What is leadership...Really?

Leadership I feel is sometimes and overused word. We go to leadership conferences, and have leadership applied to our titles. But what happens when this overused word is actually debuted? I know in the collegiate experience, I have encountered many people who are “leaders” because they are handed these gold nametags with there names, and official titles. And these gold nametags often automatically qualify these students to leadership titles, whether deserving or not.

Luckily at the University of Missouri, the President and Vice President of the Missouri Students Association (Student Government) are not just nametag leaders, but actual spearheaders who not only work tirelessly to improve campus, but also realize and support those who helped to get them where they are today. Let me introduce Payton Head, and Brenda Smith-Lezama. These two students are who you would want to be your friend, ally, representative, teacher and student. They lead an undergraduate population of 27,654 students of all race, gender, socio-economic status and a diversity of majors.

I was fortunate enough to have some time out of their busy schedules to asks them about leadership, especially at a PWI (predominately white institution). I started with MSA Vice-President Brenda Smith-Lezama, who has dual citizenship in Mexico and US. Brenda tells me, she attended a PWI “… To be surrounded by people who weren’t like me.” She says her leadership style comes from a “quite unique experience.” Her decision to join a PHA (Pan-Hellenic Sororities and usually majority white) helped her gain a very different way of looking at things.

“I think my leadership style is ever changing.” she said. And this shows on campus where there are many different entities that go into running the University for undergraduates.

From the Social Justice Committee to Student Finances, Brenda has had her fair share of leadership in different settings, and has managed to adjust accordingly. “ I have had to learn how to educate people about myself, and about people who were different.” she stated.

Later on as Brenda and I chatted, I learned just how complex leadership could truly be. But thanks to Brenda’s experience in leadership in her sorority and in Pageants (yes she is Miss Missouri 2013), she feel she is well equipped to handle the pressures that come with leadership.

Next I got to talk to Peyton Head the President of MSA, an African-American. “Well to start of with me it would be really humbling.” he said, as he sat back in his chair and took a deep breath.

It had already been a long day, and for Brenda and him it was far from over. But as Peyton opened up about his experience at Mizzou, I begin to realize that for him and Brenda it was a culmination of people in their lives that got them to where they are today. But more importantly it was the students at the University that inspired them to be better leaders. Peyton says that his position “ …helps me to be an advocate for all different types of students.” And this has been true thus far, both Peyton and Brenda both try to make a point to hold an open door for any and all concerns that students may have.

They both profess to have ever changing leadership styles that they think has helped them exponentially. I think this has been to their advantage of being Black students leading a PWI. They take their leadership not just from their own experiences but from the people around them, and use that to make all voices heard.

Follow them both on Twitter: Brenda @MSAVeep ‬ and Peyton @MSAPresident.

Reported by Kelcea Barnes

W.O.W Radio Blogger