Attitudes

Everyone has emotions. Sometimes we let them get the best of ourselves, but as a leader you learn to control that part of yourself. You can't be the one to break down because you are the picture of strength and perseverance to the other people in your organization.

Attitude is another important aspect of a good leader. You must be encouraging without being easy, tough without being bossy, supportive without being overwhelming, helpful without taking to much on, and so on. 

It's hard to find a balance and to always be the backbone of others but it's also extremely rewarding when done right. At the end of a stressful day when you feel like everything is going wrong, there's nothing better than to have the respect and support of the members in your organization. Stay strong and positive!

It's important to be happy!

Advertising

Advertising and marketing your organization in a positive manner is very important because it gains positive attitudes towards it.

When you are trying to run things effectively without a good number of people to carry out all of the necessary jobs and tasks, it becomes very difficult and nearly impossible.

Membership is crucial to the health of a club or organization and advertising can help heal yours when it's hurting.

Here are some ways to advertise:

1. Online--create a website! Almost everyone goes online these days and uses sites to do a once over check on things. You could even create a blog. Social media pages like Facebook and Twitter are also extremely important to keep up to date and can let tons of people know about the same thing all at once.

2. Posters--hang them everywhere! Having a great logo or slogan that makes your organization more recognizable to all is really helpful. Have someone good at graphic design help you, but just remember sometimes the more simple rather than overwhelming ideas work just as well.

3. Hold an event! What better way to gain more advertising and membership than showing people what you're all about?

Here is a recent poster made by my sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha.

Communication Tips

Sometimes organizations have a hard time with communicating either with each other or with other organizations they may be reporting back to.

A key way to make sure each person is getting everything back to who they need to is simply by repeating things a lot and checking in. This may seem somewhat elementary, but it's still one of the best ways to get people focused.

Sending emails and communicating with the people in your organization is really important because it shows what good communication does look like.

Having an open and understanding attitude is also important, that way if people are confused they would feel comfortable asking for help. If you are intimidating or closed off, they might not come to you for guidance which is what good leaders are for!

Programming/Event Planning

As a leader, there are a lot of events and programming that needs to be done.

Some people think that these things are stressful but if you're organized and able to delegate, then things should run smoothly.

Some tips to keeping things together are:
1. Plan ahead! No one likes to do things in a rush. It makes most events or programs less organized and less fun or productive.

2. Make sure all who should attend know about it! Don't be afraid to get some good PR going.

3. Add some fun! If the programming is on a slightly boring subject or is something necessary, make sure there is something that attendees can get out of it. Also, if it already is a fun event, add something new or different they haven't seen before!

4. Make sure you have all of the necessary materials ahead of time. This way, you'll know you have everything and won't be in a bind at the program or event.

5. Know your budget! No one likes to go over budget or stress over money!

Keep these things in mind next time you're thinking about planning something for your organization.

A Greek week event that I helped plan.

Running an Effective Meeting

When you are a leader of an organization, you will most likely be expected to run meetings at times.

In order for meetings to run effectively and efficiently, meetings should be conducted on a regular basis with a consistent time and place. Members should know the purpose of the meeting:

The basic purpose of meetings is:
-to exchange information
-to solve problems
-to make decisions
-to share concerns
-to explain issues

A successful meeting has a few key elements. Some of them are a time frame or an agenda, a defined purpose, and a definition of roles so that everyone knows what to expect.

Team Building

Sometimes it is better to have multiple perspectives than just one or two. A team should share values and should be able to trust each other.

Positive teams come from establishing interpersonal relationships, member satisfaction, and a strong group identity. In order for a team to be effective, it has to have a common goal.

Good team leaders should be able to recognize the skills and resources they need to carry out their goals and responsibilities. Being the best team leader you can be requires you to foster a positive environment where members will want to participate and feel comfortable.

You must also be able to delegate and give each member a role to play in the team. As the leader, you will need to devote time specifically to making sure everything gets done, but that it is not just by you.

Before you can have a great team, know and admit your strengths and weaknesses. Use the people and personalities in your group to complement one another. Team building activities are a good way to feel out your team.

The executive board I serve on for my sorority after some team building exercises!

A List for an Effective Leader

Leadership isn't just an end result- it's a process that can be learned, practiced, and improved. This process is marked by the relationship between the group leader and his or her group. Success is achieved when a team or organization has a shared vision that all the members helped to create, plan, and complete.

I think an effective leader must do all of these things:
1. Be willing to take risks.
2. Be able to inspire and guide your group.
3. Be able to get others to want to participate.
4. Make sure all members are collaborating.
5. Be a role model.
6. Be encouraging and recognize accomplishments.
7. Be a listener, not just a speaker.
8. Focus on problems and tasks, not on personalities or personal biases.
9. Be fair at all times.
10. Do not dominate others.

It's not always easy to keep all of these things in mind, but with time and practice it does get easier!