Memoirs of the Leadership Summit

The Buckeye Leadership Fellows is without a doubt one of the best programs to gain leadership experience. BLF provides the tools and a protective learning environment to develop us from students into young professionals.

Together we have delt with many of the same issues with lack of communication, keeping every team member engaged, and time management. The challenge pushed us in many ways out of our commfort zones. We have not learned leadership not from a book, but through experience. Through this program we are laying a strong foundation for our future growth. We are learning lessons which most people only face years after they leave school.

The challenge brought a lot of pressure, and I now realize that leadership is more complicated than I originally thought. After the challenge I have had time to digest the entire quarter. The largest thing I learned about myself is that I am a great doer, but not yet a great leader. Instead of making the challenge about getting across the finish line, I should have thought more on how the team reaches the end.

The next quarter will deffinitly build on the previous. We will continue to grow and learn. The social events and speaking challenges all have a purpose. I know they have helped me improve, and I know they have helped you too. As the next quarter begins I have been thinking to myself,do great leaders ever stop earning new ways to lead? I read this quote a few day ago from President John F Kennedy, "Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." So maybe great leaders never stop learning. I do know BLF gives us a great head start though.

Go Bucks,

Jack