Zayd Hamid is a proud member of The National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). We’re thrilled he accepted our invitation to share highlights of his transformative journey at George Mason University, where he served as the student speaker at the Spring 2024 Commencement.
In the following essay, Zayd delves into the profound impact of student leadership and participation in university governance, emphasizing the critical role that student involvement in committees plays in shaping both personal growth and institutional development.
Through participating in registered student organizations, on-campus work, and university committees, I became socialized by the campus context around me over three years. Culminating those years of leadership development was the opportunity of a lifetime to serve as George Mason University's Spring 2024 Commencement student speaker.
Universities create mission statements and strategic plans that plot the course of student development. Although the university president and governing board are key players in administering the university, most of the work that advances a university’s strategic plan is done through committees.
By taking part in your university’s work to advance its goals, you can develop the skills you need to advance yours.
George Mason University’s Dr. David Farris, a renowned expert on university committees and author of a book on the subject, lauds university committees as “instruments of shared governance.” You can participate in governing your university through involvement in its committees.
As a student, your objectives and interests may differ from those of faculty or staff members on committees with you. Advocating for student interests looks different in different committees.
A hallmark achievement of my time on GMU’s Student Culinary Council was making date fruit readily available in campus dining halls for Muslim students to break their fast during Ramadan last year.
After the dining administration finished presenting their plans for the month of March 2023, they asked for feedback from other committee members. I took the floor and chose to speak on the ritualistic importance of date fruit for Muslim students breaking the fast. This concluded with an action item request for the administration to provide date fruit in the dining halls during Ramadan. My proposal was applauded by other committee members.
The dining administration subsequently ordered and supplied date fruit throughout that month in all campus dining halls. This action, made possible through advocacy, helped a large student population access their needs.
Your leadership can make a tangible difference on your campus. The more you familiarize yourself with how decisions are made at your university, the more effective a changemaker you will be in the rooms where it all happens. Mastering processes and procedures is an excellent way to establish yourself as an effective leader.
Proposing new action items in committees is one of the many informal ways you can demonstrate leadership.
Dr. Farris’ book Understanding University Committees: How to Manage and Participate Constructively in Institutional Governance outlines other examples of informal leadership. Defending or supporting a colleague’s opinions, moderating conflicts, redirecting unproductive conversations, and recording minutes for a meeting are all ways you can lead, regardless of your formal position. These practices are not unique to university committee leadership, rather they are transferable into a myriad of professional settings.
These leadership practices, as the phrase suggests, require practice. Next time you’re in a meeting, think about the ways you can contribute to the committee’s goals and act accordingly. If your organization’s culture is empowering, you’ll likely be appreciated for taking the initiative. That may lead to other opportunities in the future for you to develop your leadership, such as having a project you’re passionate about being delegated to you.
University committees can provide a constructive space for your leadership development and socialize you to new ideas, values, and strategies that you can adopt as part of that development.
As I shared in my Commencement address to other Mason alumni of the Class of 2024, State Senator Danica Roem once advised me to be true to myself and let others see and know me for my authentic self.
What your authentic self looks like is often a mosaic of the values, identities, affiliations, etc., that you’ve developed throughout your life. It also manifests in your leadership style, which this NSLS resource can help you discover.
As a Coaching Leader, I am an ambassador for my values. I try to develop others as I develop myself. That, to me, a first-generation student who is the product of his mentors, is authentic leadership informed by my values.
Lead with authenticity as an ambassador for your values and you will be known as the leader you want to be.
(The views expressed by individual speakers do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or positions of the NSLS.)