Visionary Leadership: From a Delegate's Perspective
Welcome back, and happy Sunday!
I cannot believe this course is at the halfway point of completion. Time has flown and this blog has grown! I have enjoyed looking back at how my understanding of strategic communications and leadership has expanded in the last six weeks.
During our course studies this week, we have spent more time learning about the workings of visionary leadership. When writing these blog posts, I am often inspired to draw from my own experiences, applying what we have learned to what I have taken part in during my own life. For this entry, an organization that I joined in college, Freshman Forum, gave me the chance to both learn about and practice visionary leadership.
Visionary Leadership
To begin, we must have an understanding of what visionary leadership is. Daniel Goleman does a great job of explaining visionary leadership succinctly, stating, “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks” (“What Are the Qualities of a Visionary Leader?”, 2023). Visionary leaders allow input from those they are leading, creating a collaborative atmosphere that emphasizes the importance of the input of others.
Freshman Forum
While in college, I had the wonderful opportunity of going straight into a leadership role as a freshman. The opportunity took the form of the Freshman Forum, my college’s freshman branch of the Student Government Association. To be involved, a student must apply during the summer, filling out an application and questionnaire. From there, interviews are held the first week of school, and then fifty delegates are chosen to act as a voice for the freshman class, gaining useful leadership skills, community, and opportunities. Freshman Forum’s motto delivers the organization's purpose concisely- “As Representatives of Troy University’s Freshman Class, We Commit to Excellence in Leadership through Service, Enthusiasm, and Trojan Pride!” (“Freshman Forum,” n.d.).
As you might imagine, subjecting yourself to an interview process after moving to college and already anticipating so many changes can be overwhelming. I almost considered not applying just to give myself a break from added anticipation, however, I went through with the interview process thanks to my friends who were encouraging me to join with them. It is almost ironic because joining Freshman Forum made my transition into college so much easier. I was selected as one of the fifty delegates during the 2019-2020 school year, and I held such reverence and found such importance in the organization, that I applied to be a director the next year, holding that position during the 2020-2021 school year. Both roles held a heavy, hands-on emphasis on visionary leadership.
Visionary Leadership as a Delegate
(Some of the 2019-2020 Freshman Forum delegates who attended Higher Education Day in Montgomery, Alabama, in February 2020. I am the first girl on the left crouched in the front.)
Freshman Forum did such a great job of giving the Freshman class a voice. I remember that in the first few meetings we had after all of the logistics were explained, a specific meeting was conducted where the directors allowed us to share what issues were important to us. We ended up deriving a vision for our year, aiming to focus heavily on community service both on our college campus and in the surrounding areas. We came up with as many subgroups of community involvement as we could think of- environmental work, food drives, social events, etc.- with a vision to encourage students on Troy’s campus to give back to the community that was giving so much to us.
With the help of our staff advisor and directors, we arranged several events within the area to fulfill this vision. Events were arranged, and we were encouraged to invite individuals outside of the organization to also get involved.
We were able to give back to so many areas of our community. Environmentally, we cleaned after football games, did yardwork for elderly neighbors, cleaned an animal shelter, and adopted dogs for a day. Socially, we hosted an international student Thanksgiving, became “conversation partners” with international students for the year, hosted a family-friendly trunk or treat for children, and organized sporting events for individuals with special needs.
Another accomplishment that really fulfilled our vision was a food drive for Hurricane Dorian where Freshman Forum, with the help of the entire freshman class, was able to gather more resources than our school’s Student Government Association and our rival school’s Student Government Association! While it is wonderful that all schools were participating, I was proud that healthy competition encouraged so many students to get involved and assist those in need.
4 C’s of a Visionary Leader
Analyzing the 4 C’s of a Visionary Leader, the 2019-2020 Freshman Forum class, with the help of our directors, was able to do the following for our university’s freshman class (Richard, 2017):
What an Opportunity!
Freshman Forum was an organization that I encourage every freshman to join when working as an admissions counselor. Not only did it allow me to learn about visionary leadership, but also put it into action, watching the fruits of our collaborative labor grow. Being exposed to leadership opportunities at such a young age has allowed me to carry these skills into my career. As I continue to learn about strategic communications, I cannot wait to carry these skills further!
“Freshman Forum”. (n.d.). Troy University. Retrieved April 21, 2024, from https://www.troy.edu/student-life-resources/groups-organizations/student-government-association/troy-sga/freshman-forum/index.html
Richard, S. (2017, July 26). “How Leaders Create A Compelling Vision to Engage & Inspire”. Skip Richard. https://www.skipprichard.com/how-leaders-create-a-compelling-vision-to-engage-inspire/
“What Are the Qualities of a Visionary Leader?” (2023, April 19). Michigan State University. https://www.michiganstateuniversityonline.com/resources/leadership/qualities-of-a-visionary-leader/
I cannot believe this course is at the halfway point of completion. Time has flown and this blog has grown! I have enjoyed looking back at how my understanding of strategic communications and leadership has expanded in the last six weeks.
