:)

This week I taught myself in leadership by accident. So I kind of slacked off on my responsibilities, and it caught up with me. Moral of the story, never again. I am determined to always be prepared and ready and actually do the things that I am supposed to.
I am sad I had to miss class this week. Being sick didn't add to my drive to uphold responsibility.
I think as a leader I need to set higher goals for myself this up coming semester. Goals for me drive me to a level I previously thought unachievable, so I think I need to start that habit again.
:)

Update

This week our Relief Society had our huge semester enrichment meeting. Organizing and setting into motion something like this takes a lot of planning and thought. I was kind of worried about this event cause the Stake Relief Society presidency was going to be there, and I wasn't an integral part of the planning process. I think from this whole event I learned that it is vitally important that communication between committees is good. I am sorry this is sooo short but my sister just got here, and I am going! Congratulations Justin!

Week #?

Well this week in my leadership role we had to organize a fairly large enrichment activity. I think I learned a lesson in organization, responsibility, and communication. It ended up okay, but poor communication and the lack of a back up plan greatly decreased our effectiveness and greatly increased our stress. Getting items for pie making for seventy girls, and trying to organize that is a difficult task.
Last week socially I became a leader when I was the orator for our large game of live action mafia. It was hard to keep everything in order, and I had to demand attention in a way, and try and keep things moving. Sam was there, and he was also an orator, so he can attest to the fact that it was a challenge. It was kind of chaotic and insane, but the game was successful. :)
p.s. I really liked the lecture that was on Monday. :)

Week Update

Last Sunday I got the opportunity to develop myself as a teacher and a leader. I had to teach Relief Society, and of course, the Stake Relief Society president had to show us for my lesson. Ugghh. I had to prepare myself spiritually and mentally in order to be truly able to teach. Our topic we picked was that you are never alone. I learned so much and hopefully I was able to transfer some of that knowledge to the sisters. This week I also finished my leadership book, Leadership and Self-Deception. I loved it! You will be able to hear more of my thoughts about it on Wednesday. I apologize for the shortness of the blog. It's all I have time for today!

:) Handling Crisis

I am sooo glad that I remembered this! I hope everyone else does cause I really want those cookies. ;) And it is soooo true that if I don't do it Thursdays I forget!
This week in my leadership role I have had to learn how to handle crisis situations. I will leave out the details, but as a leader I needed to be a source of comfort and assistance for this individual. It's kind of intimidating, me being a peer who really doesn't know what to do especially in situations like the one I was put in. I just went by the Spirit, and tried to help her in the limited ways I could. I wanted to just take away all of her pain and struggle, but that is not the way it's meant to be. I had to let her deal with it on her own, and just be a source of support. It's very humbling, and provides a chance to turn to the Lord when you can't do things yourself.
Happy Halloween :)

I hope we get cookies. ;)

This week with my leadership role I am still trying to get everything running smoothly. Organizations are meeting and planning, and things are finally starting to pick up, but there is still work to do. For most of us this is the first time really being a part of Relief Society so we are not exactly sure what to do. I am grateful they have no one to really compare me to. It’s kind of a challenge being in this position. Obviously when there are questions they come to me, and I still am unsure with everything. I just have to rely on the Spirit, and really keep in touch with my Bishop.
This week I tried to show more positivity and compassion. I guess you could say I tried to be a fire starter. At enrichment or when I just see the women in my ward I try to ask what’s going on in their lives, and make them feel like they belong and are loved. I tried to keep a sunny outlook on life, and also refrain from saying anything negative about another sister in the ward. I tried my hardest, but can always do better.

Week Quattro

This week as a leader I didn’t set any new goals. I am still trying to figure out what exactly is the best way to befriend the girls. I have just been supportive, and a friend. I sometimes feel as if I am not really doing anything. I just take confidence in that fact that I am not alone. I just have to try my hardest and be in tune with Spirit, and the Lord will take care of the rest.
A random thing that happened this week that I think counts as a leadership experience. It doesn’t have to do with my leadership role as Relief Society President, but it’s kind of funny. So there is this bench in Heritage Halls where there is an electric current running through it. If there is water on the bench and next to the bench and you stand in it bare foot and shake someone’s hand that is on the bench your hand vibrates with an electric current running through your arm. Well after I was shown this I influenced people doing this probably not so good for you activity. Sam was there, and we used our leadership skills to make others electrocute themselves. :)

Myers Briggs Test

I was a type ENFP. I think the test nailed my personality pretty well. I wasn’t too surprised by the results. It didn’t give me any extreme new insights. I wasn’t like wow, I had no idea. It just reaffirmed my attributes. I am a very outgoing, thoughtful, feeling, compassionate person. I take energy from others, and I enjoy helping others. I am very spontaneous and like loose structure over rigid oversight. All of this is nice to have told to me again, but I knew it. It also just reaffirmed my future career choice of a marriage and family therapist.
I think what this means for me as a leader is that I need to be in a very people focused environment. I will lead the best in a place where there isn’t a set routine, and you live in the moment, day by day. Because of my personality I believe I have the responsibility to lead. I am very aware of other people and their needs, and I have the ability to help them. My personality is what allows me to understand others. I have a great ability to figure out the motives and needs of others.
Now I am going to switch over from my personality test to the strength of my classmates. Josh is great at leading by example. He always tells stories and has comments that help teach me important lessons in leadership. Tim has a strength that is willingness. He is always willing to comment and participate in discussions. I think this is very important so we all can see different points of view to better ourselves. Shayna has the strength of trustworthiness. When we worked on our group presentation and the tasks were delegated, I knew I could rely on her to hold up her end of the bargain. As a shout out to Sam, he is very physically strong…I mean just look at his muscles. ;) p.s. he told me to say that… :)

