Post by T J Gordon on Dec 5, 2012 13:11:15 GMT -5
livingformonday.com/leadership-learning/greek-life-leadership-potential/
How Greek Life Can Dramatically Increase Your Leadership Potential
by Barrett Brooks on December 4, 2012
I looked him in the eye and I told him that he was no longer a member of the pledge class at our fraternity. As the words spilled out of my mouth, the tears started to well up in his eyes. He never thought that things would get this serious, and it was hitting him like a ton of bricks.
I was a sophomore in college learning one of the most valuable leadership lessons of my life. My fraternity brothers had voted democratically to ask the pledge to leave the fraternity because he wasn’t a contributing member of his class and rarely showed up for study hours, pledge chapters, and socials with sorority new member classes. He just wasn’t cut out for the commitment of being a brother. To make matters worse he was a junior in school with a (biological) brother already in the fraternity.
At the time I thought I had the hardest job in the world, and in some respects I did. I had no idea that this and other leadership experiences in Greek life would build a valuable skillset that would apply almost universally in the business world.
One of the biggest problems with Greek life is that so many people perceive it as being one big party that has relatively little value for the rest of life. People see the pictures of drunken dudes with sharpie all over their face and they hear the old war stories of former fraternity and sorority members and they think to themselves… my God, why in the world would you ever subject yourself to such nonsense?
But the real problem is not so much the drunkenness (of which there is certainly too much) or the hazing (which we could also work on). No, the real problem is the lack of positive stories and the unnoticed impact of the Greek experience.
What many people fail to realize is how powerful the Greek Life experience can be. If you can learn to tell a great story that relates to the future value of your experience as a Greek man or woman, then you can present a powerful case for yourself in job interviews and more.
Here’s how you can ensure that your Greek Life experience is not only a great way to party with friends, but also an experience that will help you learn valuable skills and dramatically increase your leadership potential:
Be an active member – show up.
This might seem basic, but in my experience there are a ton of people who simply don’t show up. Whether it’s chapter meetings, socials, or community service days, they always have something better to do. First off, if that’s you then you’re wasting a whole lot of money on dues. Secondly, you’re a pain in the butt to deal with for the exec team. If you don’t want to be there, quit! Perhaps most importantly, if you don’t show up, then you have zero stories to tell to potential employers about how valuable your Greek experience was to your personal development.
Take on a leadership role.
Greek organizations are perfect for getting valuable leadership experience. There are umpteen committees, 52 exec board positions, and any number of ways to get “leadership experience” while having a blast. Whether you plan parties as social chair, look up LOLcatz pictures for ridiculous t-shirt designs, or you run for president of your chapter, do something that you can pitch as a leadership experience.
Mentor a younger member.
So often new members and pledges look at older fraternity brothers and sisters as the most likely people to haze them. Stop doing that shit and start helping someone be successful in college. Transitioning into college is a really difficult time for most people, even if pledges tend to mask it with heavy drinking and sleeping around. That’s not going to stop, but you can make an investment in a younger member by mentoring them in a way that helps them become successful in college.
Develop a skill.
If you want to go into accounting someday, offer to help the chapter treasurer by managing part of the budget or checking his debits and credits. If you want to be a graphic designer, then make fliers for rush, create awesome t-shirts, or work on infographics for your chapter’s annual report to show how awesome the chapter is. You don’t have to have a leadership role to develop new skills… And the stakes are fairly low, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to learn.
Raise funds for charity.
Something I’ve always admired about college students in general, and Greek life in particular is their amazing ability to raise funds for charity. In my 4 years as a fraternity member we averaged something ridiculous like $30,000 raised on average per year. If your chapter can find a cause to support, the funds raised can support a pretty sizeable chunk of a non-profit’s annual budget. Not only does that feel good, but it also makes a case for the value of Greek life, and your ability to contribute in a meaningful way in your first job. Did I mention that raising funds like this develops creative thinking, strategic planning, and sales skills as well?
Learn to stand up for what you believe.
At one point or another your chapter will almost certainly make a decision you don’t agree with. Whether it’s buying alcohol for a party, kicking a pledge out, spending money to redo the yard, or whatever, you will eventually disagree with something. When that happens, it’s your job to speak up during the decision-making process and respectfully make your voice heard. Even if you come out on the losing side of the argument, at least you spoke up for your views. That’s life. Learn to lose with grace and respect. And when you do, support the decision because it’s not worth losing friends over. If things get so bad that you fear for someone’s safety or well-being then it might be time to consider leaving the group. That can be a deeper issue that reflects a misalignment of values. But for everyday decisions, be a part of the conversation!
Lead an innovative effort.
Fraternities and sororities are hot beds for creative thinking. The sky is the limit on what you can accomplish, so take advantage of the opportunity. When you come up with an idea, treat it like a business idea. Create a pitch, present it to the chapter, provide supporting arguments, and lay out a compelling strategic plan. These skills will be hugely valuable in the workplace and will give you an awesome story to use in interviews.
There is literally no limit to the value of the Greek experience. It is what you make of it and it can provide you with some of the greatest memories while getting you ready to make an impact in the world when you graduate.
Have fun in your years as a Greek life member. Party with friends, have a great time, and cherish the memories. But along the way, do something that adds value to your life in the future. Your college years don’t have to be the best of your life. In fact, if you can tell a great story based on your Greek life experience, then your best years are almost certainly ahead of you.
