This year's NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Training was titled "What's your Leadership DNA" because the goal for each participant was to improve their knowledge of themselves in order to write a unique leadership philosophy. In the way that DNA is unique to each person, leadership philosophies are too. Once each of us has gained significant insight into ourselves and our leadership styles, we can then work to understand how we can become better leaders for those around us. 

The activity I found most impactful during the leadership training was defining my top values. We used a personal values test to identify our top-5 values. This activity was eye-opening for many of us because we were forced to prioritize some values over others, which was difficult, but an important skill to practice, as leadership frequently requires hard choices. It's not always possible to prioritize all values equally. The subsequent discussions that we had about the challenges associated with living our own values - how leading with vulnerability and authenticity is easier said than done - were very insightful. Through a class I took at Siena this spring (Political Theory with Professor Michael Rinella), I had already begun to develop my own leadership philosophy. Now, at this training, I was able to further incorporate my values in order to make my philosophy more actionable and efficient. Knowing my values will give me rules of thumb to make quick decisions and take charge in a pinch. This exercise is important for anyone who wants to improve their leadership.  

The Student-Athlete Leadership Training was important for student-athletes because it provided vital skills for working with others, whether it be at practice or a competition, in the classroom, or at my place of employment. Keynote speaker Jonathan Sprinkles talked to us about the power of connection - because connection built on trust allows us to have a powerful impact on those around us. We talked about how great leaders are not always the best athletes; they are great listeners and can "give what is needed" at any given moment. The four core needs of any person are to be seen, heard, valued, and understood. Knowing how these universal needs are defined furthers a student-athlete's capacity to recognize where their peers and teammates are struggling so they can do their best to help. "Giving what is needed" can range from sharing motivating words to lending an ear to listen. As said by Edward Everett Hale, "I cannot do everything; but still I can do something." It's important for all teammates to define what they want to be able to offer their counterparts, because there's no way one person can do everything. As captain of the women's swimming & diving team for this coming season, this resonated with me as something that is important to keep in mind. 

Sprinkles also talked about achievement triggers, which he defined as "what motivates others". The achievement triggers are people - you do your best when others are counting on you; pursuit - you do well because you want to be the best; purpose - you do your best when you have the big picture in mind; and pressure - you work your hardest to avoid loss. For example, if your achievement trigger is people, then accountability to you may look like making a pact to lift with a teammate three times a week, because you would lift even when you don't want so that you don't let them down. If you are motivated by pursuit, then it is the goal of out-working, out-competing, and out-lasting competitors that gets you moving even when you're tired. If your achievement trigger is purpose, then knowing the bigger picture - such as going on extra runs because your team needs someone with more endurance - is what gets you motivated. Finally, if your trigger is pressure, a style of procrastination, your biggest motivator is not what you can accomplish, but what you can avoid by doing something. An example of this would be to go to the gym so you don't get weaker, rather than your motivation being getting stronger.