Leadership Resources

The Competancies were developed by students and staff at SOU, please consider them and use them as gudiance in you leadership endeavors in clubs, organizations, event planning and activism.

Motivates and Mentors

Empowers others by teaching, coaching, motivating, and sharing appropriate resources, and challenges others in order to help them reach their full potential.

Growth Mindset

Demonstrates consistent resiliency to promote positive change through adversity. Identifies potential change opportunities and actively seek to adapt. Assesses and utilizes creative strategies to create individual, organizational, or societal change within a situational context.

Works Collaboratively

Cultivates connections with others that contribute positively to the well-being of those involved. Works toward a common objective through the sharing of ideas and distribution of responsibilities across team members.

Engages in Inclusive Behavior

Builds a welcoming environment that empowers a diverse group of people to participate in organizational roles, processes, and experiences in order to foster a greater sense of belonging and shared commitment.

Utilizes Feedback

Consistently offers timely, respectful, and constructive feedback, and encourages others to offer it in return in an effort to improve both persons’ future decisions, productivity, and effectiveness.

Initiative and Follow Through

Takes initiative to identify and assess needs, creating measurable objectives, and building relationships with people who will be able to help achieve the measurable objectives. Follow through on working towards determined measurable objectives and assessing needs as applicable.

Reflection

Regularly practices reflection about actions in association with values and betterment of one’s skills and abilities, and fit within groups which one is a part of.

Developing as a Leader

The following list are suggested methods to help achieve the competencies. It is important to remember that everyone is different, what might help one student achieve a competency, may not work for another. Some students may have a learning moment from focusing on one activity, while others may need to complete several. Students previosly lived experinces may also have helped them achieve one or more of the competencies. In keeping with the “Growth Mindset” competency students are encouraged to think of their own ideas for achieving competencies.  Students who believe they have met a competency should see the "assessments of the competencies" tab. 

• Volunteer to be a mentor with the First Year Mentor Program
• Serve as a Raider Ambassador or New Student Orientation member
• Take on a leadership role within a student organization or resource center
• Learn more about potential departmental/institutional workgroups/committees and participate as appropriate
• Attend free campus events with an educational component
• Student government offers many opportunities for learning (internships, elected positions, volunteer opportunities, and even conferences)
• Find volunteer opportunities on or off campus
• Take an academic course outside of your comfort zone but you find interesting
• Go on an overnight trip with the Outdoor Program
• Ask a staff or faculty whom you admire to be your personal mentor
• Write to an elected official with questions or concerns you may have about an issue
• Attend events on campus related to a diversity or social justice topic you are unfamiliar with and actively listen.
• Be a student athlete
• Take the UGS Leadership Course or the Career Exploration Course as an elective
• Contribute to student art show
• Participate in a club sport or intramural team
• Sign up for a Raider Alternative Break or other Civic Engagement program

Tips for Running Virtual Meetings

Tips for Running Virtual Meetings

• Test out your technology before the start of the meeting. Work with a friend to test out your meeting platform to make sure everything works. 
  
  
• Opt for video calling.  While not everyone loves the idea of video calls, they increase connection and community.  When possible, choose video calling for a more personal approach to staying connected. Note that in cases where reception is bad, you may have to switch off video calling.

• Start each meeting with an icebreaker where everyone gets to share.  If there are a lot of participants, consider using the chat features for people to respond and share. 
  
  
• Stick to set times.  Set standard weekly times meetings should take place for consistency.  We recommend, keeping with the regular times you had prior to going remote. 
  
  
• Set clear agendas, outcomes, and action items.  We recommend using google docs as a way of creating living agendas where people can see updates in real time and items as the meeting goes along. At the end of every meeting, be sure to articulate clear action items and next steps. 
  
  
• Create new roles and rotate responsibilities. Think about daily and weekly tasks such as taking meeting minutes and rotate these amongst members to stay engaged.  Additionally, consider forming new and creative subcommittees that can work on projects in more intimate chat groups. 
  
  
• Get buy-in.  Make sure to create space for allowing others to provide thoughts and input.  It’s important to ask things like “what do people think of this?” or “does anyone have anything to add?”  Be ok with some silence on the other end as some people may need additional time to think. 

• Meet one-on-one.  If you are in a leadership role within your organization, consider scheduling one on one check-ins with other Executive Board leaders and members.  This is a great way to maintain connection and be able to accommodate the different needs of your group. 
  
  
• Centralize organization documents.  Consider Google docs or another project management for being able to share information with your organization in a timely, adjustable fashion. 

Special Project

Completion Expectations