Reflection

Reflection

            This summer I have learned a lot about what it means to be a divine centered leader, how to work in a team and manage time, and the meaning behind the BYUSA vision.  The lessons I have learned this summer from class, office hours, and my team will help me not only this Fall and Winter, but will help me throughout my entire life.  A unifying theme between these three items is serving with love in your heart.  This summer I believe the most important thing I learned is to have love be the driving force in every decision you make. 

            I had never heard of the term divine centered leader before taking the BYUSA class.  Brittney and Devin both touched on the subject in their lessons and I feel that it is important for all of us to be divine centered leaders not only in BYUSA, but in other areas of our lives as well.  I was involved in leadership in high school but I love being involved here at BYU because we are able to discuss gospel principles. Being a divine centered leader is striving to be more and more like Christ every day.  As a divine centered leader your motive should be what God would have me do.  Christ was the perfect example, the perfect leader. 

            Christ’s main motive was love, it was the drive behind every decision he made.  Christ truly got to know the hearts of those around him and that allowed him to be the most charitable person ever.  By striving to be more like Christ, we are drawn to the Lord to ask him for assistance and guidance in our everyday lives.  This summer we have prayed before every meeting, stewardship, meal, and event.  It was such a difference compared to other organization because we were able to draw the spirit towards us all the time. 

            Michael Mccleave said that “the more leaders desire, seek, know, and do the Lord’s will, the more divinely centered they become”.  I believe this to be true.  This summer I learned to draw closer to the lord and I am making it a goal to read my scriptures, write in my journal, and to pray daily.  By doing this I know that I will be able to feel the spirit more and I can have the Lord help guide me in my everyday decisions. Additionally, in divine centered leadership it is important to hold yourself accountable for your choices and to accept personal responsibility.  It’s my responsibility to commit myself to become more like Christ. 

            Being a divine centered leader means that I must be able to manage my own life.  I learned this summer that I have a lot to work on.  I need to become more organized and use my time wisely.  It is important that I start setting S.M.A.R.T goals that I will be able to measure and reflect upon.  It is said that goals are dreams in writing.  I know that I need to make sure to write down goals in order to make my dreams for this year to come true.

            Coming into BYUSA I didn’t really know anybody, I knew a few people’s names but I didn’t know anything about them.  I was excited to meet my Clubs team, but nervous at the same time.  What if we didn’t get along?  What if they didn’t like me?  I had a lot of doubts but after meeting and getting to know each other I know that we are supposed to work together.  Our team was able to grow really close over such a short period of time and I am truly grateful for Haley, Devin, and Steven.  I feel that we have grown together as a team and are able to trust each other’s opinions while being professional when need be, but always friends.  Elder Maxwell said that Paul was a “great follower, and therefore, a great leader”.  This summer I have learned there are times to follow others and a time to lead.  I know that my opinion and vision is not the best there is and it is important I follow others. 

            Another lesson I learned was the importance of managing time.  There is going to be times during the semester where I feel overwhelmed with school, work, BYUSA, my church calling, my social life, and family life.  In order to avoid this stress, I will need to manage my time wisely.  Adrian showed us an effective tool to manage our time.  He stressed the importance of keeping a calendar and writing everything down that you have to do.  But the first thing he told us to do was to prioritize.  I need to keep in mind that I am a student first and a leader second.  My studies, family, and the gospel need to come before BYUSA. 

            “Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved”. Devin quoted this statement by President Monson and it has become one of my favorites.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the problem or issue in front of us that we overlook the people that we are working with.  Christ always paid attention to “the one” and it is vital that we do the same.  It’s easy to just try and solve a dilemma before finding out what is wrong with someone that you are serving with, but we cannot do that.  Everyone is important and their feelings matter more than solving an issue.  In the book A More Excellent Way, Maxwell quotes C.S. Lewis and states that “there are no ordinary people”.  Everyone is special in their own way and will influence our lives whether we recognize it at the time or not.   

            Through reading A More Excellent Way, and having many discussions on it, I have realized the importance of love in leadership.  Maxwell states that “leadership is love in action”.  The decisions and actions we make displays our love for those that we are serving.  “No leader can be fully effective without love,” Maxwell also states.  Love is the driving force between our choices and we can truly serve those around us to the best of our ability with love. 

