Unintentional leadership

It’s happening again…

When I was 16, I joined a Parish group. Although having been in the Parish for years, I was a newcomer as I had never attended any group there, or taken any active role. The following year, I was asked to take charge of the children’s group, and I accepted.

Fast forward a decade and, after taking part in a Bible Study Group in my Cambridge Parish for a year, I was asked to be the group leader as the leader was quitting due to family reasons.

In 2011, I had barely joined CILIP, and in the bat of an eyelid I found myself in the role of Vice-Chair of the East of England branch. I thought I was going to skip the subsequent chairing task the following year, due to my maternity leave, but somehow I became, nevertheless, chair (not on my own. But still).

And some days ago, I was with my 15-months-old daugher at a playgroup for Italian children in Cambridge, when suddenly the lady running it turns to me and says: “Maria Giovanna, why don’t you take the group on next year?”.

To chair or not to chair

That was the question at the last Cilip East of England branch committee meeting, held in Bury St. Edmund's last week. It is a double-faceted question, in the sense that:

1. I was asked to chair the meeting as Darren, our Chair, was involved with an event the branch had organised on the same day. Being the Vice-Chair, I couldn't say no, so I feigned a lot of confidence and said "sure, no problem" as if chairing meetings is something I do every day. I studied the agenda and planned the structure of the meeting quite meticulously, and I also looked for some advice online, stumbling on this great link that gave me a lot of good points to think about.

Cam23: the final post but not the final thing...

More than a month after the final party, here I am to explain why I dropped Cam23 and decided I wouldn’t complete it. The programme was great and I was really looking forward to take part; I started with enthusiasm but after 11 things I stopped and never picked it up again. What happened?