Before starting my co-op, I had seen all kinds of leaders — from people who ran meetings by yelling the loudest, to people who barely raised their voice but somehow still commanded the room. I didn’t know what kind of leader I was going to get, and honestly, I was hoping for the quiet one. The kind that didn’t need to prove anything, who led calmly, clearly, and without making everyone around them anxious.
I used to think leadership was about titles. About being the person running the meeting, making the final decision, or getting cc’d on every email. If you weren’t “in charge,” I assumed your role was simple: listen, execute, and stay out of the way.
That assumption didn’t last long.
One of the biggest adjustments during my co-op wasn’t learning new software or understanding technical processes — it was learning how much influence exists without authority. When you’re not the manager, you start noticing things you never paid attention to before. Who people actually listen to. Whose opinions shift the room. Who follows through. Who doesn’t.
I learned that leadership shows up in smaller moments. It’s in the way someone asks questions without making others feel stupid. It’s in how feedback is given privately instead of publicly. It’s in noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed and stepping in without being asked.
When you’re not in charge, you also learn what kind of leader you don’t want to be.
You see how silence can shut people down. How indecision can stall progress. How a lack of communication creates confusion that everyone else has to clean up later. And you realize that leadership isn’t about control — it’s about clarity.
The most effective leaders I worked with didn’t remind people they were in charge. They made expectations clear, trusted their team, and created space for others to contribute. They didn’t need to dominate conversations to be respected.
Being on the sidelines taught me how much power there is in showing up prepared, paying attention, and speaking up when it matters. You don’t need a title to take responsibility. You don’t need authority to make an impact.
If anything, not being in charge made me more intentional about the kind of leader I want to be someday. One who listens first, communicates clearly, and understands that leadership is less about position — and more about presence.
I never really thought of myself as a good leader. Honestly, I still don’t. But I’m trying. And after seeing leadership show up in so many different ways—good, bad, loud, quiet—I think I’ve learned enough to start figuring out what kind of leader I want to be. Not because I have it all figured out, but because I have to keep learning as I go. Especially now, stepping into a role like SGA President, I don’t feel pressure to be perfect — I feel responsibility to be intentional.
Leadership, at least to me, isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about listening, learning, and showing up better each time. And that’s something I’m still working on.
