The Simple Qualities of Effective Leadership
I've had such an eventful summer.
Four weeks at Georgetown University. Six weeks at the University of Oxford. Two staff teams. 130 sessions. Almost 1000 students from more than 40 countries.
I met so many wonderful people this summer, and despite all of the challenges in my life personally and more broadly as a member of modern society, my cup runneth over, as they say.
When students reflect on their experiences with the National Student Leadership Conference and the Oxford Scholars Programme, they rarely talk about the lectures or workshops or field trips, although all of those pieces are amazing.
For most, the highlight is the people they met.
And perhaps that’s true for all of us.
The people we spend time with really make or break our experiences, don’t they?
The people I was surrounded by over these past ten weeks helped create one of the best summers of my life.
Two qualities keep popping into my mind when I think about them.
The first is willingness.
A desire to serve. To work. To learn. To put oneself into the task.
It’s easy in this work to feel like checking out sometimes. The days are long. Energy runs low. But time and again, I watched people find something more to give.
That attitude is contagious.
Being surrounded by people who cared made me want to serve more, go the extra mile, and be more open to feedback myself.
The second quality is kindness.
I watched students invite others into conversations. Staff members respond with compassion and grace. Leaders navigate challenges with humour.
People really worked to see one another this summer.
And that made me want to be better at that too.
Willing and kind.
The more I think about it, the more those two qualities feel like a pretty good description of leadership.
Show up fully for what needs to be done. And be kind to the people you’re doing it with.
Cheers to everyone who played a part in my summer’s journey.
You’ve left me grateful, inspired, and excited to create whatever comes next.
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