Apathy is one of the main issues facing student organizations today. It seems that very few people care about the issues that face the state, nation and university. This can be very frustrating when you really care about an issue and it seems like nobody wants to help out.
So what can we do? The first thing that we as leaders can do is learn how to fight apathy. I will be attending “The Apathy Myth,” a program being put on by SIEO on Sep. 29th at 7pm in the DUC Theater. The person giving the presentation is T.J. Sullivan who offers student leaders a workshop that focuses on practical ideas. He will show us how to evaluate our events, change our approach to meetings and how we can redirect the management of our people. We need to attack apathy, but first we as leaders need to know how.
Once again I encourage you to attend this event. It should be fun.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Timing
It is clear that one of the most important things for leaders is timing. This may not be as true at the student level, but it is definitely true at the state, national and international levels. Unfortunately timing is one of the things that a leader can not control. Leaders can work on many other skills such as confidence and charisma, but they can not work on timing. Allow me to give you a couple of examples from history and the present.
The first example is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As I’m sure you already know FDR was elected in response to President Hoover’s inability to deal with the great depression. He offered people a change to the way that the Republican president had run the country. The funny thing about it is Hoover was an accomplished business man who was suited to help manage a national economy. FDR provided the people with the hope that the economy could turn around with an appropriate level of public programs. It was this hope of change that the U.S. voters elected FDR to four consecutive terms. If FDR would have been president in 1929 it is very likely that the voters would have wanted someone who understood the economy and business, someone like Hoover.
The other example is our current president, Barack Obama. It is my opinion that Obama was voted into office so easily because the voters wanted someone who could provide change from the last eight years. If the Bush administration had not taken steps that angered a significant portion of the U.S. population it is likely that the Democrats would not have won sweeping victories in both 2006 and 2008. In fact it is possible that we would have another Republican in the White House.
These are just two short examples of how timing can be very important for a leader. As I mentioned earlier timing may not be as important as a student, but it is still important to know how it has affected other leaders. I hope these examples inspire you to learn about these two leaders and others. Have a great day.
The first example is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As I’m sure you already know FDR was elected in response to President Hoover’s inability to deal with the great depression. He offered people a change to the way that the Republican president had run the country. The funny thing about it is Hoover was an accomplished business man who was suited to help manage a national economy. FDR provided the people with the hope that the economy could turn around with an appropriate level of public programs. It was this hope of change that the U.S. voters elected FDR to four consecutive terms. If FDR would have been president in 1929 it is very likely that the voters would have wanted someone who understood the economy and business, someone like Hoover.
The other example is our current president, Barack Obama. It is my opinion that Obama was voted into office so easily because the voters wanted someone who could provide change from the last eight years. If the Bush administration had not taken steps that angered a significant portion of the U.S. population it is likely that the Democrats would not have won sweeping victories in both 2006 and 2008. In fact it is possible that we would have another Republican in the White House.
These are just two short examples of how timing can be very important for a leader. As I mentioned earlier timing may not be as important as a student, but it is still important to know how it has affected other leaders. I hope these examples inspire you to learn about these two leaders and others. Have a great day.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
A Bit of Input
Good afternoon folks.
I think it is time for a bit of input from you, the reader. I would like to know about the best leader in your life. Please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail (alets410@uwsp.edu) and I’ll publish it.
Let me tell you about the best leader in my life, my father. My dad retired from the Wisconsin Army National Guard in the late 1990’s as Major. I was young when he served and I don’t remember too many details. However, since I’ve joined the Army I have met many people who served with him who have told me they think he was one of the best officers they ever served with. This speaks very highly of his abilities as a leader.
Since then he has moved up in the company he works for into many leadership positions. I had the privilege to work for him during the summer after my first semester at UWSP and was able to witness his leadership abilities in action. My dad is a very outgoing person who is willing to share his opinion with anyone. He is the type of leader I strive to be.
Please leave your own stories either here on the blog or e-mail me.
Have a great day!
I think it is time for a bit of input from you, the reader. I would like to know about the best leader in your life. Please leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail (alets410@uwsp.edu) and I’ll publish it.
Let me tell you about the best leader in my life, my father. My dad retired from the Wisconsin Army National Guard in the late 1990’s as Major. I was young when he served and I don’t remember too many details. However, since I’ve joined the Army I have met many people who served with him who have told me they think he was one of the best officers they ever served with. This speaks very highly of his abilities as a leader.
Since then he has moved up in the company he works for into many leadership positions. I had the privilege to work for him during the summer after my first semester at UWSP and was able to witness his leadership abilities in action. My dad is a very outgoing person who is willing to share his opinion with anyone. He is the type of leader I strive to be.
Please leave your own stories either here on the blog or e-mail me.
Have a great day!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Getting involved
It is important for a leader to know people. If you know people you can help out the people who follow you. By knowing people you can become even more influential not only at UWSP, but also in your life outside of school. One of the best ways to meet people on campus is to get involved in student organizations.
There are about 190 student organizations on campus which cover activities relating to politics, the environment, club sports, and gaming, just to name a few. Essentially, if you are interested in anything, there is a student organization for you.
