Whenever I'm a member of an organization, I automatically want to be on the executive board. It has nothing to do with the fact that I think an organization needs my help or anything, I just like making executive decisions.
I know that that may not be how everybody else is, but that's how I am.
Now that I'm officially the president of an organization, I've learned a few things.
1. Everyone looks to you for answers.
This is something that may be common knowledge, and I thought I understood, but I still didn't expect it. When I first became the president, I was still in transition so I was able to ask plenty of questions. When it finally came to the point that there was a decision that I had to make, I was stuck. The decision was one that I had always thought was an easy decision to make, but out of instinct, I immediately asked someone else. The response I got was one like, "You're the president. Make the decision." So I did. But it did strike me as odd that I had to make the decision on my own: that I could make the decision on my own. After the initial shock settled in, I have no problems making decisions for the organization. I obviously talk to my executive team first, but I realize that I do have to make the final decision.
2. Introducing yourself as the president is weird.
I don't know if it's just the simple fact that I'm the president of the organization or the fact that I'm the president of a political, partisan organization, or the fact that all of the past presidents were white males and I'm a black female, but I always feel weird when introducing myself. My organization partnered with SGA for a voter registration drive, and I was just walking up to the table to check on it when I was first asked to register to vote. I was then asked after I told them I'm already registered why I was at the table. They were SGA senators, and they didn't know who I was, so I told them which organization I was a part of. After about a 3-minute conversation, I was asked my role in the organization, to which I responded that I was the president. After a really long and awkward pause, they said, "Oh."
It could just be me, but the whole conversation was weird, and that's not the only one that was equally awkward.
3. I learn something new every day.
I've been on the executive board of organizations before, but as president, I've learned how to truly delegate roles to people both in the organization and the executive board. I've learned that I have to keep up with the operations of everyone in the organization. I've learned how to interview people and have genuine, awkward conversations with people that I don't know. I've also learned that sleep is very important if I want to keep going with a lot of energy. I've learned that people don't always respond back as fast as I respond to them. I've also learned that I love being the president of the specific organization that I am the president of, but I also just love being the president.
