Why did I register for ESHESA 2570? My choice was driven by an insane desire to drop my physics class. Now I know that is not the "right" answer. I should not be so terribly honest by saying that I was ready to take ANY other class. I was willing to take 15 more credit hours of class if I had to! Just get me out of this wretched lecture, and fast!

I did, however, get to choose this class out of all the other Session 2 classes available. Yes, there were plenty that were closed, that I was ineligible for, and that conflicted with my schedule. When I read the description of this class, at first I decided that it wasn't for me. NO WAY am I going to get up and give speeches in front of a bunch of confident students who are studying leadership. So I scrolled through the rest of my options and did a mental yawn for most of them. So I came back to this class and said "You know what? Who cares if I make a few speeches? If I screw up? The only person who cares is me. The only person who will judge me is me, and maybe the teacher grading me. This class will help me with my people skills. It will help me with my confidence. I can learn how to become an effective leader. I need this class!" And so I signed up. This class is very similar to one I took this summer (Dale Carnegie--great course with an inspiring book) said: "You don't take a Dale Carnegie course--you live it!" I am ready, with an open mind and a confident mindset, to absorb the content in this class like a sponge and use it in my everyday life. 

"Leadership is a role open to anyone. 
Leadership is living by a personal set of rules in which you 
motivate others to do the right thing, 
be engaged in the world, 
and to listen to others and their concerns. 
Leadership is focused on the other person." 
-Chandra Johnson quoted from Chapter 1 of Exploring Leadership. 

This quote from the reading spoke to me. It gave me this sort of "ah-ha" moment. I think that leadership is very personal. No matter how much we talk about it in this class, the only thing that will be influenced is our own personal take on leadership. There is no right answer. There can't be only one right answer because there are so many different parts to leadership. I feel that everyone's view can change, but that everyone is going to have their own take on what is most and least important in their view of leadership.

I expect to maintain a clear and open mindset for discussions so that I can learn and absorb new ideas and tools to become a leader. I hope to get a new perspective and approach to leadership in order to find the ability in myself to be a leader in any scenario. I expect myself to always give my best effort and to stretch my comfort zone in order to make this dream a reality. I also expect myself to work well with my This Ohio State Life project team so that I may earn an A in this course.

I am very excited to be a part of this class and cannot wait to obtain skills to become a leader in my life.