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What makes someone a leader?  

Student attendees at the first Leaders Lunch Club of the semester suggested “someone who does the best for his team,” “anyone who does any form of coordination in an organization” and that “everyone leads themselves.”  

“Leadership is not a title that’s given to you,” Sarah Spinner, Ph.D., J.D., director of the �Ը������� University Museum, said in response to these answers. “Someone doesn’t make you a leader. Leadership is how you choose to act.”  

�Ը������� University’s Center for Student Involvement hosted its first Leaders Lunch Club of the semester at the Pepsi Leadership Center on Sept. 2 with Spinner as its first featured speaker to kick off the fall event series.  

Kailyn Knutson, a junior psychology major who attended the luncheon, told �Ը������� Today that one of her biggest takeaways from the event was to “do what you can with what you have.”

“You really don’t have to be successful all the time,” Knutson said, “but one out of 10 is better than zero out of 10.”

On the first Wednesday of every month, the center invites influential leaders from the �Ը������� and Kent communities to connect with students. A free lunch is offered to all student attendees.

“It actually started last year,” said Austen Shipley, assistant director of student leadership development at the Center for Student Involvement. “The thought behind it was, there are so many awesome local leaders in the Kent community and �Ը������� University. Why not bring them here to talk to students?”

Knutson said that the environment was very uplifting and warm, and she enjoyed the student networking beforehand.

“It was also just very bright, and the presentation was very well put together,” Knutson said. “You can tell that this was a prepared event.”

While waiting for Spinner’s presentation to start, students grabbed food and talked with one another. Some prepared notebooks and pens to jot down lessons and advice from the featured speaker.  

During her presentation, Spinner shared with students four lessons she learned from her professional experience:  

• Leaders don’t lead alone, and they often have a community or team that helps them succeed.  
• Anyone can lead from wherever they are, meaning you don’t need an official title to be a leader.  
• Leaders don’t have to win every time ...  
• But they still take a shot, even if they think they’ll fail.

When the presentation ended and the open Q&A began, students were eager to learn more about her journey and how she dealt with the ups and downs during her career.  

Spinner shared a story about her first interaction with the �Ը������� University Museum, which happened before her employment at the university.  

The organization where Spinner had worked before �Ը������� had just announced it was closing, and she would be out of a job. During that same week, a friend invited her to an exhibition opening.

“I seriously thought about not going,” Spinner said, “and I reminded myself, ‘Opportunities spark opportunities.’”

Shipley said that the event was a great learning opportunity for students.

“It’s much more than just the fashion and the history of the museum part, but it’s the deep learning and the authentic leadership we get through these conversations too,” Shipley said.

Other Leaders Lunch Club speakers this semester will include Andra Polasky, executive director of Leadership Portage County; Michael Lewis, lieutenant with the Kent Police Department; and Michael Hollins, assistant athletic director of student-athlete development and leadership. The spring series will be announced later this fall.

Learn more about the many other programs and events the center offers throughout the semester.