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| Errol Flynn - My First Role Model |
My brother was born almost three years earlier than
me. He taught me, first, how to be a follower – I wasn’t entirely sure what
Barbies were, because I was too busy playing with fake swords and engineering
giant Lego creations. I was convinced I was some odd combination of Robin Hood
and Aragorn. When Middle Earth and the Sherwood Forest weren’t in danger, I was
just the baby of the family. I remember praying that God would send me a little
sister. And when I was 8 years old, he did. Two years after that, he gave me
another. If any of you have little sisters, you will understand when I say that
my first leadership role as a big sister was and remains my biggest
responsibility.
Hello, my name is Laura Beth Askelson and I’m a senior
at the University of Montevallo. I’m a double major, double minor – Political
Science, History, Communication Studies, and Pre-Law. I served as an intern for
the Leading Edge Institute, a leadership program for collegiate women in
Alabama. We participated in advocacy, leadership action projects, and
communication development seminars. For our final project, we had to discover
and define our leadership philosophy.
If I were to define the words, “busy,” “overwhelmed,”
or “burned out,” I could have described, in detail, my thoughts and experiences
with each. But stating my leadership philosophy is something so much more than
a few key phrases or buzz words. Practically, I think that leadership means
something different to each person, and each person brings their own qualities
to bear in reference to it.
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My boyfriend of over two years
is the Spock to my Kirk |
During the summer institute, we took personality tests
to find out how we express ourselves. When I took the Myers-Briggs, it told me
that I am likely an introverted, sensitive, feeling, and perceiving
person. Essentially, it means that, as
an introvert, I can be as bubbly as any extrovert, but I draw my energy from
quiet moments apart from the madness of everyday life. I am sensing, so I learn
information by absorbing details and immediate realities, rather than
possibilities and big pictures. I'm feeling, rather judging, so I'm the Kirk to
someone else's Spock. I'm perceiving, which means that I don't like set plans,
I want to keep my options open, and I'm a wonderful procrastinator. Although
the Myers-Briggs did not help reveal my leadership identity, it helped me
understand myself better, which I believe is an important step towards any
realization of personal philosophy.
When I was challenged with actually defining
leadership for myself, I was a little lost as to where to begin. Dr. Truss, one
of my favorite history professors and one of the women involved with Leading
Edge at my university, read the rough draft of this speech and let me borrow
two of her favorite leadership books by John Maxwell to act as a further guide
toward developing my leadership identity. On one of her post-it noted pages in
"The Maxwell Daily Reader," I found this quote:
"If you really want to become the kind of leader
that people want to follow, you will have to settle the issue of servant-hood.
If your attitude is to be served rather than to serve, you may be headed for
trouble. If this is an issue in your life... stop lording over people, and starting
listening to them. Stop seeking your own way and start serving others... If you
want to lead on the highest level, be willing to serve on the lowest" (Maxwell, 29).
In the summer, we reviewed several common leadership
philosophies; we read excerpts from leadership gurus like John Maxwell and
Robert Greenleaf. I struggled through their differences and how I could adopt
their principles in the development of my own leadership philosophy. Greenleaf
advocated a concept called servant leadership, which means putting others'
priorities beyond your own, being a leader because it will positively influence
others and not just yourself. Because of my faith, servant leadership struck a
strong chord with me. As a Christian, I
see Christ as the ultimate servant-leader, and as I walk through every day
life, I try to follow his example. Even now, I’m not entirely sure what kind of
leader I am, but I can tell you what kind of leader I aspire to be. Becoming a
servant-leader is not a one-time decision, or a sudden transformation, I
believe that my servant leadership will continue to be developed through my
entire life time.
One of the most inspiring women in my life is my mom.
She is the perfect example of a servant leader and she inspired my Leading Edge
advocacy project. She earned her Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in
Early Childhood Education from the University of Montevallo. She later earned
an Educational Specialist degree from UAB and is currently qualified to teach
Pre-K through 12th grade. I know people ask if she’s a working
mother or a stay at home mother, but for her there is no difference. My older
brother earned a 35 on the ACT and graduated with a 4.0 in Math at UAB. But it
was my mom that taught him to read, to add and subtract. It was my mom that
inspired my love of history, and it is my mom that still privately tutors a
class of 20 kids and my little sisters. My advocacy project fought to ensure
that Alabama certified public schools teachers will continue to be able to
privately tutor their children, like my mother did for me.
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| The Executive Board of The University of Montevallo's Alpha Sigma Pi |
For my leadership action project, I founded a chapter
of the National Society of Leadership and Success on Montevallo’s campus. We
have over 350 members, and though it is scary to be in charge of coordinating
the organization and its many events, I am proud to be involved with the
organization. Rather than relying on a high GPA as a membership requirement,
NSLS is a participatory honors organization, which means that members must
attend a certain number of events prior to their induction into the society.
This opens doors for students who have amazing leadership potential which has
never been realized in any other honors organization. Although our organization
is only starting, it has been a privilege to watch members grow, step up, and
work towards their personal, professional, and academic goals.
When I came to Leading Edge’s summer institute, I was
unprepared for its impact on me. I had wanted to be a part of Leading Edge,
because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love summer camp? I had heard good things
about Leading Edge’s program, I wanted my resume boosted, and it seemed like a
great opportunity. But it turned out to all that and more. At the Summer
Institute, I met some absolutely incredible women – in my reflection group, at
the lunch table, and in the crowded bus to Montgomery. I had lunch with
Alabama’s former secretary of state, powerful judges, and other dynamic women.
These women had made it into the judicial and executive strongholds of
government to serve as leaders. It was
an incredible honor to meet, not only them, but every person involved with the
Leading Edge Institute. I think that the first step of servant leadership is
appreciation for others, so let me extend my gratitude. Specifically I want to
thank Ms. Myrna Pitman, Ms. Ashley Gilbert, Ms. Kelsie Overton, Ms. Jenny Bell, Ms. Alison Black Cornelius,
Ms. Shannon Ammons, Ms. Kelly Hawkins, Ms. Pres, Ms. Marie Owens, and Dr. Ruth
Truss. These strong women and others, including Leading Edge Class XII, have actively
influenced me into growing as a person and as a professional. Thank you for
taking such a strong personal interest in me. Your investment in me means so
much.
In John Maxwell's Developing
the Leader within You, he leaves readers with this motivational quote:
"You
will only become what you are becoming right now.
Though are you cannot go back
and make a brand new start, my friend.
Anyone can start from now
and make a brand new end."