            After working in the office I have seen how everyone around me truly loves those that they are serving.  It is seen through their words, attitude, and decisions.  There is just a positive vibe in the office that I feel every time I walk through the doors.  I know this is because we are all striving to build up a Zion like community here at Brigham Young University.  If we do not love the ones that we are serving, then it is not charity but just work.  I know that if we love those around us and have a positive attitude while serving, we will be able to make a difference on campus. 

            “Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18.  Coming into BYUSA I noticed the emphasis placed on the vision, I now understand why it is referred to so often.  Without a vision there is not a common goal for the association to strives towards.  The BYUSA vision allows for all volunteers in the office to work towards accomplishing a common goal.  Each and every decision we make in BYUSA should correspond to the vision.  I know that it is important to make sure all activities we plan within our area is going to help make the vision come true. When people ask about BYUSA I now always refer to the vision since that is the main purpose of the association.  It is important to share the vision with those around us so they understand why do the things we do. 

            The main difference between student government and a service association is the mentality behind the events.  As the vision states, we are trying to build up Zion communities that are united in heart and mind.  In order to do this we need to have love in our hearts while we simply serve those around us.  I truly feel that if we were a student government, we would not be able to complete the BYUSA vision we have in place.  Charity is the pure love of Christ, and that is exactly what we are trying to portray to the students at Brigham Young University. 

All of these concepts tie into being a divine centered leader.  Since Christ was the perfect example, it is important to study his leadership styles and to strive to be like him.  As a leader in BYUSA I have learned so much this summer and I know I still have a lot more to learn. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a student leader in BYUSA this year and I know that I will learn lessons that will help me throughout my entire life. I know that by striving to be more like Christ I will be able to help complete the vision of BYUSA. 

Practicum

For our practicum, we planned a booth to have at Involvapalooza in September. Through the practicum I was able to learn a lot about BYUSA protocol and how to work in a team.  When first given the task, we had to clarify with Devin on what he exactly wanted us to plan.  I found that it is important to ask questions when you don’t understand something completely so you can accomplish the task successfully.  When starting our initial planning we made a list of items that we would need.  By making a list we were then able to check our resources to see what we would actually have to buy.  By checking what we already had we were able to cut down on costs.  For example, we already had some otter pops so we didn’t have to allot money for a larger quantity then we needed.  Additionally, this was the first event that we planned together as a team and it was interesting to see different people’s opinions.  We also learned that we can’t always rely on other people to make things happen for us.  For example, we were interested in getting a Clubs spider for Involvapalooza and the rest of the year.  When we spoke to Devin about it he said he would speak to Ryan.  Long story short it took a long time to get a response and we never got a definite answer.  If we could have done something different, we should have started planning sooner so we would have enough time to get the spider approved and ordered.  Also, through this process I learned how to fill out EAFs and Meal Doc forms.  I learned that it is extremely important to be very specific on the forms so the accountants can know the purpose behind the purchase as well as what exactly it is we are buying.   

inspire and educate

Through my role in BYUSA I can inspire and educate other students about the honor code by being an example.  An example is the best way to express your standards and motives in a nonconfrontational manner. It is important to not force the honor code on people, but to share your love for it. If you are a "honor code policeman" you will just drive others away from the blessings that come from abiding by the honor code. It is important to have a good attitude while living the honor code so others can see how happy you are while living it. I know that the honor code brings me true happiness and that by living it I can be the best that I can be. The honor code helps us to become more like Christ which is our overall goal here on Earth. By living it and sharing the happiness that it brings, you can bring more students unto Christ. I know that the gospel correlates with the honor code and it is important to be consistent in both.

how the honor code has blessed me

I have definitely seen the honor code bless my life.  It has helped me socially, intellectually, and spiritually.  I know that the honor code has helped me make better choices in my life.  As I look at my friends attending various universities across the country, it amazes me at the choices they are making.  They believe that they are happy, when truly I know they could be even happier if they were making better decisions.  For example, one of my best friends is living in a house at her school with guys and girls.  When I heard this I forgot that at other schools you could live with the opposite sex.  I know that the having the honor code at BYU helps students to obey the law of chastity and to refrain from making poor decisions that could lead to difficult circumstances.  Additionally, by dressing modestly I have a different type of confidence. I know that it is important to not have people like me only for the my body. It is important to develop relationships with people on a more personal level. Additionally, the honor code has helped me intellectually since I never feel tempted to go out and party through the late night like my friends do at their schools.

