Reflections on Leadership

Hi, my name is Dan Drust, I’m the Program Director for the Schools of Hope AmeriCorps program in Grand Rapids, MI.  Before stepping into this role I was an AmeriCorps member for two terms and chosen for Michigan’s LeaderCorps in my second term. 

In reflecting on what made my time in AmeriCorps so meaningful and what element of my service really drove my development, many vignettes come to mind. I remember reporting to my site to teach a class (my service was in the area of adult English literacy) to find out that my room was occupied by a meeting and I had to find my own space for class. I remember holding enrollment sessions with standing room only.  I remember rising up as a leader on my team – a resource and example for new members. I remember finishing up last minute details for events I planned with colleagues hours before the event itself.  I remember missing deadlines. I remember being in meetings with the best and the brightest in my service community. In a word, I remember being humbled.

Did you catch that?  Did you see that I called myself a leader a few sentences before I said I was humbled?  You read it right.  Being a leader and an effective AmeriCorps member, in my experience, is all about humility, giving up control, and fostering trust.

 When you come into the AmeriCorps program you sign up to be a leader.  You make a statement about yourself and your intentions; you set an example to others by contributing to society and confronting some really tough issues.  I think that idea might scare people because when we think about leaders, we think about people who know a lot, have years of experience, and have a knack for imagining the future.  While that’s certainly true in some cases, it’s not true in all.  Leaders come from all backgrounds and experiences.  Good leaders recognize that they don’t have all the answers (sometimes, things are out of your control) and that they need help from their colleagues and subordinates (humility).

So what does this mean for real life, day-to-day service?  Don’t try to be a stand-alone-and-know-everything leader.  If you don’t have a solution, engage those around you, even those that you manage or serve, to find the answer.  Build trust with those people so they know their voice supports your leadership, and that your leadership supports their voice.  Be humble and open to not knowing all the answers.  If there is a product that your service will produce, it’s trusting relationships with those around you.  And it’s trusting relationships from which great leaders grow.