Lollipop Moments: Redefining Leadership, By: Eileen Nugraha

Today, I wanted to share a video that my team shows us every year as a reminder that leadership is not always about grand gestures and breakthrough moments but can be something as simple as a kind gesture or a helping hand.  

In the Ted Talk above, Drew Dudley does a fantastic job redefining leadership. I encourage you to watch the video when you get the chance and think about your lollipop moments! This could be a moment where you impacted someone in a small way or a situation where someone else has impacted you. Many times, the word ‘leadership’ can be daunting because there are preconceived notions about how a leader should be—assertive, taking charge, and being successful—but I wanted to show how leadership is not always like that. Even small actions of leadership should be celebrated.

To drive home this thought, I wanted to share with you my lollipop moment of a professor who greatly impacted me during my time at university. In my introductory blog post, I talked a bit about myself, noting that I’m studying English and Philosophy. Although the reason I decided on being an English major is straightforward—I simply love reading, writing, and analyzing text—the reason I also chose to study philosophy is very different.

In my first year, I took a wide range of courses to see what other courses were available, and I took an introductory philosophy course to see what philosophy was about. The content of the course drew me in, but what sparked my passion for philosophy was the professor. My professor always came to class with a bright smile on his face, delivered his lectures with extreme giddiness and passion, and always made classes so enjoyable. For that reason, I decided to continue studying philosophy, and to this day, he is still one of my favourite professors.

This professor didn’t do anything newsworthy, but the simple act of just being passionate about his work and caring towards his students encouraged me to pursue the field. Although I didn’t speak with this professor often, he was one of the reasons that led me towards my particular educational path. This is an excellent example of how our day-to-day actions significantly impact the people around us, and it is important to be aware of that. We have a lot of power in our actions, and we don’t necessarily have to have a leadership title to lead others around us. So, I encourage you to lead with lollipop moments and share your own lollipop moment with us!