Running head: MARTYRSHIP VERSUS LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION OF

LEADERSHIP

Martyrship Versus Leadership: A Definition of Leadership

Molly McGregor
San Diego State University

MARTYRSHIP VERSUS LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP

My personal definition of leadership stems from my collaborative

experiences while moving through the Communication major and my
education about several great leaders. A senior in the Communication
program at San Diego State University, I have participated in countless group
projects. After examining patterns of group work and playing different roles
in the group dynamic, I have formed an idea of what leadership entails. My
definition is surely incomplete and likely to change over the course of the
semester. Leadership is not simply organizing a group of people or
shepherding others toward a common goal. Rather, leadership is serving a
group of people, motivating, fostering interest, bolstering dedication, and
encouraging participation all while working toward a common goal.
Leadership is connecting to others while collectively moving forward. This
paper will serve to 1) detail my experience with leadership 2) examine the
evolution of my leadership 3) describe how I currently view myself as a
leader and 4) pose questions about leadership.
My idea about and experience with leadership mostly comes from my
time spent in higher education. In college, I quickly realized the great
difficulty and vast complexity of leadership. Excellent leadership is tough to
accomplish with a preoccupied and disinterred crowd. Full time college
students are busy people, making organization difficult. Group assignments
gradually slide down the priority list as students try to balance work, school,
a social life, and a healthy sleep schedule. Consequentially, motivating,

MARTYRSHIP VERSUS LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP

fostering interest, bolstering dedication, and encouraging participation prove

problematic.
During the first three years of college, I viewed myself as a martyr
instead of a leader. Instead of attempting the seemingly impossible feat of
leadership, I often resorted to the position of group martyr. My leadership
consisted of setting deadlines, delegating tasks, and serving as a point of
contact. My martyrship included completing the unfinished or
unsatisfactory work of others, proofreading, generating proper source
citations, and putting together the final product. I recognize that
martyrship is a choice. Additionally, I fully understand that martyr does not
mean leader. However, I did not understand what leadership entailed. I
assumed leadership impossible, and therefore begrudgingly dragged myself
through every group project as the lead worker.
My martyrship transitioned to leadership during a group project
assigned in the college course Communication and Rhetorical Movements.
The assignment required student groups of eight to ten to select a cause and
design a social movement. In the beginning stages of the project, students
lacked interest. Protesting genetically modified foods did not light a fire of
passion in anyone. Deadlines and assigned tasks proved fruitless.
Communication broke down as students primarily contacted one another via
text message. Midway through the assignment, I finally started talking to my
group members. Really talking. One student loved making Vines (short
videos made for social media). Another student wrote rap lyrics. Three

MARTYRSHIP VERSUS LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP

students just wanted to write. One woman wanted to focus on educating

children. A couple creative individuals wanted to design print media for the
cause. After realizing each group members unique talents, I encouraged
everyone to apply their personal interests to the project. I enabled everyone
to use his or her strengths and abilities for the assignment. The project ran
smoothly from that point. Our group designed a movement that included a
rap about GMOs, an original superhero for GMO education, two live
demonstrations, a manifesto, a PowerPoint, a Vine, posters, brochures, and
flyers, and a twenty-minute presentation.
The project served as an introduction to the power of great leadership.
Instead of solely moving towards a common goal, I sought to motivate,
encourage, bolster dedication, and foster interest. Communication played a
key role in my project leadership. My current definition of leadership is a
result of my experience during the project.
After the Make A Movement project, I now view myself as a capable
leader. Although, I am often more focused on the end goal than assisting
others. I believe my goal-oriented personality benefits, but also hurts, my
performance as a leader. However, I now understand the difference between
moving a group toward a common goal and leading. Leadership is never
easy. Whether uniting a collection of two to ten college students in order to
complete an assignment or ushering an entire population toward a specific
cause, leadership is extremely challenging. I understand that. But, from
where does great leadership emerge? How do exceptional leaders such as

MARTYRSHIP VERSUS LEADERSHIP: A DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP

Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. motivate, encourage,
bolster, and foster? How does a leader move an individual or group from
entirely disinterred and unmotivated to passionate and dedicated? I expect
my definition of leadership to change over the course of the semester as I
answer the questions listed above and practice my own leadership skills.