Being president of your student organization while you’re in college has its perks. It can teach you great leadership skills that you can take into the workforce when you graduate. It also looks great on a resume. Several skills are needed to turn a good leader into a great one.
Encourage Teamwork
You may be the leader, but that doesn’t mean the organization is all about you and your ideas. Hold brainstorming sessions in which other members give input as to the group’s purpose and the decisions that will help you achieve your goals. Different people bring different strengths to the table, and that can be a great advantage. By listening to other people’s ideas, you not only communicate that they are valuable to the organization but also are more likely to reach the best decision.
Cultivate Resources
Once decisions have been made, you are the main one in charge of implementing them. It’s easier to do this if you reach out to people who can take some of the tasks off your plate. A college event planner, for example, can be a valuable resource when you need to host a party or other type of event for your organization. It’s also a good idea to discover the resources you have on campus. Many student organization leaders miss out on opportunities simply because they don’t know they exist.
Manage Conflict
Any time a group of people work together to accomplish a goal, there’s bound to be conflict. A great leader can employ the right conflict management strategy in any given situation so that it is addressed and resolved in a healthy way. Ignored conflict often becomes destructive and can severely disrupt whatever you are trying to accomplish.
Leading your student organization can be a lot of fun and teach you quite a few useful skills. The line between a good leader and a great one depends on how well you hone those skills.