Lessons in Leadership
Q and A with Katie Hall ‘19
Q: Tell us about your experience in leadership roles as a student.
A: The first leadership role I stepped into as a student was as a sophomore when I began co-leading our softball team Bible study. As a senior I took on two new leadership roles as a captain of the softball team and joined the leadership team with Athletes InterVarsity.
Q: What were some of the joys and challenges of transitioning into leadership positions as a student?
A: With each role, a few of the biggest changes for me were the increased accountability, responsibility, and ownership. I had to learn to be responsible for my own words and actions, as well as begin to hold others accountable as well. I had to physically live out the things that I was verbally saying were important or true - I couldn’t break a team rule if I wanted my teammates to believe that they were important to follow, nor could I live in sin while trying to lead others out of it. I had to learn how to confront others in love, along with being receptive to others’ calling me out as well. I had to work to maintain our team culture and work ethic through example and challenging others to step up with me. I am grateful for the joys and challenges that came with learning how to do these jobs well, as I could see my character grow deeply through it.
Q: How do you know when you're ready to take on a leadership position? What should someone do if they don’t think they’re ready?
A: If you don’t feel ready to take on a leadership position, that’s okay! Your feelings should not prevent you from trying. Here are some practical questions you can ask yourself to help you evaluate if the role is a good fit for you:
Are you passionate about the role?
Are you determined to overcome failure or bumps in the road that will come with it?
Are you willing to put the time, effort and energy in that the role requires to do it well?
Do trusted mentors and friends see you as a good fit for this role?
“Don’t just seek leadership roles, seek
to be a leader.”
If so, give it a try! Apply or have a further conversation with a person in authority. You’ll grow incredibly quickly as you begin. As a personal example, I did not feel adequate to be the staff of the Athletes InterVarsity chapter here immediately following graduation. However, I knew this was the direction God was calling me into. As I took steps of faith in the right direction, He blessed me and was right there with me as I was learning and growing into the role. My feelings of inadequacy left me 100% dependent on Him, which is where He wanted me all along. Also, as always, pray about it!
Q: What advice do you have for students preparing to take on leadership roles within college and beyond?
A: Here are two pieces of advice for students preparing for leadership roles. First, identify what you’ve loved (or didn’t love) about the way you’ve been led by the leaders who have gone before you. I have been shaped as a leader largely due to those who I have been led by - those who had an incredible impact on me that I wanted to imitate, just as much as those that I did not enjoy being led by. Reflect on the things that have impacted you positively and negatively as a follower. Self-analyze - do you emulate the good in those things and refrain from the bad? Ask for feedback from others. Ask how have they experienced you as a leader and what ways can you grow. Second, an important thing to note is that you don’t have to be in a leadership position to be a leader. Don’t just seek leadership roles, seek to be a leader. Are you walking in the direction you want to lead others in? If so, whether you are in a position of leadership or not, you are already influencing others which is an important part of leadership. A practical way to grow in your leadership is by becoming a really great follower. Before you want to be a great leader, you must be a great follower.
