What does being a leader mean? We see “leaders” as the heroes in the movies, as the people who are running our country, as the presidents of clubs on campus, as the people we look up to. We hopefully all aspire to be a leader in some respect. To inspire one person to lead by our example.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak on an upperclassmen advice panel for our school’s Developing Leaders Conference to share my "wisdom" on being a leader on campus. Being on the panel with other leaders on campus and surrounded by those just coming into their leadership roles forced me to analyze what is means to be a leader and how I became one myself.

Here’s a snippet of the questions and answers from the conference.

How do you become a leader?

Honestly, I’m still figuring this out. The best answer I can give is to try your best and apply yourself. Literally APPLY for things. Any leader on campus can rattle off to you a laundry list of activities they are involved in. I bet each person has an equally long list of all the things they applied for and didn’t get.

Most importantly, you do not need some title in front of your name to be a leader. (Watch this video about being the First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy.) Leading by example is the best form of a leader.

How did you choose what organizations to be a leader in?

I was one of those freshmen who signed up for every email list I was even remotely interested in. There unfortunately is not enough time in a day to be an active member in all the elists I signed up for. Therefore, I choose to invest my time in I am passionate about.

I stayed in the organizations that I subconsciously made time for. I would plan my Google Calendar schedule around those meetings. These meetings didn’t feel like a chore – they were meetings I looked forward to, meetings with people I wanted to surround myself with. My passion for being an active member in these organizations inspired me to want to give back to the organizations that gave so much to me. I figured the best way to do that and make positive change was to be a leader myself.

What’s the hardest part of being a leader?

Aside from balancing new responsibilities, the hardest part of being a leader on campus is balancing the different hats you wear – your friend hat and your leader hat. You probably have a friend in each organization you are in. Sometimes as a leader you will hear ideas that as a friend you support but they conflict with the legal rules you are privy to as a leader of the organization. Figuring out how to artfully respond to your friends in a professional manner is a skill. A skill you likely will not have the first day you step into your leadership position – and that’s okay. As long as you always strive to do what is best for the organization you are doing the right thing.