How Greek Life Can Dramatically Increase Your Leadership Potential
by Barrett Brooks on December 4, 2012
I looked him in the eye and I told him that he was no longer a member of the pledge class at our fraternity. As the words spilled out of my mouth, the tears started to well up in his eyes. He never thought that things would get this serious, and it was hitting him like a ton of bricks.
I was a sophomore in college learning one of the most valuable leadership lessons of my life. My fraternity brothers had voted democratically to ask the pledge to leave the fraternity because he wasn’t a contributing member of his class and rarely showed up for study hours, pledge chapters, and socials with sorority new member classes. He just wasn’t cut out for the commitment of being a brother. To make matters worse he was a junior in school with a (biological) brother already in the fraternity.
At the time I thought I had the hardest job in the world, and in some respects I did. I had no idea that this and other leadership experiences in Greek life would build a valuable skillset that would apply almost universally in the business world.
One of the biggest problems with Greek life is that so many people perceive it as being one big party that has relatively little value for the rest of life. People see the pictures of drunken dudes with sharpie all over their face and they hear the old war stories of former fraternity and sorority members and they think to themselves… my God, why in the world would you ever subject yourself to such nonsense?
But the real problem is not so much the drunkenness (of which there is certainly too much) or the hazing (which we could also work on). No, the real problem is the lack of positive stories and the unnoticed impact of the Greek experience.
What many people fail to realize is how powerful the Greek Life experience can be. If you can learn to tell a great story that relates to the future value of your experience as a Greek man or woman, then you can present a powerful case for yourself in job interviews and more.
Here’s how you can ensure that your Greek Life experience is not only a great way to party with friends, but also an experience that will help you learn valuable skills and dramatically increase your leadership potential:
Be an active member – show up.
This might seem basic, but in my experience there are a ton of people who simply don’t show up. Whether it’s chapter meetings, socials, or community service days, they always have something better to do. First off, if that’s you then you’re wasting a whole lot of money on dues. Secondly, you’re a pain in the butt to deal with for the exec team. If you don’t want to be there, quit! Perhaps most importantly, if you don’t show up, then you have zero stories to tell to potential employers about how valuable your Greek experience was to your personal development.
Take on a leadership role.
Greek organizations are perfect for getting valuable leadership experience. There are umpteen committees, 52 exec board positions, and any number of ways to get “leadership experience” while having a blast. Whether you plan parties as social chair, look up LOLcatz pictures for ridiculous t-shirt designs, or you run for president of your chapter, do something that you can pitch as a leadership experience.
Mentor a younger member.
So often new members and pledges look at older fraternity brothers and sisters as the most likely people to haze them. Stop doing that shit and start helping someone be successful in college. Transitioning into college is a really difficult time for most people, even if pledges tend to mask it with heavy drinking and sleeping around. That’s not going to stop, but you can make an investment in a younger member by mentoring them in a way that helps them become successful in college.
Develop a skill.
If you want to go into accounting someday, offer to help the chapter treasurer by managing part of the budget or checking his debits and credits. If you want to be a graphic designer, then make fliers for rush, create awesome t-shirts, or work on infographics for your chapter’s annual report to show how awesome the chapter is. You don’t have to have a leadership role to develop new skills… And the stakes are fairly low, which means it’s the perfect opportunity to learn.
Raise funds for charity.
Something I’ve always admired about college students in general, and Greek life in particular is their amazing ability to raise funds for charity. In my 4 years as a fraternity member we averaged something ridiculous like $30,000 raised on average per year. If your chapter can find a cause to support, the funds raised can support a pretty sizeable chunk of a non-profit’s annual budget. Not only does that feel good, but it also makes a case for the value of Greek life, and your ability to contribute in a meaningful way in your first job. Did I mention that raising funds like this develops creative thinking, strategic planning, and sales skills as well?
Learn to stand up for what you believe.
At one point or another your chapter will almost certainly make a decision you don’t agree with. Whether it’s buying alcohol for a party, kicking a pledge out, spending money to redo the yard, or whatever, you will eventually disagree with something. When that happens, it’s your job to speak up during the decision-making process and respectfully make your voice heard. Even if you come out on the losing side of the argument, at least you spoke up for your views. That’s life. Learn to lose with grace and respect. And when you do, support the decision because it’s not worth losing friends over. If things get so bad that you fear for someone’s safety or well-being then it might be time to consider leaving the group. That can be a deeper issue that reflects a misalignment of values. But for everyday decisions, be a part of the conversation!
Lead an innovative effort.
Fraternities and sororities are hot beds for creative thinking. The sky is the limit on what you can accomplish, so take advantage of the opportunity. When you come up with an idea, treat it like a business idea. Create a pitch, present it to the chapter, provide supporting arguments, and lay out a compelling strategic plan. These skills will be hugely valuable in the workplace and will give you an awesome story to use in interviews.
There is literally no limit to the value of the Greek experience. It is what you make of it and it can provide you with some of the greatest memories while getting you ready to make an impact in the world when you graduate.
Have fun in your years as a Greek life member. Party with friends, have a great time, and cherish the memories. But along the way, do something that adds value to your life in the future. Your college years don’t have to be the best of your life. In fact, if you can tell a great story based on your Greek life experience, then your best years are almost certainly ahead of you.
