Tyler Boydston
Managing Editor
Leaders of Cameron University united to speak about the ins and outs of being a responsible leader.
The Leadership Academy took place at 3:30 Nov. 19 in the MCC Buddy Green Room, and was hosted by PAC.
Director of Student Life Zeak Naifeh began the discussion, asking both Vice President of University Advancement Albert Johnson and Vice President of Student Services Jennifer Holland questions regarding their time in leadership positions.
“This is a leadership panel to give some good insight into leadership from some of our executive council members,” Naifeh said.
The first topic of discussion was influences on Holland and Johnson’s leadership skills.
According to Johnson, one of his major influences regarding his leadership is his father.
“My take on leadership is a saying my dad has: “If a task is once begun, never stop until it’s done. Be the labor, great or small, do it well or not at all”,” Johnson said.
Holland mentioned three different mentors, one of the three being former CU President Cindy Ross, who retired this past summer.
“What I learned from President Ross, and what she preached to us, was the idea of creating a shared vision,” Holland said. “If you know where you’re going, that will get you nowhere unless the people behind you also know where you’re going. She would kind of paint pictures with her words, and that was to get you to buy into her vision for the university.
“When we were building a facility, she would paint a picture that you could repeat verbatim, I could say her vision verbatim, because she knew that she needed all of us to get the vision in order to move the university forward.”
After asking a few questions of Holland and Johnson, Naifeh turned the questions over to the audience, allowing CU students to ask the two about their leadership roles and what they have learned over their time in those positions.
Johnson said he believes he is always learning from his job and will hopefully continue to learn from it.
“I’m learning all the time to be better, a better Albert Johnson, and if I’m a better Albert Johnson, maybe I’ll be a better leader for those I’m responsible for, maybe I’ll represent the university better,” Johnson said.
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