Leading into the 3rd Week

Today, I attended the Iowa State Leadership Experience event at the Memorial Union.  At first, I thought it was going to be a bit boring, but I soon found that it was interesting and that it provided me with information I can use in the future. One of the speakers I listened to was Delatorro McNeal, II. A former businessman and current leadership event speaker, I found this man to be a little too enthusiastic, but I guess that is what his job entails. What I liked about his speech was that he used media relevant to us to convey his message. He used clips from films like Drumline and Hitch to explain the importance of leadership and how you can be a leader. I especially liked how he displayed six different leadership styles in the Hitch clip. When I teach a class next semester, I will make sure to incorporate what he said to make my leadership style a more mentor-coach style

Another event I attended was the Art of Interviewing with Mike Gaul. I attended this event because I have an interview for the Community Adviser position next Saturday, and I figured that this would help me. During this session, I learned that before an interview, I not only have to research the company, but I also have to research myself to find my strengths and weaknesses and be prepared for the interview. I also learned there are a variety of factors that go into a first impression. In addition, I found that it was important to keep the dialogue going so there are no lulls. Next Saturday, I will ensure that my interview is successful. Next fall, I can use this knowledge to help those I am mentoring with their interviews if they have any.  I can also use this knowledge for other interviews in the future.

The final event I went to was the Planning Campus Events event with Lauren Sandstrom and MaryBeth Konkowski. During this event, I learned the important steps that go into planning events such as logistics, publicity, and the evaluation after the event. The Event Management Office’s importance was explained as well, but I was aware of this entity because I had to deal with them for quiz bowl tournaments. The EMO will come in handy next semester when the 2012 Hixson scholars go on their retreat. This session will also help out in the future if I want to plan any events besides the retreat with my co-peer mentor. Overall, I feel today was a learning experience. I acquired useful knowledge that will help me not only as a peer mentor, but in my college and professional career as well.