant leadership is a way of being that brings deeper meaning to the activities of the leader while nurturing those being led. There is a sense of sprituality in servant leadership, too; not a Bible-thumping approach, but how the leader’s personal spirituality plays itself out in daily life.

Autry begins by describing “five ways of being” for servant leaders. This simple list is below, along with my interpretation of what they mean:

Be Authentic - be real, at all times
Be Vulnerable - share your genuine feelings
Be Accepting - welcome diversity of thought
Be Present - be in the moment
Be Useful - be a resource for others in service to them

The core of servant leadership is love. I would guess that word doesn’t come up in too many “management” classes. However, it comes up all the time in the leadership classes, along with words like empowerment, teamwork, forgiveness, encouragement, caring and compassion. One of my favorite things about being in the leadership program is the focus on the humanity of leadership. Our most important resource in any group or at any company is the people. Leadership of those people is a calling. Doing it well is a blessing, to both the people and the leader.

With the heart of a servant leader, who can we serve today?

College Student Depression and Suicide

John McCain lost the Election. My prediction was accurate, as McCain was trailing significantly in many of the major polls up until votes were cast. I did not predict it would be this huge of a margin. In fact, I thought it would be headed to a recount. McCain ran a vigorous campaign, but it just was not enough at the end of the day.

Congratulations to the Obama campaign for their hard fought win! I mean I am not celebrating. Quite frankly, I am pretty depressed at this point.

Right now, I am concerned about the threats to our liberties now with President-elect Barack Obama. I mean, after all, he will be trying to limit our freedom of speech (fairness doctrine), he will take away our guns, our taxes will skyrocket (only to “balance the budget”), and prepare yourself for massive (and I mean, massive) earmarks in our budgets. Let us not forget, Obama will pull us out of Iraq and we will just talk about our foreign policy problems (and much ado about nothing). The hypocrisy of hope has won, and now, we are DOOMED! Welcome to the Dictatorship!

Another important part of my post is a comment that I have been making repeatedly tonight to family and friends. Tonight marks the re-birth of the Republican party. We have been punished again by Americans, who have witnessed how we have strayed from our core principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. We need to remain true to the conservative, common sense principles our party has stood for in the past. We have strayed, and it is time to return. As a party, we need to come together and unite as one under these principles. (Note: I will begin to blog about this tomorrow or later this weekend.)

I am also worried about our future, our prosperity, our economy (jobs will be getting harder and harder to find…thanks to Obama) and our peace of mind (a.k.a. security). My future children and grandchildren might not experience the liberties and freedoms that I cherish. We might end up in a dictatorship. Who knows? Maybe, something positive will happen out of this. I guess I am being pessimistic, maybe a little ticked off, maybe emotional, or maybe a tad sleep deprived. I am left to wonder what’s next in this saga.

Getting your First Internship

Finding an academic internship in college can be a worthwhile experience that can not only help your college career, but it can help you get a job in your chosen field once you graduate. If you are currently looking for an academic internship, here are some helpful tips to remember when looking.

Meet with your college counselor and complete the appropriate forms needed for an academic internship. Your counselor will probably have a list of companies that students can apply to for academic internships. Do not limit your options to only those listed.

Search the Internet for possible internship openings that you would be interested in. Ask your counselor, parents and professors for any recommendations. Look outside of your college area for summer internships.

Set up interviews with prospective internship employers when they are visiting your campus.

Research the company and write a resume before interviewing. Use this face-to-face meeting to get a better sense of the company and job duties, and show off your qualifications.

Work with a counselor or faculty sponsor to evaluate what academic components are needed in order to receive college credit for your internship. You may need to complete a final paper or mid-term evaluation to receive college credit.

Attend any pre-internship meetings that your university or employer recommends. If you are unable to attend, make sure they know why.