Payton and I were given the opportunity to interact with a patient while he waited for his name to be called. When I first approached this setting, I continuously tried to draw David’s attention and was able to get him to react to some things. I realized I could not get the same reaction to others. I had no idea that David did not communicate the way that I did. His grandmother tapped me on the shoulder and said, “he signs.” Although faced with the challenge, I was able to receive help from two of our group members who have worked hard at learning to sign. Payton came over and began to sign with David. While speaking to his mother, I was able to learn about their challenges and accomplishments in teaching him how to sign. While learning more about a language I had not been directly exposed to, I also learned the importance in utilizing your team. Although you yourself may not be able to directly aid to a challenge, a leader is able to take a step back and utilize resources available such as finding someone who is able to approach a situation in a more beneficial manner. A servant leader is willing to try new ideas and make accommodations to best serve who they lead. This includes learning a new language or other forms of communication.

We were fortunate enough to intermingle with other college students who were also leaders at Georgia Southern. These students shared alike and different majors than our own, diversifying our overall knowledge and skills. With all of us working in different areas of the hospital, it was important to be productive and practice teamwork. We all shared a common goal – to lead and to serve.

Leadership entails being pushed to further limits which may include being out of your comfort zone. While spending the week at a church in Little Rock, we were given a spontaneous opportunity to do acts of service with their community at a homeless shelter. “A Meal and a Movie” sounded self explanatory but quite frankly, none of us knew what to expect. We were faced with the challenge of knowing how to approach children in conversation to now conversing with unfamiliar faces of a different population. As servant leaders, we were all willing to put ourselves and our uncomfortable feelings last and not one of us were left with an ounce of regret. People of different ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and backgrounds were filling the room. This brought a greater awareness of cultural consciousness within ourselves. Although spending time at a homeless shelter was not directly interacting with Children’s Health, it exposed firsthand one of the many factors which effects it.

It is important to remember that the attitude of leader is reflected by the rest of their team. While performing acts of service, we reflected and reminded each other that the work we did, such as picking up trash or pulling weeds, may not directly impact the children we saw at the hospital, but would allow those who could do more tend to the larger issues. Service can be challenging and tiring but it is important to keep a positive attitude that will radiate energy to the rest of your team.