by Jodi Boyer, Beta Tau – University of Akron
In order to write this post about my time as a Leadership Consultant (LC), over 10 years after the fact, I had to remove my nostalgia goggles, and review some old journal entries from that time. What I see now is the tremendous growth I experienced in one year.
I began my journey as a Leadership Consultant – as all LCs do – eyes wide with excitement, hopes, and a little trepidation about what I was getting myself into. I recall the wanderlust of chapter visits balanced with the responsibility of influencing the sorority I love so dearly. What I didn’t anticipate was how much I would learn from the sisters I’d meet along the way.
A Slice of Pi
As a Leadership Consultant, I had the opportunity to explore what students loved most about their campus and community. I soon discovered that each region has its own culture, and that understanding, appreciating, and respecting each unique culture is critical in business and in life.
I learned to dance the Shag in South Carolina, and I pomped a homecoming float while sipping my first (of many) Sonic Diet Cherry Limeaids at Mizzou. At Cal State-Fullerton, I got to see our sisters perform at Disneyland and take one of the most epic, scenic train rides to San Diego. During my time at the Coastal Carolina colony, I watched the women of Theta Beta grow and step confidently into their own as a fully self-operating chapter. I experienced the excitement as chapters welcomed the Alphas into their sisterhood during bid days, and I fell deeper in love with our ritual as new sisters were pinned.
While immersing myself in communities unlike my own, it was easy to miss the comfort of my hometown, Akron, Ohio. But just as homesickness hit, I’d glimpse the truth that deep down we’re all so much alike. No matter where I went, the sisterhood always welcomed me.
More Than “Boom-Boom” Chants
The good times wouldn’t mean as much without the challenges I faced that year. I cried with sisters when they lost one of their own. I had to learn hard truths and take tough feedback, but out of those difficult conversations came tremendous opportunity for growth. I found myself in unexpected situations that I hadn’t prepared for, like huddling in a basement with a chapter while a tornado tore through town. Everyone made it through safely, helped by the guidance of my DTD and CPD sisters. Because even when you feel like you’ve met your breaking point, your sisters are just a phone call away to offer leadership, love, and support. These are the truest shining moments of sisterhood; when you tap into why you made the choice to serve as an LC. And, these are the moments that strengthen your bond with your Leadership Consultant sisters.
Couldn’t Get Along Without You Now
One of the most magical things to come out of my time as an LC are the relationships I developed with the other Leadership Consultants – my Sisters of the Suitcase. Because, while I could call home when sad or homesick, no one understood what I was going through like the women who were traveling alongside me. My LC sisters have been with me since the day we began that journey in 2007; we’ve celebrated weddings and babies, supported one another through hardships, prayed for and loved each other through family traumas, and cheered on one another’s successes. We still have a group chat and my heart pings every time I get a text from that group.
The addition of these six beautiful strangers into my life is the single greatest joy that came from my time as an LC. I got to know these six women while sharing bunkbeds at Executive Office, through Skype calls from different chapters, and during recruitment visits. My LC sisters held a mirror to me, showed me who I was, gave me a safe space to grow, loved me at my most challenging moments, supported me in my struggles, and cheered me on in all of my wins.
The nature of the LC role means you must get to know each other quickly and must learn to trust each other even quicker. There’s no place in that relationship for ego, because each of you brings something special to the table. I knew which LC to call for recruitment advice, with TME questions, and for ritual help. We had our special niches and we truly saw each other as a subject matter experts, a lesson that followed me into my professional career. Wisdom isn’t knowing everything, it’s knowing there’s someone who knows more than you and accepting her help. More important than what I learned from my LC sisters about ADPi policy, was the impact they had on me personally. To this day I feel that I have a little piece of each of them that I carry around within me.
So yes, while I got what I expected out of this experience – touring the US, meeting interesting people, and impacting my sorority – what I really gained from my time as a Leadership Consultant was a better understanding of myself and my place in the world, preparation for my eventual career, unconditional friendship, and a lifetime of growth and gratitude.