By Jalyn Sneed/reporter
Communication is one of the most important elements of leadership, speakers told 32 students who attended the NE Campus Student Leadership Academy’s workshop Sept. 16.
During the workshop, speakers urged academy members to develop a personal leadership philosophy and explained how communicating effectively would help them.
Kateeka Harris, NE student support coordinator, told students that “as leaders, you need to be able to say what you think and not hold back what needs to be heard. When holding back, eventually you lose a sense of self,” she said. “That’s not what we want to do as leaders.”
Harris also said students should stay authentic and understand various personality types.
“One way to stay true to yourself as a leader is to know what your values are,” she said.
When discussing personality types, Harris said one should know different personalities and ways to deal with them.
“Some people are extroverted, and some are introverted,” she said. “Some people need time to process information, and others don’t. It’s important as a leader that you respect those personalities and understand them.”
Students said they learned from the presentation. NE student Kelsey Sports said she found it beneficial.
“Life could be easier if people would be more effective with communication,” she said. “If we all communicate more effectively, we will be able to better ourselves.”
Academy students also have been assigned readings that are both historical and contemporary, designed to help them become future leaders.
After discussing their last assigned reading, Sports said she finds them helpful for her academy experience.
“The passages that we’ve read so far are really useful to me,” she said.
NE student Jessica Alexander, who is involved in several campus groups, also found the workshop useful and looks forward to using what she learned.
“Student Leadership Academy is going to help me a lot,” she said. “With me being involved in the different clubs and organizations that I’m in, effective communication is so important. I’ve learned that knowing about myself and other people are things leaders must do to help themselves with communication.”
Harris made it clear that while wanting to be a leader is important and valuable, it also takes discipline and dedication.
“Leadership is not a skill you develop overnight,” she said. “It takes practice. It’s more than just the understanding of self. Understanding the different aspects of truth and interaction with others are what I expect students to gain. Everyone has their own truth. Your truth is based on your life experience.”
