KC CHANGED MY LIFE

H O W K E Y C L U B C H A N G E D M Y L I F E

Emily Wilson

My principal Mr. Hagman once told me to wake up everyday and ask myself how I can serve the people around me. From my role as class representative, vice president, and president, Key Club has taught me how to both serve and lead. Most importantly it’s taught me the intertwined connection of the two. The one thing I learned from Key Club that will impact my life forever is that being a leader is being in service to others by focusing on your team.

Leading through sacrifice builds a stronger team. Being the first one to take on optional tasks like writing articles or representing the club at service events sets an example. But beyond setting an example, it’s an opportunity to serve your team. As a leader, that’s the whole goal, finding what must be sacrificed for the group goals and determining the best ways to do that. Sometimes it’s best to give the work to others, but other times it’s better for others to give the work to yourself. It’s important to keep in mind other’s circumstances when you’re a leader and take on responsibilities when you’re able to ease another's burdens.

Leading in service doesn't just mean doing things first, it also means asking your team the questions that will get you to the goal you all desire. When confronting others about a responsibility, the first thing you ask is,

“what can I do to help you with this?” And by having clear conversations about uncomfortable things, people usually feel better about them afterwards. This requires full transparency about how you feel and how they feel, and that level of transparency is a sacrifice. It’s a vulnerability, but being the best way to serve when conflict arises is getting to the root of a problem and finding a solution that best fits everyone’s needs even if it makes you uncomfortable to bring it up.

Most importantly, serving others means giving them what they need in order to grow. Some tasks are urgent or seem too crucial to make mistakes on, and sometimes it feels like it’s easier to do it all yourself. But leading really means sacrificing that need for control and perfection. It’s assigning tasks that you know have a learning curve, but your officers will become better as a result. Mistakes will be made and frustration may occur, but you can’t just take everything on yourself. In this case, serving means trusting others and giving up your need to do things right the first time. As a result of this, throughout the time you spend with them, you’ll see your team grow in both their skills and confidence, and that is your goal as a leader- serving for the betterment of those around you.