One of the best organizations on campus (in my opinion) is 90fm. 90fm is the campus radio station and is one of the largest student run campus radio stations in the country. I was involved with the organization for about a year and a half and absolutely loved it. Working at 90fm will greatly increase your communication skills because you will be talking on the microphone every day. Doing this lets you communicate with an audience without having to actually see them, which really helped boost my confidence. Also working there will help teach you to think on your feet and best of all it’s a lot of fun.
Getting involved in any student organization will help you as a leader. Most organizations put on programs on campus and this will give you an opportunity to help organize an event and become more confident with yourself. I guess the moral of the story is get involved.
Well, that’s all I have for this week. Enjoy and please come back again!
There are about 190 student organizations on campus which cover activities relating to politics, the environment, club sports, and gaming, just to name a few. Essentially, if you are interested in anything, there is a student organization for you.
One of the best organizations on campus (in my opinion) is 90fm. 90fm is the campus radio station and is one of the largest student run campus radio stations in the country. I was involved with the organization for about a year and a half and absolutely loved it. Working at 90fm will greatly increase your communication skills because you will be talking on the microphone every day. Doing this lets you communicate with an audience without having to actually see them, which really helped boost my confidence. Also working there will help teach you to think on your feet and best of all it’s a lot of fun.
Getting involved in any student organization will help you as a leader. Most organizations put on programs on campus and this will give you an opportunity to help organize an event and become more confident with yourself. I guess the moral of the story is get involved.
Well, that’s all I have for this week. Enjoy and please come back again!
Monday, June 29, 2009
A Great Opportunity
Today I would like to write to you about a great leadership opportunity available at UWSP. The Student Government Association (SGA) works on many issues that concern students to include tuition, campus environmental issues, and education issues (i.e. GDRs).
The easiest way to become involved is to become a Student Senator. Senators represent the students on all issues that come before the Student Government.
Being a senator requires about 5-6 hours a week. You would be asked to attend three meetings a week. The first meeting is the weekly senate meeting. The entire senate meets every Thursday at 6pm in the Legacy Room (3rd floor of the DUC), this meeting will last about 2-3 hours. This is where Student Government makes most of its decisions. During these meetings SGA will review legislation and discuss proposals.
The other two meetings per week are committee meetings; these will last about an hour each. The first committee senators are asked to attend are SGA committee meetings. During these meetings SGA committees will discuss what the Executive Directors are doing and discuss legislation before it goes to the entire Senate.
The second type of committees is faculty committees. These committees often have one or two students sitting on them with a mix of Faculty and Academic Staff. There are many issues that faculty committees work on, basically if you are interested in any sort of university issue there is a faculty committee for you.
The best part about being a Student Senator is you will meet a lot of great people all over campus. You will be able to make a lot of great friends and make some valuable contacts that will help you during and after your college career.
I really hope you consider becoming a Student Senator. If you are interested please e-mail me at alets410@uwsp.edu.
The easiest way to become involved is to become a Student Senator. Senators represent the students on all issues that come before the Student Government.
Being a senator requires about 5-6 hours a week. You would be asked to attend three meetings a week. The first meeting is the weekly senate meeting. The entire senate meets every Thursday at 6pm in the Legacy Room (3rd floor of the DUC), this meeting will last about 2-3 hours. This is where Student Government makes most of its decisions. During these meetings SGA will review legislation and discuss proposals.
The other two meetings per week are committee meetings; these will last about an hour each. The first committee senators are asked to attend are SGA committee meetings. During these meetings SGA committees will discuss what the Executive Directors are doing and discuss legislation before it goes to the entire Senate.
The second type of committees is faculty committees. These committees often have one or two students sitting on them with a mix of Faculty and Academic Staff. There are many issues that faculty committees work on, basically if you are interested in any sort of university issue there is a faculty committee for you.
The best part about being a Student Senator is you will meet a lot of great people all over campus. You will be able to make a lot of great friends and make some valuable contacts that will help you during and after your college career.
I really hope you consider becoming a Student Senator. If you are interested please e-mail me at alets410@uwsp.edu.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Confidence
It is my opinion that the most important thing a leader can be is confident.
I can tell you now that I haven’t always been a leader, nor have I always been confident. You wouldn’t be able to tell now, but I used to be a very shy person. As a kid I often enjoyed playing alone or with one other person rather than in large groups. I didn’t play many sports in high school (mostly due to my lack of ability, which holds true to this day); instead I worked at one of the grocery stores in my home town of Eau Claire. It was that job where my journey to becoming a leader began. Well sort of…
My journey really began when I was a boy scout where I had the opportunity to lead people; I just wasn’t very good at it then. I would often do projects myself rather than delegate the tasks. That is why I say my journey didn’t begin until high school.
I used to work at Copps. I started off as a bagger and worked my way up to a front end supervisor position. I was in charge of making sure all of the cashiers and baggers got their breaks on time and to make sure the small odds and ends jobs got done. This is where I began to come out of my shell and enjoy working with other people.