Week Trois

This week as a leader I again am working on getting to know the 121 girls in the ward! I really feel it is important that I learn to know their names and a little bit about them. It’s taking me such a long time, but it is worth it. As I get to know and appreciate each one of these girls the love I have for them grows in such a way I never thought possible. I just found out that they are splitting my ward into 2 relief societies for the winter semester. It’s kind of strange, but I feel heart broken in a way. I truly love and have an interest in their lives, and sooner than I would like some of these girls are going to be taken away from me. L I do think love as a leader is a key to success, especially in my case. If I want to lead these girls, and help the progress spiritually, I need to be full of charity.
This week also started a completely new phase for me as Relief Society President. All of the callings have been given and accepted, and all of the work has been delegated away. I have been so busy and spending all my time on RS stuff, that now I don’t really know what to do. I definitely have more time, but now I truly have to figure out what it means to be Relief Society President. Maybe that is what my goal will be for next week, actually figuring out what I am supposed to be doing.

Trait Development Week 2

This week I developed my role as Relief Society President in two ways. In one way I tried to be more of a friend to the girls. I think me being a friend to these girls is one of the most important responsibilities as a Relief Society President. At enrichment I tried my hardest to remember their names and talk to them. When I see them on campus or around the dorms I try to say hello and ask them how they are doing. I think I did okay on befriending them. It was a busy week, so I didn’t devote as much time as I would have hoped, but I can’t change the past so I might as well look on the positives.
Another goal of mine for this week was to be more spiritual so that I will be prompted on how to best serve these girls. I think this is the number one thing I could be doing right now. I still don’t know most of them very well, so I need the Spirit as a guide on how to do my calling. I think I did okay on this. I think what I learned this week on the subject of spirituality is that it has to come first. It can’t come second to other wants or feelings. Hopefully I am learning more control in the way of spiritual matters, but if I were to be honest I feel as if I regressed this week spiritually. There is always next week though.

Trait Development Week 1

This week one of the traits I have developed is interest. I worked on learning the names of the girls, and trying to get a feel of where they are from and who they are. I wanted to let them know I was interested in their lives. I think showing interest in the lives of those whom you serve is extremely important. I think for me and my role as Relief Society president it may be even more important. I am not supposed just lead, but help these women in a spiritual journey. I am supposed to help them, and be their friend, and the only way I can do that is by getting to know them.
Another trait I tried to develop this week is organization. Everything has been so crazy and chaotic since we have to start from ground zero. I have been working harder at keeping a central list of callings, and not surprisingly, this week was better than it could have been. Organization is a key to being a leader. You can’t lead if you don’t know what you are supposed to be doing, and what resources you have.

Defining My Leadership Role

My leadership role has been defined for me in a way. I was recently called to be the Relief Society president. You asked us to answer the question why, and as of this moment I have absolutely no idea why I was called, but I was, and I will magnify this calling to the best of my ability.
Right now in this position I am at square one. I have a very small idea of my responsibilities and obligations. I haven’t really begun on this journey as Relief Society President. I can tell you where I want to be though. I want to get to the point where I feel like I know what I am doing. Most importantly I want to get to the point where others can rely on me and come to me. I want the women in my ward to feel comfortable enough and welcome enough to come to me with their thoughts, problems, and ideas. I also want to become their friend.

Interview

I decided to interview Pamela Coburn, who is the head of the School of Fitness and Health Services at Davis High School. She teaches AP Psychology at Davis High, and has been doing so for 31 years. The qualities she possesses that make her a leader are her ability to make one feel included and worth something, her ability to listen and understand, and her ability to inspire. When I asked her what qualities she thought a leader should posses, she gave me a very insightful answer. She said a leader should first be humble so they can listen to others. They also need to be skeptical enough to know what the right thing to do is, and they need to be curious enough to find the right way to do something.
I also asked her how she considers herself a leader. She gave me this example: in the absence of guidance within a group, and when no one will step up to the plate and lead, she will. This teaches me that a leader is willing to accept responsibility and is confident in their abilities. I consider her a leader because of her passion in the areas she leads in. Her example has taught me this. She has also indirectly taught me that a leader needs to inspire confidence in a follower, to inspire them to try their hardest, and make them believe that they can accomplish anything.
In my interview with Pamela I asked her what she thinks the responsibilities of a leader are. She said to be engaged at all times, to be able to handle most types of situations, and to be able to deal when people you rely on fall through. I really take this guidance to heart. Through this interview, and my experience with her she has taught me that to be an influence for good, and an exemplary leader one must be strong, passionate, and truly caring in all situation involving responsibility.