Engaged. Empowered. Included.

When this assignment asked me to describe an experience in which I was not a "designated leader" but still felt engaged, empowered, and included, nothing came to mind very quickly. To be honest, I couldn't even recall many times when I had not been in a designated leadership role, most likely because I put less stock into these types of experiences (although I've certainly altered that way of thinking as I've aged so gracefully). I considered writing about my first couple years in high school sports or my "new member period" as a freshman in Tau Kappa Epsilon, but I ultimately decided to share my experience as a member of my high school's Leadership Retreat Planning Committee:

At the end of my Junior year, I was one of 40 students who applied for a spot on the nine-person Planning Committee for the Theodore Roosevelt High School Leadership Retreat. This three-day retreat, which was very similar to LeaderShape (for those of you that have experienced it), provided an opportunity for over 100 diverse students to uncover their unique leadership potential with the ultimate goal of inspiring positive change in the school and community. When the selections for the Planning Committee were announced, many of us were surprised by the choices. A number of the selected members did not fall under the category of a stereotypical leader.While I was THRILLED to have been chosen, I was also extremely nervous to see how the process would turn out because we all had our own individual styles of leadership. I had my fair share of questions and doubts but decided that all I could do was dive into the process with a positive attitude and have faith in those around me.

Now you may be saying to yourself, "hey, this sounds an awful lot like being a designated leader." Trust me, a group of nine people all trying to be "designated leaders" is a disaster waiting to happen, so we had to adapt. We had to learn how to work together, how to listen rather than talk, when to lead, when to follow, and how to utilize all of our diverse backgrounds and thought processes in effective ways. We had two advisors throughout the planning process that could be considered positional leaders, but they were committed to facilitating our independence, growth, and failure through minimal intervention.  During our time as a Planning Committee we became a close-knit, connected group of best friends. Our ability to experience the positive emotions of engagement, empowerment, and inclusion stemmed from the fact that we were united by one goal: a commitment to make this leadership retreat as meaningful and enjoyable as possible. If we had not shared this common thread of passion, I truly believe that our experience and the retreat would have been significantly less impactful.

Reflecting back on what turned out to be an incredibly successful retreat, I know I was impacted by this experience in many ways. I learned that there are countless styles of leadership that, when brought together, can compliment each other and be effective in unique ways. I gained a better understanding of the importance of diverse perspectives and a new outlook on the potential leaders among us. My most important realization during this process, however, was to never make assumptions about unfamiliar people, their leadership styles, or their potential to accomplish great feats. 

 The nine members of "PC" are standing in the front with our "assistants" on our backs :)