To those in elected positions:

As club e-board election season will soon begin again, I ask that those who are running for the first time and those who are up for re-election consider only two things:

One, take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is the most important responsibility you have that comes before any club or fraternity work you do. You will not be able to deliver your best if you don’t first take care of your health, your mind, your family, and your happiness. There should be other people in your club you can rely on. If there aren’t, there is a problem — whether it be internal conflicts, not enough interest in the subject, or you assuming too much responsibility and not sharing, there is an underlying issue that needs to be resolved.

Two: Pursue elected positions because you want to better the organizations you serve. It’s exciting to say you’re on the e-board, that you’re the president, that you’re on a cabinet. But take a step back and first look deep inside yourself for the reason you’re running or are in a position.

As an elected official, you have a large responsibility. People voted for you because they believed that you would represent them the best. To thank them, you must work diligently and selflessly, always looking after the interests of those that you work with and those you serve. If you don’t have a passion for the organization you’re in and for the people you work with, this will be hard. You have a greater responsibility than your own interests, which could include improving your resume, gaining more power, or feeling better about yourself. People will count on you to do your best work, and if you’re only in it for yourself then you’re letting them down. Your eyes and ears will be closed to larger objectives like helping others learn or helping your organization grow. You become complacent, and would rather listen blindly to people above you than work with them to find a win-win solution by asking questions or sharing new ideas. “That’s how we’ve always done it,” is something an officer like this would say, because they would rather choose the path that has worked before and requires the least effort.

Rather than being that person, you may find your club experiences more valuable and results more fruitful if you look for ways to improve yourself, complete your best work, and surround yourself with people that can keep you in check.

I am not the best student leader on campus, nor am I really well-known. However, this year I’ve been lucky to have been on two great e-boards that support me to do my best, challenge me to think beyond what I know, and do things I would not have come up with by myself. And the thing is, both of them were not that way previously. There were people that were only leaders in name, people that didn’t prioritize communication and the interests of members, were selfish and refused to take on roles or complete tasks that were outside of the direct responsibilities of their title. Speaking from experience, with those type of people on your e-board, your club is sure to fail.

To those in elected positions, those aiming to be in elected positions, and those who were removed from elected positions: Think deeply about why you’re in the organization you’re in. If the reason has to do with you and you alone, then maybe you shouldn’t be on an e-board. To be on a team, you need to see beyond your self-interest and work with others to achieve a goal, a goal that you can all agree on. Someone who is only in it for themselves will not want to collaborate or find the best way. They won’t actively look for new solutions, but only troubleshoot problems after they blow up and honestly consider it a chore.

To those voting: Know which qualities you want in your candidates. Choose the people who always deliver what they promise, who try to be helpful in ways outside their immediate role, and who put in the work when no one else wants to. People who push themselves to be more helpful every day are not only inspiring, but are the true leaders. They do it because they care more about the organization than themselves or the recognition.

With that, I wish you and your organizations a happy spring break and the best of luck during unified elections.