you did before as a member. Now move on to the state level. You used to just attend
the Annual State Conferences, enjoying the festivities and celebrating the victories.
But as a State Officer, you come to understand that all of that enjoyment is the
result of the hard work and long hours that the State Officer Board and State
Advisor puts in. You start to think bigger - the impact you can have on not just one
school, but all of the schools within one state. You think about how to involve,
rather than all of the members from your school, all of the schools in your state.
This becomes a greater responsibility, and you start to lead by example. Your poise
and professionalism rubs off on others - members start to think about how they can
express their professionalism and their stature with a similar confident
atmosphere. Also, you begin to convert State activities into Chapter activities and
Chapter activities into State activities. This sharing of ideas further bring together
all the schools in one state as one, to show who is the best across the nation. And at
the National level, I can only imagine that all of this is further amplified, as you
seek to improve everyone’s experience, building up a national pride for the work
TSA members have done.
But that’s all TSA-specific. What more can you learn in a leadership position?
You are able to solve real-world, real-life situations with experience and aptitude.
You are pushed to talk to others, whether it’s to gain a sponsor, resolve an issue,
discuss the possibilities of a new activity, or something else. You learn teamwork as
you work with the rest of the officers, the other leaders, to come to an agreement.
And working as a team, you learn to look at things from varying perspectives,
helping you to analyze any situation and decide on the best step to take. There will
be times when you are on the verge of a mental breakdown or the point where selfcontrol will no longer suppress a punch. And that’s where teamwork comes in. The
other leaders help you through the difficult time, figuring out what’s wrong and
working to remediate it. And through such hardships, you build bonds that last for
the rest of your life, ones you can count on for years to come.
So plan to become a leader, become that leader, and cherish your experiences
as a leader. Make the most of it and stick with it, even through the hard and
difficult times. Learn from the leaders next to you and the leaders above you, while
other learn from you. And, trust me, you’ll come to realize that becoming a leader
just might have been one of the best choices in your life.
Contact Grant Shao at [email protected]