Why the Lord has established an honor code at BYU

I believe that the Lord has established an honor code at BYU to help us to become more responsible and accountable.  The honor code allows us to live our lives in a more Christ like manner and help us intellectually, spiritually, and professionally.  The honor code helps me to hold myself accountable to living a virtuous life. I believe that the honor code is consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is why he established it at BYU.  BYU wants to see its students develop characteristics that will help them exceed not only in this life but after as well. BYU cares about us becoming men and women with standards that will help us succeed in our family life as well as our professional life. In order to be held accountable for something there needs to be some sort of commitment. The honor code gives us the opportunity to be committed to living a life that is virtuous and filled with integrity.

Measuring Success

Self-efficacy- In order to stay organize and to execute objectives, I will keep a monthly calendar. I will make sure to schedule everything that needs to get done onto my calendar. It is important that I look at what is truly a top priority so I schedule those things first. I will schedule my week every Sunday night so I can reduce my stress load and perform to the best of my ability.
Self-determination- In order to stay determined I hope to write in my journal every day.  This way I can start seeing the progress I make over the semesters. Reading over old journals I am always able to see how much I have grown.  This will be a great opportunity for me to see my progress and strive to do even better.
Personal consequence- At the beginning of each month I will write down 5 goals that I have for that month.  At the end of each month I will check back on  my goals and see how I have progressed and what I could have done differently.  By doing this I will be able to make a bigger change and will be able to accomplish more of my goals.  I will also be able to check my own progress.
Meaningfulness- I want to make sure that the volunteers I work with keep in mind the vision of BYUSA since it should be the drive behind every decision we make. In order to do this I will have us say the vision at every meeting.  This will help to remind us of the meaning behind BYUSA and how important the vision is. Also, I want the people I work with to feel like they mean something and to know that they are important to me. Once a month I will write a little note to everyone that I work with.
Trust- I will establish trust with those that I work with my having weekly stewardships with them. At those I will make an effort to get an update on their lives in the BYUSA office as well as outside of the office. It is important that I share information about my own personal life so I will be able to create strong relationships with them.

1 Specific Action Item

One specific action item I will implement to improve the five core dimensions of empowerment for the organization and my area is providing support.  There will be times throughout the year where members of my team will feel down and inadequate.  It is important that I am there to support them by listening, giving them words of encouragement, expressing my gratitude, and providing feedback.  By doing these things I will be able to provide emotional and professional support to my team members.  This will help improve the confidence of others,  make them feel more valuable, become more determined, help them try to become more efficient, and to have more self-determination.  If I recognize the efforts of those around me and show my appreciation they will be driven to do more and to be the best they can be. In order to accomplish this I will tell my fellow Executive Directors, Devin, and my program directors weekly what I appreciate about them in an area meeting or a stewardship.

Become more of a DCL of leaders

I can become a more divine centered leader of leaders by drawing myself closer to the Lord.  I know that I need to study my scriptures more and by doing so I will learn more of Christ's example.  Christ was the perfect leader and I want to strive to be like him everyday.  To do this it is important to build unity, inspire others, work hard, and aim for the heart.  Building unity of those that we work with will help to accomplish the vision and the cause. If everyone knows what they are striving for, they will be able to produce better results.  Additionally, it is important to inspire others to do and be better.  A way to do this is to become and example to them by working hard.  It is important to love those that you are serving with and those that you are serving.  Look into their hearts and see what you can do to truly help them.

Love reflected to others

The love that I reflect can be reflected to volunteers.  A persons attitude is contagious, and it can determine the mood of everyone in around them.  When volunteers come into the office it is important to display the love that we have for what we are doing.  It is vital to express the vision of BYUSA since that is the drive behind every decision we make.  Our love that we reflect will then be recognized by the volunteers and they will then reflect it themselves to those around them; it is a never ending circle.  Eventually, we can reach a  majority of the students on campus by simply showing our love to our volunteers. Charity is the pure love of Christ and is important that love is the drive behind all of our service.  If we serve without love then we aren't really serving.

Leader of Leaders

In the Clubs area we each are a steward of 15-20 clubs on campus.  We assist the club presidents in planning events, meetings, and running their club.  We are resources for the presidents and help then fill out paperwork, advertise, their budget, or simply planning their events. The presidents are leaders of their particular club while we help lead them.  It is an awesome chance for us to impact different groups of people across campus since each club draws different people.

Another way that we are a leader of leaders is by working with other volunteers throughout the year.  We will have program directors, committee members, and volunteers throughout the year that will each be a leader at some point.  It is important that we help them become the best they can be.  We will be a leader of leaders in this way since we may have them in charge of a certain aspect of a program. It is important to train them on protocol and the BYUSA vision.