During our course studies this week, we have spent more time learning about the workings of visionary leadership. When writing these blog posts, I am often inspired to draw from my own experiences, applying what we have learned to what I have taken part in during my own life. For this entry, an organization that I joined in college, Freshman Forum, gave me the chance to both learn about and practice visionary leadership.
Visionary Leadership
To begin, we must have an understanding of what visionary leadership is. Daniel Goleman does a great job of explaining visionary leadership succinctly, stating, “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks” (“What Are the Qualities of a Visionary Leader?”, 2023). Visionary leaders allow input from those they are leading, creating a collaborative atmosphere that emphasizes the importance of the input of others.
Freshman Forum
While in college, I had the wonderful opportunity of going straight into a leadership role as a freshman. The opportunity took the form of the Freshman Forum, my college’s freshman branch of the Student Government Association. To be involved, a student must apply during the summer, filling out an application and questionnaire. From there, interviews are held the first week of school, and then fifty delegates are chosen to act as a voice for the freshman class, gaining useful leadership skills, community, and opportunities. Freshman Forum’s motto delivers the organization's purpose concisely- “As Representatives of Troy University’s Freshman Class, We Commit to Excellence in Leadership through Service, Enthusiasm, and Trojan Pride!” (“Freshman Forum,” n.d.).
As you might imagine, subjecting yourself to an interview process after moving to college and already anticipating so many changes can be overwhelming. I almost considered not applying just to give myself a break from added anticipation, however, I went through with the interview process thanks to my friends who were encouraging me to join with them. It is almost ironic because joining Freshman Forum made my transition into college so much easier. I was selected as one of the fifty delegates during the 2019-2020 school year, and I held such reverence and found such importance in the organization, that I applied to be a director the next year, holding that position during the 2020-2021 school year. Both roles held a heavy, hands-on emphasis on visionary leadership.
Visionary Leadership as a Delegate
(Some of the 2019-2020 Freshman Forum delegates who attended Higher Education Day in Montgomery, Alabama, in February 2020. I am the first girl on the left crouched in the front.)
Freshman Forum did such a great job of giving the Freshman class a voice. I remember that in the first few meetings we had after all of the logistics were explained, a specific meeting was conducted where the directors allowed us to share what issues were important to us. We ended up deriving a vision for our year, aiming to focus heavily on community service both on our college campus and in the surrounding areas. We came up with as many subgroups of community involvement as we could think of- environmental work, food drives, social events, etc.- with a vision to encourage students on Troy’s campus to give back to the community that was giving so much to us.
With the help of our staff advisor and directors, we arranged several events within the area to fulfill this vision. Events were arranged, and we were encouraged to invite individuals outside of the organization to also get involved.
We were able to give back to so many areas of our community. Environmentally, we cleaned after football games, did yardwork for elderly neighbors, cleaned an animal shelter, and adopted dogs for a day. Socially, we hosted an international student Thanksgiving, became “conversation partners” with international students for the year, hosted a family-friendly trunk or treat for children, and organized sporting events for individuals with special needs.
Another accomplishment that really fulfilled our vision was a food drive for Hurricane Dorian where Freshman Forum, with the help of the entire freshman class, was able to gather more resources than our school’s Student Government Association and our rival school’s Student Government Association! While it is wonderful that all schools were participating, I was proud that healthy competition encouraged so many students to get involved and assist those in need.
4 C’s of a Visionary Leader
Analyzing the 4 C’s of a Visionary Leader, the 2019-2020 Freshman Forum class, with the help of our directors, was able to do the following for our university’s freshman class (Richard, 2017):
- Embody courage: We took the initiative to set a goal, vowing to take time out of our schedules to fulfill our vision.
- Forge clarity: We took a broad concept, community service, and broke it into subgroups. Our goal was to give back to each subgroup once a month. This allowed for both clarity and direction.
- Build connectedness: By working with community organizations and encouraging campus involvement, not only did we connect as an organization, but we also forged connections with the community organizations we served.
- Shape the culture: After our year of community service, many years of Freshman Forum have maintained connections with outside organizations and grown events that were established from our vision.
What an Opportunity!
Freshman Forum was an organization that I encourage every freshman to join when working as an admissions counselor. Not only did it allow me to learn about visionary leadership, but also put it into action, watching the fruits of our collaborative labor grow. Being exposed to leadership opportunities at such a young age has allowed me to carry these skills into my career. As I continue to learn about strategic communications, I cannot wait to carry these skills further!
Works Cited
Richard, S. (2017, July 26). “How Leaders Create A Compelling Vision to Engage & Inspire”. Skip Richard. https://www.skipprichard.com/how-leaders-create-a-compelling-vision-to-engage-inspire/
“What Are the Qualities of a Visionary Leader?” (2023, April 19). Michigan State University. https://www.michiganstateuniversityonline.com/resources/leadership/qualities-of-a-visionary-leader/
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