I am honored to share this space with Lauren Fry, the past president of the University of Houston Chapter of IABC. Lauren and her board were instrumental in not only establishing an IABC presence on the campus this year, but generating an excitement about the organization that has led to 20 students signing on as members and eager volunteers. I wish you all the best Lauren and look forward to working with you as you transition from student to graduate and join the workforce.
In April, when I became the first president of the IABC-UH Chapter, my first thought was “this will be great on my resume!” Little did I know, the great responsibility I would have and the wisdom I would take away from this adventure.
The first few months of my presidency were a little slow, and I was testing the waters of what it meant to be the president. At summer’s end, we planned to get things kicked off and ready to roll for the semester. Well, I soon learned that getting everyone to agree to a retreat time and place was a difficult task. I realized that I wasn’t the only one with a full plate. I was working with a group of my peers, who were just as busy as I was. Whether it was going on a last minute vacation before school started, working on personal crises or having to work last minute—I realized how flexible I needed to be. This was my first of many lessons I would learn in the next 5 months.
Our biggest event for the semester was our “UH Media Homecoming” meeting. We invited professionals from different media outlets, all of which had graduated from UH, to come and speak on a panel. For this meeting, I was the moderator. My job was to ask the panel questions and attempt to keep the meeting running smoothly. My goal was to get as much valuable information out of the panel as I could for the audience full of eager students. This was a huge success for us. The most valuable thing I gained from this meeting was confidence in my ability to handle a meeting “on my feet”- so to speak.
After the meeting, our faculty advisor, Mike Emery, sent me four emails that he had received from his colleagues telling them what an excellent job the moderator did. I had no idea how many people were paying attention to the job I was doing. I was so proud of the organization, and myself. That was another lesson I learned, just have confidence in yourself and your organization that you represent, and everything will fall into place.
I have mentioned a couple of lessons that I have learned while being the president, but the most valuable thing I am taking away from this organization is my growth as a leader. I believe that Jesse Jackson described leadership the best when he said, “Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving.”
I once heard someone describe the difference between a manager and a leader. A manager can tell someone to do something, and a leader inspires someone to do something.
Have I figured out how to be a great leader? No. I have figured out that being the president has helped me grow as a leader. That growth is more than I could have ever asked for from this experience. A leader does what needs to be done even when no one else steps up, and even if no one else is watching.
As I am nearing graduation, I know that I can graduate with confidence that I have learned a very important life lesson while being the president of IABC-UH Chapter. The characteristic of leadership is a quality I will be taking into the real world, and that, I believe, sets me apart.
I would like to thank the IABC-UH Chapter, and I wish it all the best. Now, I look forward to enhancing my skills and my professional growth as a member of the IABC Houston Chapter.
Posted by iabchouston2008 