The Do’s:

• Do strive to reach win/win agreements for both the university and the organization.
  Look for alignments between the university’s and organization’s missions, visions, values and commitment. Remember, lose/lose is not the same as win/win, though they can look deceptively similar.

• Do seek the understanding of what motivates the people the join the organization.
  What motivates one individual might not motivate another. Take the time to study what researchers have found to work. There is a growing body of knowledge and organizational leadership is both an art and a science. Keep up with the facts of the science but also develop your own style-for this is the art of organizational leadership.

• Do organize for the WHAT & HOW versus the WHY.
  The why shifts the focus to the story, rather than defining a path of discovery that can more effectively lead to change. Ask powerful questions that stimulate the university to take action. The quality of the results may reflect the quality of the questions you ask yourself and your university.

• Do organize with a playful heart and maintain focus on the 5 P's.
  Remember, just because it's work doesn't mean it can't also be fun. Guide and focus the members of the organization to their 5 P's through your 5 P's. They are: Purpose, Passion, Presence, Power and Possibilities. Remember leadership and change are best sustained when they are generated from the inside out vs. extrinsically forced or manipulated.

• Do share your impressions freely-and hold your opinions.
  Are you making assumptions about the situation or are you assessing the situation? By using assessment tools, you the leader can help the university focus on solutions and create a process for gaining a clear objective picture of the current situation. Your university will be attracted to the solution and truth when they discover it for themselves rather than having someone telling them what they have to do.

The Don'ts:

• Don't judge and make the university feel under attack.
  The job of a student leader is to help the university be the best it can. The focus is finding solutions, not placing blame. Catch people doing the right thing vs. doing the wrong thing. The Governing Board of the University will give more of themselves when they are focused on the positive.

• Don't forget to remain true to the leadership Code of Ethics.
  Remember these five words: Respect, Trust, Confidentiality, Credibility and Integrity. Consistently "role model" these values.

• Don't work without a timeline.
  A timeline will auto-magically build in accountability. Without a timeline, goals are intellectual exercises at best! Set benchmarks for the next meeting or the next step in the process.

• Don’t assume you’re without prejudice.

All of us have prejudice and are subject to prejudice.  As a result, we must work to unlearn prejudice and bias within us. Understand your prejudice and exercise your personal power and privilege to foster more diversity.

• Don't try to control your organization. Lead your organization!
  When it feels like you are steering your organization's sailboat, it's time to give up the helm. Empowerment is giving your organization members the opportunity to participate and explore for themselves. This way they can own the results. Remember, change comes from within. Likewise, don't try to "fix" the situation-your fellow organization members have great wisdom and feel ownership only when they are part of the solution.

• Don't treat organization members like machines or computers.
  Organizations are organic by nature and people need to change at their own pace. Create the enhanced work place environment and the results will follow. Remember, machines and computers have identifiable limited capabilities; we are still discovering the limits of human capacity. Don’t under estimate the member of your organization! Remember the four-minute mile!