The most powerful leaders in the U.S. are faced with financial crisis, war and the idioms Saturday Night Live brings to their personal portrayal. While students certainly aren't running for president just yet, they still take on the ever-important role of leaders in their own miniscule way.
"A leader should be able to look at the past and see how you got to where you are," said Melanie Bentley-Cruz, a leadership programming coordinator with Student Life. "Look at the presidential candidates: they constantly talk about history because we learn from that."
Students are taking on new leadership roles every day and learning the true etiquette of being both the person in command and a team player. According to Bentley-Cruz, leaders are composed of honesty, integrity and work ethic.
"We know what leaders need, but why aren't we picking them?" Bentley-Cruz said. "You have the chance to choose the leader that you think has those traits and not just choose someone you think speaks well."
A further attribute, according to Bentley-Cruz, is the ability to give people the tools and resources they need to succeed. The "sink or swim" mentality is not a recipe for success or good leadership.
"Once you think you're great, you stop working, so we need to always say to ourselves what we can do better, how we can improve, and also ask others the same questions," Bentley-Cruz said.
When working with a group of peers, there needs to be a collaboration of these qualities for all to work properly. According to Bentley-Cruz, when a single quality begins to weaken it creates a crack in the structure of the group.
"Some people drive you crazy and you just want to sock them; you feel like there is no way out," said Chaitanya Puranik, graduate student of the School of Dental Medicine.
According to Bentley-Cruz, there are several ways of dealing with situations when confronted with a problem or a problematic person. Breathing and relaxation can really ease frustrations before yelling or violence ensues.
According to Puranik, difficulty as a young leader begins with class projects. Problems arise when students do not show up for meetings or share the workload, which usually leads to one person doing all the work.
Leaders working in groups should make discussion a collaborative effort and avoid singling out any one person. If there is a problem, it should be addressed as a group problem. Issues should be solved through group communication rather than laying blame, Bentley-Cruz said.
A good leader is one who recognizes equality and sets a positive example for the rest of the group; however, even competent leaders can fall off the equality bandwagon and be consumed by ugly ego trips, according to Bentley-Cruz.
Good behavior is catchy, but bad behavior is purely addictive.
"Sometimes we see bad behaviors and we take them upon ourselves because we see others getting away with it," Bentley-Cruz said. "The best way to check this is to ask yourself: what kind of a leader am I being?"
Communication plays a major role in conquering foul choices made by group members, but it is important to be reasonable. A positive approach goes a long way, while demeaning and accusatory statements deter from the task at hand, Bentley-Cruz said.
"People let things fester inside because they think that others will just know how they feel, but no one is a mind reader," Bentley-Cruz said. "You have to be able to unwrap yourself and say, 'This is what's going on and this is how I see it.'"
Everyone usually has good intentions, but it boils down to communication and the perception of those intentions. If there is no voicing or action on these good ideas, then change will not follow. Healthy communication is the key to successful leadership.
