Student Jon Sheehan's Leadership Response

I asked the students to embark on these ideas in a response to recap the first two classes:
Write about something that you've learned and really come to appreciate in our first two classes where we've attempted to define what leadership is - what's effective leadership to you (as of right now) and expand on it. What quality would you implement into your ideals as a leader and what would be something that you'd want to pass on to a teammate, classmate, or whoever you're leading? Think of it as a keynote speech that you're giving to a graduating class and what important quality for successful leadership you'd pass on to them.

There were some great responses and I chose to Jon Sheehan's, a Wesleyan baseball captain and executive leader at his fraternity, so here's what he said:

I don’t like John Boehner one bit, but I respect him and listen to what he says.  I do this because he swept floors to pay for college, and when he was quite disillusioned with the world, he ran for the Ohio statehouse.  Today, as Speaker of the House, while it may be easy to find flaws in his politics, one must respect the way he ascended the ranks of both politics, and life.  Throughout the first two classes, the theme of working one’s way up the ranks has been hit on multiple times.  Whether it was Eric Mangini or Bill Belichick being the towel boy or Todd Keats discussing his father’s ascension up to the top of the family business, working one’s way up in my opinion is critical to being a good leader.

John Wooden said that you must “earn it, and deserve it.”  That fits in with working your way up to the top.  Paying your dues isn’t enough.  If you begin as a coffee boy, you better be the best coffee getter there is.  Taking responsibility seriously, and doing any task to the best of your ability, is invaluable.  Kendrick Meek, the former Congressman and failed Florida senatorial candidate, began his career as a security officer.  He worked so hard, and was so good at this seemingly menial job, that he was promoted to be on President Clinton’s detail during a campaign stop in the state.  Meek impressed the President so much, that when he decided to run for Congress, Clinton was the first to endorse Meek, and campaigned multiple times for him.

While certainly lacking the sexy title, power, or benefits of high end jobs, I believe the best leaders start from the bottom.  Boehner, Meek, Mangini, Mr. Keats, and Belichick know what it is like to be at the bottom, and are better leaders for being there.  Wooden also wrote that it is important to be careful who you follow; I’d recommend following the people who have worked their way up, and earned their stripes the hard way.