It’s the “No Man’s Land” scene in "Wonder Woman" and every eye in the theater is riveted to the screen…except for mine. No, I’m currently texting a creator to negotiate an article extension. My boyfriend glances over and says (thankfully) gently, “Can’t it wait?”
No. No, it can’t. Both he and I know that, and so he doesn’t bother me for the rest of the movie as I mentally check off creators who submitted articles, trying to calculate how long I would edit before getting to sit down and write my own article, and then maybe a second, and maybe a third to make sure that my community met our goals. Not because I’m trying to be a Wonder Woman of an editor, but because I feel like my community deserves better in a leader.
When I first stepped up to become editor-in-chief of my university’s Odyssey community, I thought I was going to be some great leader, that every answer and solution I had to offer up would be a godsend. About six months later, and I see that not only was that an arrogant thought, but also hilarious. So hilarious that, when faced with an Odyssey survey question asking, “Do you think you’re the best person to lead this team?” I laughed until I cried. (Or maybe I laughed and then cried. I’m honestly not sure. I just know that laughter came first.)
My truthful, vulnerable answer to that question: No, I am not probably not the best person to lead my community. I know that my contributing editor is a stronger leader than I am, a take-charge person who can rally the troops. I know several people in my community who can talk almost anyone into joining Odyssey and could have them onboarded within minutes instead of the hour or two it takes me. There are times when I wish I was still just a creator so I can focus on writing and not on leading. I know that I am lacking in a lot of ways.
However, that doesn’t mean that I want to step down from my role. Far from it, actually. I know that there is room for improvement in what I do and say as an editor-in-chief but I also know my strengths.
I’m quick with communication. I’m empathetic and want to listen to my creators to figure out what works best for them. I can be a hype-man whenever someone needs some encouragement for an article or in general.
No, I’m not the best editor-in-chief out there, and I probably never will be. But I know that I can and will put aside my wants and needs to ensure that they have my full attention when they need help. I’m sure even the best editor-in-chief can relate to that.