belated, bulging update w/various thoughts- today's topic: thoughts on leadership and other various stuff

Salut mes amis!
I guess that fabulous Thanksgiving break update didnt exactly happen..... I'm pretty sure it was the most productive and busy holiday/student break i've ever had. I finished a paper, prepared a presentation, completed alot of research, etc. I hardly had time to do some extra work hours in the Museum, which you'd think i'd have w/o classes in session for an entire week. See, this is graduate school: even though you dont have classes doesnt mean a whole lot for how busy you are; you find ways to fill the gaps very easily......like all those things you're behind on or plan on BECAUSE you arent having classes. *whew. at least i made it through the week and the following one, too.
As for Turkey- very little was had. I went over to another grad student's house the friday before Thanksgiving to her lil pre-thanksgiving party and before many ppl took off for the week. We had the full turkey spread- mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, etc. That was my Thanksgiving that night, and it was fabulous. Later in the week actually on Thanksgiving, Nate and I ate leftover lentil soup....! Ha! Oh well. We didnt really care cuz we weren't goin back to MN for the weekend and weren't about to cook an entire turkey for ourselves, so we were perfectly happy to eat Nate's home-cookin and watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It was just perfect for us. It was even a lil cold down here in MO- surprisingly.
So, I just have this coming week of classes and then the following week of finals left for this semester, then i'm home-free (kinda) until late January. Obviously I still have alot to do before December 14th, but I'm happy so far w/how this semester is going. Over, winter break I will still have to be working diligently on my thesis, esp. when i return to Columbia in early January. I'll at least have 2-3 weeks to let my brain return from mush to functional over the holidays!

Now on to my main topic: leadership. For the last few weeks now I have been pondering on this topic- how it is defined, what it means in action or inaction, who has this skill, etc. This issue has been swirling in my head i think since sometime mid-semester because I am the "Art History and Archaeology Graduate Student Association" treasurer this year. This means I work closely with the 2 co-presidents of the organization, and also handle all of the money, including writing up budget proposals for funding for various travel, speakers, and general expense events, and also this year's money manager for our bi-annual spring symposium. Additionally, the 'ORG,' as it is called, is the University's student organization funding resource as well as guideline setter and enforcer for student groups on campus. They are a royal pain in the ass- and hands down the worst bureaucracy i have personally dealt with thus far. Putting it into perspective though, having to deal with them is not so bad considering all I have to do is arrange and submit documentation and budget applications to get 'free money,' which is funded from portions of the Student Activity Fee, which all students pay. Anyway, my point is that the position is fairly labor-intensive, which some of my AHAGSA colleagues will confirm upon any mention of 'the ORG'. Additionally, the treasurer has to work with other symposium committees' members to access ORG funds which they grant us when it comes to symposium planning and prep. There's alot of communication that needs to happen and we're a fairly informal organization, often different depending on the year's co-prezes, so sometimes communication skills are lacking. In this case, we start to have internal issues which i believe all stem from lack of communication. Recently, let's just say there was an 'incident' in which this was the case. It caused problems, which ultimately got resolved, but could have been done much better. Furthermore, I analyzed how i had personally dealt with the situation and i guiltily admit that, for my part, i know i could have acted better also. Hindsight is always 20/20, but does that count? In real life, which this position is preparing me for - i know, hindsight could easily be your last thoughts before being booted or fired from your position. Now i know what i can do to right my wrongs and have learned from this experience, but are some ppl naturally better leaders? Or, is it merely a matter of who has the most experience? Or, even, is it some combination of the two?

I got to thinking about some of the leadership training i had in high school and the leadership camps/retreats that i went to over the years. There is always one phrase that immediately comes to mind when i think of what leadership means: "The enthusiasm of the group never rises above the enthusiasm of the leader." This has always been a mantra that i've followed since it was practically engraved into my brain over successive years. This doesn't mean that a leader has to be constantly bouncing off the walls with obvious energy (in fact, that can be quite annoying), but that in moments when it matters and in communication with constituents (which should be nearly constant), a leader should always have a positive, uplifting, and motivated attitude which is clearly accessible and discernible, and if they have enough charisma, contagious as well. Is charisma learned, or does someone just have 'it'? That's debatable. I think charisma is certainly a positive addition to other leadership skills, but not necessary. As for the mantra, is this really true? I've been reflecting on the ppl in my life, now and in the past, who i feel are/were leaders, in some way. In thinking through the lists of names, some of the most successful leaders were the 'quiet' ones. Does this contradict the mantra to which i have for so long adhered? I got to thinking about this question and it is my conclusion that the quiet ones were successful because they listen well and therefore are successful in the eyes of their constituents because they accomplished some of the goals of the group. Because they were a listener and less of a communicator or talker, they were not as successful as they could have been. But- there's a fine line here. A communicator can go overboard by always discussing and never acting because they are so busy being engaged but not actually 'doing' things by themselves, despite perhaps well-delegated responsibilities. So, there has to be some greater balance between the two extremes. A leader cannot simply go about his/her tasks robotically and be passively agreeable; they have to be assertive both in giving and receiving information, that is communication skills. Aren't some of the greatest American and world leaders often given the epithet of 'the great communicator'? Pres. Bush will never earn that one, to be sure.

So, i rest my case in saying that my long-held mantra is only part of the story of what makes a leader. I think i need a new mantra to go along with it, not replace it. Additionally, I think i need to listen even more and press for more information when i dont have enough. Ppl listen to you if you have a record that shows you can get things done, and done well.
If you have any thoughts or mantras i might consider, write me a comment!

In other news-
I went to the Twin Cities this weekend for the annual LSS formal dinner at the top of the IDS tower in Mpls, which is Nate's company's holiday party. They invited me last year too, but i got snowed into Columbia. Instead, this year there were white-out conditions, aka 'blizzard,' in the Cities, which was esp. fun to watch from 50 stories up in the middle of downtown. It was truly the stereotypical conditions in which to visit home. I was only able to visit Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, (the dinner was Saturday night), but it was completely worth it despite being in the midst of my term finals. The dinner and dancing and people were all fun.

And, as my last note, Nate got to introduce me to his colleagues as his fiancee..........!

Take care and keep in touch :)