Last weekend, our new executive officers enjoyed an overnight stay in New Haven, Connecticut in which they were debriefed on how to be effective leaders and completed lessons on how to lead the future of the chapter. In this training, they dove deeper into the true meaning of what it means to serve on the executive board. Van Augur, this year’s AVC Executive retreat leader shared experiences from his time on the Executive board and the lessons that he learned from them. He then took the time to show the new board Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, and urgently stressed the deeply important message.

Sinek’s message explores the concepts of inspirational leadership and effective communication. Sinek emphasizes the necessity of inspiring others by articulating the fundamental goal or idea that motivates their activities. Using examples from thriving companies, such as Steve Jobs and Apple, he demonstrates how beginning with “Why” can foster a stronger relationship with employees and customers, resulting in long-term success and loyalty.

Like the TED talk, Van stressed the importance to each member of the board that we should “Start with Why.” This, along with an exercise helped each officer think critically about how they wanted to operate their position. This allowed each board member to articulate what their goals were for the semester and how they were going to operate in order to complete those goals. This was the main objective of the retreat.

Later in the retreat, we were joined by mentor Andy Kelly, and alumni Ethan Lovallo and John Donnelly. They shared their knowledge about working on the executive board as well as provided their insight on multiple activities. 

Big thanks to Andy Kelly for preparing a huge breakfast prior to the event’s conclusion. Also, thank you to the organizers of the event. 

Here is to another successful year in CT Alpha, and another great year for our New Executive board! VDBL!