Lead Yourself Before Others

HHS World Leaders

The past three days I had the opportunity to participate in the 2013 Arizona Association of Student Councils State Convention!  I attended this convention last year as well, so I went into the weekend feeling fairly prepared for what I was about to experience.  Over twenty hours of wild, passionate, confident, dedicated, free-spirited student leaders!  Wow!  Pretty cool right?  “Cool” cannot even be used to describe this convention.  “Inspiring” would be the correct term. 

Heading through the gates of Campo Verde High School, I walked behind the rest of my council, eager to see the faces of the “new-time state-goers” as they see the carnival filled with bouncy houses, games, and slides, as well as the 1700 student council members dressed in outrageous costumes.  We marched proudly through those barred gates wearing homemade packman costumes and instantaneously, all of our insecurities and fears vanished.  This was because we knew that no one cared.  No one cared that we were in crazy costumes (which were actually pretty cool).  No one cared if we screamed and yelled at the top of our lungs.  And no one cared if we danced like fools.  Why?  Because everyone else was too!  Student Council is a place to be who you are and know that you will not be judged!  Seriously, there was a guy in a giraffe costume!  But that’s ok at studco! 

Yes, state convention is a blast and there is an overwhelming amount of energy and excitement, but there are also moments where you are forced to think.  You are forced to think about who you are as a leader and as a person in general.  During one of the presenter’s speech, I heard something that I was drawn to and stuck with me.  He said, “To be a good leader, you have to lead yourself before you lead others.”  Now, at first I was just kind of thinking to myself, “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”  But as the speech went on, I thought deeper into this statement, and realized just how true it is.  Today, we are witnesses of leaders at all different levels who are sometimes hypocritical.  They preach one thing, but then their actions do not match their words.  What a shame.  What the world needs is genuine leaders.  Leaders who will not only lead others down the right path, but actively be walking down that same path themselves.

The very last speaker at convention was the mayor of Glendale.  In his closing remarks, he mentioned that prior to coming to speak to us he was speaking to fifty world leaders at a conference.  He informed us that as he left them he said, “I am sorry to have to leave you fifty world leaders, but I now have to go speak to 1700 other world leaders!”  Those 1700 world leaders were us sitting in the gymnasium singing, dancing, and being ourselves!  That was the motivation that I needed to try my hardest and be the best possible leader that I can be.  For the sake of my school, my peers, and my world!

Being a leader is not always easy, and being a “good” leader is even more difficult.  We are faced with challenges that some people would succumb to and give up.  Acting as you preach and leading yourself first are sometimes the hardest things to do.  But, as leaders, we overcome and create something beautiful from our challenge.  We take the challenge and do it anyway!      

 

Love Always,

 

Kylie K. <3