Conflict: Prepare, Practice, Present

I decided to research, practice, and  present the skill of managing emotions.  Emotions can be a cause of conflict or they can prolong prior conflicts.  It is important that we learn to manage our emotions so we can deal with situations more effectively.  According to a study done by the University of Colorado there are steps to managing emotions.  First, is to recognize your own emotions as well as the person you are working with.  If you realize what your own emotions are you will be able to manage them better.  Additionally, you can manage your emotions to work with the emotions of those around you. Next, find where the source of the emotion is. If it is a negative emotion and you find the source you may be able to work through and remove the emotion. Also, it is important to talk about your feelings. If you withold everything from those that you work with you will not be able to connect and become a team.  It is important to no let things bottle up inside so you don't blow up.  Express your feelings in a non-confrontational manner.  If you are genuine and sincere when expressing your emotions, people will be able to understand where you are coming from.  It is important to no be confrontational because people will feel threatened. Don't react emotionally to emotional outbreaks.

I practiced managing my emotions this week by expressing how I was feeling, taking others emotions into consideration, being quick to forgive, and not reacting to things in an emotional manner. Typically I don't express how I am feeling to others but this week I made an effort to do so.  By doing this I felt that I was able to communicate to those around me effectively.  For example, one of my roommates never does her dishes and I typically do them for her.  I felt that it was time for me to express to her that I was tired of doing her dishes and I would appreciate if she would start doing them.  She didn't realize that it bothered me so much and she started doing her own dishes.  I love the quote, "never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved," by President Monson.  I feel that we can accomplish this by taking other people's emotions into consideration when issues come up.  Sometimes people are going through things that we are not aware of.  Additionally, this past week whenever said something I took as offensive I was quick to let it go and forgive them.  People sometimes say things that they don't realize can be offensive.  To them it could be a joke and they don't intend for it to be mean.  It is important to not take things too personal.  For example, someone said something to me this week which I could have blown out of proportion but instead I forgave them. 

From this experience I learned how to communicate and effectively solve conflict with those around me.  Whether it be with family, roommates, or people in BYUSA it is important to manage your emotions to solve conflict.  I know that if I continue to do this I will be able to have a great year in the office and will not let emotions take control.  I also know that by understanding others emotions I will be able to get to know them on a more personal level and will be able to develop friendships that will last a lifetime.

BYUSA performing

I will help BYUA achieve and maintain the performing stage by helping my area reach their performing stage as well as working with the other areas.  It is important that each area doesn't seclude themselves from the others.  Each area has something different to offer and has different resources.  If we all work together and utilize all of our resources we will be able to perform as an association.  In order to accomplish this, I plan on working with other areas, offering them help if they need it.  Additionally, in order to maintain a performing stage, we will need to become a Zion community.  One way to do this is to be welcoming to everyone and to serve with love.

Area Performing

I will help my area achieve and maintain the performing stage by always giving 100% effort into everything that we do.  To help perform, it is important that we actually follow through and carry out our plans.  If we don't do this, then we are not performing.  It is important that we do not just focus on our own tasks but our tasks as an area as well.  It is vital that we are there for each other and that we help with everything we are trying to accomplish.  It is important that we keep our area vision in mind when planning and implementing activities.  To make this happen, I will be reliable and support my fellow team members.

Area Stage

I believe that my area team is in the norming stage.  We formed together back in April where a sense of trust was established. When we first came together we were quiet, shy, and didn't say much.  At the beginning there was some tension during discussions and I could tell that some people were afraid to speak up and share their opinions.   Eventually we began to speak up more and people had differences of opinions.  At Adventure Experience I felt that some people had conflicting views but we never essentially fought.  The storming stage allowed for us to share our opinions and to grow as a team.  Currently we are in the norming stage.  We are individually planning and working on our certain tasks and preparing for the Fall.  We are able to ask for each other's opinions and suggestions on certain issues but we are not yet performing.

2 Things I learned from the Marketing Style Guide

After reading the marketing style guide I learned that the BYUSA brand is extremely important. It is vital to include the brand on all forms of advertisements so people can associate the activities to our organization.  I also learned that the slash in the BYUSA logo is copyrighted.  Additionally, I believe that the style guide allows for us to become more creative with our advertising.  Also by reading this I found a list of contact information for all of the buildings on campus where we can advertise.