Another Litre of Leadership

Available April 2014

Yesterday, I got the opportunity to speak to the Senior Leadership class at my alma mater. There were 10 girls, all with different interests and backgrounds, and I spoke to them about my style of leadership, past and present.

I spoke about my time at St. Margaret's, how crew and coxing made me a leader, and how my outlook on leadership changed throughout college and now into my professional career. I brought up Lean In and snippets things I learned in college. I wanted to give advice, but still be funny and relatable. 

At the end of the hour, I wasn't sure if the girls were impressed with me or not, but at least it was better than reading about Eleanor Roosevelt… so I was told.

So in the interest of sharing the wealth, and hoping that some of the girls will take a look at this blog post, here is my list of tips and bit more wisdom.

Patti’s Tips for Success (In addition to Sheryl Sandberg's)
1) Create a go-to playlist. This is an instant confidence builder and puts me in the mood to get things done; just like listening to the most hype song before any big game or race. My playlist is below, and don't judge...



2) Read everyday- blogs, news, social media, reading for pleasure. Set aside 20 minutes every morning. This gives your brain time to reset and inspires creativity and innovation. I read all of these in either my Apple/Safari Reading list, or I follow them on Twitter.

The Daily Muse
ClassyCareerGirl 
HeyAmberRae
TED
Lean In
Fast Company

3) Keep a To-Do List
Write down the tasks you need to accomplish for each day. Start with the hardest task first, just to get it over with. In addition, keep a personal To-Do list for resolutions, bucket list items, etc. Make sure you keep fun into your schedule. Here is a link to my personal bucket list, and a screenshot of my to-do reminders. 

4) Have at least one quality suit for interviews and presentations. 
This suit should look like it was made just for you. If you don't want to get a full suit, at least have nice slacks/skirt and a tailored blazer. Also have this outfit reflect your personality. Use color, jewelry and other accessories to help you stand out. 

5) Lead to make your absence felt: inspire and motivate others. Do things because they are necessary, not for the credit or to pad your resume. 

6) Have an Agenda: leave things better than when you found it. What new ideas can you bring to the table? Don't rest on your laurels and leave things to business as usual. Encourage high expectations for others, as well as high expectations for yourself.

7) All you have to do is ask.
When you need help, ask for it. It's not worth taking on stress and a heavy workload just to say you did it all. Delegate tasks and surround yourself with people who want to help you. On the flip side, if you are assisting someone, always ask what more you could do to help. Some leaders are waiting to see you (voluntarily) step up to a challenge.

8) Understand the scope of what you are doing. 
What do you want to accomplish and how will it impact others? If you have a good idea, how can you make it bigger? This goes along with business as usual. Are you trying to meet a goal, or supersede one? 


St. Margaret's has such a great group of Seniors this year, and I'm very excited to see what they will accomplish.