Caring Begins with Me

While leaving the hotel today, I was bombarded with an unexpected feeling of sadness. Yes, I am excited for the non-sparkling water and air conditioned bliss of the United States, but I will miss the ongoing whats app conversations and exploring Germany together. This past week I learned so much and got to know a great group of people! I wish I was able to eat more sausage and mashed potatoes, but that just leaves room for another opportunity to travel to Germany.

I was speaking with another traveler on the train who is a German native. She told me about her study abroad endeavors and even studying abroad in the United States! She had a unique perspective because she not only went to school in Germany, but was also able to experience school in the United States. Now I could go on a teacher rant here, but what really struck me in this conversation was the idea of leadership. We often view leadership as being the boss in a big corporation or leading others in triumph. However, the young traveler who was merely 18 years old was exhibiting amazing leadership qualities. More specifically, she was exhibiting caring leadership. Caring leadership is not just about making decisions but also making others feel comfortable and exchanging knowledge with one another. She helped out a confused American study abroad student who could not speak a lick of German. I was very lost in the Tuttlingen train station! Instead of giving me general directions, she took out her map on her phone and showed me exactly where to go. She engaged in conversation and was more than willing to share her knowledge about Germany. She was a leading example of caring leadership because she did not have to help me and converse with me. She made me feel comfortable asking questions and navigating the station. With her leadership practices in place, I was able to conquer another train fiasco!