It wasn’t until my second semester that I was more confident and was able to really begin being a leader. I attribute a large part of that to a class, Communication 101. I think a lot of students wouldn’t agree with me that this is one of the best courses offered, but let me explain my reasons. A leader needs to be able to speak in front of their subordinates. I have always had something to say, whether it is in class or in an informal setting, but I never felt comfortable saying it. Comm 101 forced me to get in front of a group of my peers and say something.
The first time I had to give a speech I was a nervous wreck. I was pacing all over the place and stumbling over my words. By my final speech I was confident and felt like I could argue the best orators out there. I probably wouldn’t win, but I would have a great time doing it. Before that class I couldn’t imagine myself talking to a group of people I had never met. Today I give tours to prospective students and their families and absolutely love it.
I highly encourage you to take that class as soon as you can. Not to get it out of the way, but because you will learn a lot about yourself and you will leave it feeling like you can speak in front of just about anyone. Like I stated before, confidence is the name of the game. If you can confidently speak people will listen to you and you will be a more effective leader.
I can tell you now that I haven’t always been a leader, nor have I always been confident. You wouldn’t be able to tell now, but I used to be a very shy person. As a kid I often enjoyed playing alone or with one other person rather than in large groups. I didn’t play many sports in high school (mostly due to my lack of ability, which holds true to this day); instead I worked at one of the grocery stores in my home town of Eau Claire. It was that job where my journey to becoming a leader began. Well sort of…
My journey really began when I was a boy scout where I had the opportunity to lead people; I just wasn’t very good at it then. I would often do projects myself rather than delegate the tasks. That is why I say my journey didn’t begin until high school.
I used to work at Copps. I started off as a bagger and worked my way up to a front end supervisor position. I was in charge of making sure all of the cashiers and baggers got their breaks on time and to make sure the small odds and ends jobs got done. This is where I began to come out of my shell and enjoy working with other people.
It wasn’t until my second semester that I was more confident and was able to really begin being a leader. I attribute a large part of that to a class, Communication 101. I think a lot of students wouldn’t agree with me that this is one of the best courses offered, but let me explain my reasons. A leader needs to be able to speak in front of their subordinates. I have always had something to say, whether it is in class or in an informal setting, but I never felt comfortable saying it. Comm 101 forced me to get in front of a group of my peers and say something.
The first time I had to give a speech I was a nervous wreck. I was pacing all over the place and stumbling over my words. By my final speech I was confident and felt like I could argue the best orators out there. I probably wouldn’t win, but I would have a great time doing it. Before that class I couldn’t imagine myself talking to a group of people I had never met. Today I give tours to prospective students and their families and absolutely love it.
I highly encourage you to take that class as soon as you can. Not to get it out of the way, but because you will learn a lot about yourself and you will leave it feeling like you can speak in front of just about anyone. Like I stated before, confidence is the name of the game. If you can confidently speak people will listen to you and you will be a more effective leader.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Your First Year
Good morning, afternoon or evening. I’m not really sure when you are reading this, but for me writing this it is 12:05am. I guess that makes it tomorrow.
I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Andrew Letson, but everyone calls me Andy. I’m 23 years old, a senior at UWSP (graduating in December!) and am working on a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Political Science and Public Administration/Policy Analysis. When I am done here I want to attend graduate school and work on a Masters of Public Administration. Ultimately I want to be a City Manager or a
While it has only been a short five years since I was in your shoes as a recent high school graduate sometimes it feels like ancient history. But, trust me; I know exactly how you are feeling right now. You are probably both excited and nervous to be starting college, especially if you are like me and are going to a school without many of your high school classmates. Even if you are coming to UWSP with many of the same people you graduated with the next four, five or six years are going to be some of the best of your life.
Over the next couple of months I will be writing about leadership. You’ll be able to read about my experiences and hopefully be able to learn from them.
Today I want to write about the challenges of starting college. I was fortunate when I came to college for a couple of reasons. The first was as a kid I was involved in boy scouts which allowed me to be away from home for weekends now and again. Also between my junior and senior years of high school I joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard and I had to go off to basic training for three months before I started college. Both of these experiences made it much easier for me to be away from home. I was very fortunate to have that independence. I know this isn’t always the case with college freshmen. I was also fortunate because I could continue my high school job here in
The downside was I started school in January. When I moved into the Residence Halls most people had already established their groups of friends and it was difficult for me to fit in. During this semester I focused more on school and work than on meeting people and getting involved. Looking back I think this was a big mistake. I’m not saying it’s not important to focus on school or work, but you need to make time to get involved and meet some new people.
After my first semester probably the best thing that could have happened to me did, I was deployed to
I did notice something about other freshmen in my classes. There were some people who I would talk to in class and occasionally hang out with outside of class who went home every single weekend. Some of them went home for work, others for a significant other, but some because they just wanted to see their friends from high school. While it is a good thing to maintain those friendships you need to ask yourself, do you want to be someone who has graduated high school and moved on with life, or do you want to be that person who never really graduated? I chose the latter path and frankly am much happier because of it.
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