04/14/09 Class - Semester Review

I cannot help but be honest when I say that the first two weeks that I sat in Physics Room 114 for CSR 309 were purely frustrating. I had no idea why I was wasting my time or allowing a non-existent professor dictate my ability to learn and my demeanor as a student. I questioned his motives, his credentials, and his ability to lead a class of around 300 students. I wondered how in the world he could still have a teaching career at a major university.

All of these feelings and attitudes quickly began to fade when Dr. Feinberg stepped in and truly took charge. He began testing us and pushing us. He made us think for ourselves and learn to exceed our own expectations of life as students. He scared us in a way that forced us to be independent and not run to someone else for the answers.

The videos and stories shared by Dr. Feinberg are so incredibly powerful to his students. I cannot count the number of times I felt a lump in my throat or tears burning my eyes from the things I witnessed or heard in this class. Never in my life have I met someone as motivating and inspiring as Dr. Feinberg. I’ve been to countless leadership conferences and participated in what seems to be an infinite number of leadership exercises, but I have never been deeply affected the way I have been from Dr. Feinberg. I have told everyone close to me what an amazing experience this has been, and encouraged all of my friends to take this “life-changing class.”
The principles of leadership that I have learned in this class, I have already put to use. I was the Vice President of Pledge Education this semester in my Business Fraternity. In previous semesters, we have had a major issue with the pledges not being professional and representing our Fraternity well. I decided to test out a few of Dr. Feinberg’s theories. Specifically, I did not give the pledges all of the answers up front. I made them work and contribute greatly to the organization before I expressed my personal care for them. I found out what motivated them and what mattered most to them in their lives. I figured out how they learn and what they wanted out of the Fraternity. And I made absolutely sure that they were rewarded for their individual and collective efforts and hard work.

I have utilized inspirational stories with the pledges and instilled in them the values of our organization. I have empowered them all with not only their own future, but the future of an organization I care immensely about and have spent three years developing into a top-notch business Fraternity. I have expressed to them my confidence in their abilities and my trust in them to carry on a 25-year legacy here at Purdue with our Chapter.

Although I have always been a passionate person, I have gone through what feels to be a life-renewal process over this past semester. It all stems from CSR 309. I take time out of my day to make others feel better. I tell everyone I care about how much they mean to me. I choose to “scoop the poop” rather than leave a pile which everyone else chooses to avoid. I no longer feel that external circumstances can keep me from achieving my goals. I surround myself with the people I love and I cut out those who bring me down. I ensure my peers, superiors, and constituents all understand my devotion to them and that I am a person they can trust to follow.

I found myself sitting in my seat after Dr. Feinberg’s last lecture on Wednesday. I did not want to leave. How do you say goodbye to a person and an experience that literally has changed your life for the better? Although I still wish I could sit in Dr. Feinberg’s lecture for another 5 years, I understand that I must learn from myself and others around me now. He has trained me to see leadership in everything, and I am inspired my even the simplest act of kindness. As soon as the last lecture ended, I drove to see my closest friends who happened to be playing a softball game. I had been crying pretty hard since leaving the lecture hall, but I felt an overwhelming need to hug all of them and tell them they meant the world to me. If I can show them even a glimpse of what I learned about life and leadership in this class, I am confident their lives will be forever changed as well.

The objective of this semester wrap-up was to discuss everything I learned from CSR 309 and Dr. Feinberg. Although I did not discuss very many principles here, I can assure everyone I learned an infinite amount of leadership techniques and strategies. I just find myself so emotionally moved that I enjoy discussing the personal relationships which are vital to being a great leader. If I tell my constituents why they should follow me, and I fight tooth and nail for them, my organization will be better off and everyone in it will be fulfilled.

All in all, I have grown immensely over the past semester, and I am forever grateful to Dr. Feinberg for that. There are several big events coming up in my life that will truly test my ability to put what I have learned into practice. I can’t wait to go out into the world with my new found passion and knowledge. I can’t wait to begin changing the lives of others. I can’t wait to hit the ground running full speed ahead. And I can’t wait to do my small part to change the world.