Last year I was asked to asked to pick up an orphaned session at a conference for student leaders. The topic, leading an effective and engaging meeting, was missing a lot of excitement but it seemed like an easy enough session to offer and was needed professional development for the target audience.
So I said sure.
The session went well, the evaluations were positive, and I was asked to repeat the session topic at this year's conference. I brainstormed with the committee for a moment or two on some different topics, topics I thought would be more interesting to present, but nothing was really decided upon and I was fine with repeating my drab fifty minutes on improving meetings. Again, I can acknowledge the necessity but I was lacking excitement over the material.
In typical presenter fashion, I scanned some resources on the topic and reviewed my previous presentation prior to the conference. The presentation design got updated to one that was a little more graphically interesting and I adjusted the content in a way I felt flowed better after having presented on it last year. Feeling a little blah with the topic still, I had some fun inserting my humor into some of the slides, and after a few notations on what I wanted to discuss with each section I was ready to roll. Still not excited, but I did my due diligence in that I would present information that I perceived to be applicable and a helpful template with some tools for those participating in my session. I tried to cheer myself up with the thought I was doing the best with what I had.
The conference arrived and the presentation went well from my perspective, good participant participation and engagement, good questions and conversations, and all the little technical pieces rolled as they should. We talked struggles with meetings, problem solved, and discussed basic best practices. Mission accomplished.
After my session a few participants came up to share some commentary, ask another question, or just introduce themselves. This part is pretty standard for the gig but I did get a surprise.
"I just wanted to let you know you spoke to me and it went beyond the material..."
Wait...what??
My surprise shared how she found the presentation educational, but explained she really took to me. My energy, my look, how I spoke, what I spoke about, and my general demeanor. For her, she hadn't just found some tips to run a better meeting, she found a woman she wanted to emulate.
Wait...ME?!
I was flabbergasted, honored, and over all unprepared for any of that. I thanked her, welcomed her to email me with any questions, and continued on with the conference. Not that I have never experienced those touching, engaging moments before but just I was completely unprepared to receive such feedback following a fifty minute session on MEETINGS. She stayed in my mind, though, as I continued about my day. I played my presentation and my engagement with the crowd over in my head...peered at myself a little more critically in the mirror...and thought about what I must have looked like to her and about the women in my own life I had met and felt similarly towards.
Prior to the closing address I was able to connect with her again and chat for a few minutes. I made sure she knew she was welcome to reach out about anything and I appreciated she shared her thoughts with me and how honored I was she felt that way. A more prepared approach to how I should have responded earlier.
The experience was a good little poke at me and a reminder of things I should know. I was so busy worrying about how "boring" my topic was, and craving to be inspirational and motivational, I forgot we are supposed to strive to be motivational and inspirational in our every day and not just when we have a stage to shine on.
Later, when I casually remarked to the conference staff that my session was more full than I anticipated I learned that a lot of the advisors had encouraged their students to attend that session seeing it as a needed skill the students needed to develop.
Poke-poke. Its not all about me. I get it. I think I learned my lesson.
Obviously I needed a few bites of humble pie. I needed to remember it wasn't about me. I was serving those I was there to serve and playing my part. I didn't need something "exciting" because it would entertain me, I needed to do my part to support those that trusted me and showed up and believed I had something to teach them. Leadership isn't always glam work.
Most importantly, leadership isn't about me. Now, let me go act like the person someone out there thinks I am, and give her something worth modeling after.
So I said sure.
The session went well, the evaluations were positive, and I was asked to repeat the session topic at this year's conference. I brainstormed with the committee for a moment or two on some different topics, topics I thought would be more interesting to present, but nothing was really decided upon and I was fine with repeating my drab fifty minutes on improving meetings. Again, I can acknowledge the necessity but I was lacking excitement over the material.
In typical presenter fashion, I scanned some resources on the topic and reviewed my previous presentation prior to the conference. The presentation design got updated to one that was a little more graphically interesting and I adjusted the content in a way I felt flowed better after having presented on it last year. Feeling a little blah with the topic still, I had some fun inserting my humor into some of the slides, and after a few notations on what I wanted to discuss with each section I was ready to roll. Still not excited, but I did my due diligence in that I would present information that I perceived to be applicable and a helpful template with some tools for those participating in my session. I tried to cheer myself up with the thought I was doing the best with what I had.
The conference arrived and the presentation went well from my perspective, good participant participation and engagement, good questions and conversations, and all the little technical pieces rolled as they should. We talked struggles with meetings, problem solved, and discussed basic best practices. Mission accomplished.
After my session a few participants came up to share some commentary, ask another question, or just introduce themselves. This part is pretty standard for the gig but I did get a surprise.
"I just wanted to let you know you spoke to me and it went beyond the material..."
Wait...what??
My surprise shared how she found the presentation educational, but explained she really took to me. My energy, my look, how I spoke, what I spoke about, and my general demeanor. For her, she hadn't just found some tips to run a better meeting, she found a woman she wanted to emulate.
Wait...ME?!
I was flabbergasted, honored, and over all unprepared for any of that. I thanked her, welcomed her to email me with any questions, and continued on with the conference. Not that I have never experienced those touching, engaging moments before but just I was completely unprepared to receive such feedback following a fifty minute session on MEETINGS. She stayed in my mind, though, as I continued about my day. I played my presentation and my engagement with the crowd over in my head...peered at myself a little more critically in the mirror...and thought about what I must have looked like to her and about the women in my own life I had met and felt similarly towards.
Prior to the closing address I was able to connect with her again and chat for a few minutes. I made sure she knew she was welcome to reach out about anything and I appreciated she shared her thoughts with me and how honored I was she felt that way. A more prepared approach to how I should have responded earlier.
The experience was a good little poke at me and a reminder of things I should know. I was so busy worrying about how "boring" my topic was, and craving to be inspirational and motivational, I forgot we are supposed to strive to be motivational and inspirational in our every day and not just when we have a stage to shine on.
Later, when I casually remarked to the conference staff that my session was more full than I anticipated I learned that a lot of the advisors had encouraged their students to attend that session seeing it as a needed skill the students needed to develop.
Poke-poke. Its not all about me. I get it. I think I learned my lesson.
Obviously I needed a few bites of humble pie. I needed to remember it wasn't about me. I was serving those I was there to serve and playing my part. I didn't need something "exciting" because it would entertain me, I needed to do my part to support those that trusted me and showed up and believed I had something to teach them. Leadership isn't always glam work.
Most importantly, leadership isn't about me. Now, let me go act like the person someone out there thinks I am, and give her something worth modeling after.
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