by Stephen Boatman
If you were to ask me two or three years ago if I would be leading a group of amazing student leaders here at the University of West Georgia I probably would have asked you if you were talking to the right person. Being part of the elite Blue Coat student organization has been both an honor, privilege and one of the best learning experiences I have ever been through.
It was not until I was elected president when I realized just how much of a learning experience it would be. Nelson Mandela once said, “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
I have come to learn to live by this philosophy as I continue being a leader, and one of the most rewarding experiences to have been part of is watching the different Blue Coat members grow as a team. The Blue Coats bring together different majors, personalities, and demographics to the table, so one would think there would be conflict but there never is. As a leader it is my responsibility to make sure we work together to achieve one goal and that goal is to allow University of West Georgia alumni and the community to see the impact they are making on the current student body.
Being president over this group of young people has allowed me to learn that being a leader is not about being the one in charge or having the “power” above the rest. Rather, being president to this group has taught me that a successful president is one who follows behind to help steer the ship in the right direction and to not only lead a group, but have the group lead the leader. In the famous words of Lao Tzu, “ A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim is fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”
Stephen Boatman is the president of the Blue Coats, a select group of student leaders from across campus.
