During my LEAD 490 capstone, our entire class worked together to plan and host a leadership conference for about 40 students. The project required us to divide into smaller committees and collaborate throughout the semester to design the event, raise funds, and coordinate the logistics. As part of the process, we completed a peer accountability exercise where we were paired up and asked to give each other honest feedback about our leadership and contributions to the group.

During my review, my partner pointed out that early in the semester, I had been a strong leader within the group, especially when it came to communicating between the small committees and helping keep everyone aligned as we planned the conference. At the same time, he gave me some honest feedback that my momentum had slowed a bit as the semester progressed. When the conference planning and coaching talks first started, I brought a lot of energy that helped get the group moving, but that energy had not been as consistent later on.

Hearing that feedback was helpful because it made me realize that the energy and motivation I bring can actually influence the group's tone more than I realized. Something as simple as bringing energy to meetings or pushing conversations forward can help motivate others and keep the group focused on the bigger goal. After that conversation, I made a more intentional effort to bring that same energy back into the group and contribute more directly to the conference design and planning process.