Leadership. It’s a funny thing. People tell me I’m a natural leader.
As a fourth grader, I often co-taught with my teacher, Mrs. Harrod. There was a small group of boys who needed a little extra help during social studies. So Mrs. H and I would meet together during lunch to go over the lesson plans, and at the time of the day, when we pulled out the newspaper styled reading materials, I would take the boys into the hall for our studies.
In middle school, my Bible study leader pulled me aside to let me in on a secret: People follow my lead. If I did the reading and was prepared for discussions, my peers followed suit. If I didn’t take the time and showed little interest, they followed accordingly. She even asked me once to not volunteer to pray as often so as to give others a chance because people knew that if they didn’t speak up quickly enough, then I would offer. I was far from offended at the time and even less so now as I work with teenagers.
Growing up, it was more common for me to get in trouble for being quiet than for blatantly doing the wrong thing.
Camp Unite was a winter camp for my school that focused on basic leadership skills and bringing unity to our school community. My junior year, I attended camp, and somehow the underlying theme was “Be a Becky.” Near the end of camp, there's a time to share with everybody what you will be taking away from camp, and I remember a multitude of people saying they wanted to “Be a Becky.”
This didn’t make any sense.
I saw myself as awkward, clumsy, foolish and far from popular. It has taken me until recently to realize that popularity does not equal leadership. Honestly, popularity more closely resembles following than leading.
Over the past seven years, I have had multiple opportunities to hone my leadership skills and abilities: Three years of high school leadership, leadership camps, serving on my university’s ASB Cabinet, serving on staff at churches, interning for a non-profit and countless other experiences.
While these camps, classes and causes have brought me invaluable knowledge and skills, nothing can top the learning that has taken place in my heart. I don’t fully understand what makes me a “natural leader,” and sometimes, to be frank, I really wish people would let me live without being concerned about others following in my footsteps.
But as much as it frustrates me, I am grateful to know that the things I say and do affect those around me. It is my hope that, as I continue to become a “better” leader, I do so to change the world. I choose to be gracious and kind, to smile and to love.
“The world needs you to be kind. You know what the world doesn’t sell? Kindness.” – James Layman
