Alumnotes, Spring 2020

ALUMNOTES Spring 2020 In addition to serving as Vice President for Advancement, I also have the privilege of serving as Associate Professor of Business in the School of Business Administration. In that role, I teach an upper-level applied leadership course to business management majors and other students interested in leadership. The applied leadership course description states, “This is an advanced course about managing people and organizations in the 21st century. It is intended for seniors who will soon face the challenge of leadership and influence in the workplace, in business, and other disciplines. This course will integrate and apply what students need to meet the leadership challenge.” John Maxwell posits, “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.” At Cedarville, we teach that leadership is stewardship, service, and influence. Having a position, title, or legitimate authority doesn’t necessarily make you a leader; rather, we believe leadership is influence and must be earned. This includes stewarding the gifts and opportunities God has given you, leading through the biblical framework of servant leadership, and using your God-given influence to lead yourself, others, and organizations to impact the world for Christ in whatever sphere and place He has called you to serve and lead. If you are looking to improve your leadership, you might be interested in a few resources from our applied leadership course. We use James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner’s The Leadership Challenge . This book teaches the five practices of exemplary leaders and serves as a great resource for anyone in leadership at any level. Loren Reno’s ’70 10 Leadership Maneuvers is an excellent guide to serving and leading gleaned by a Cedarville graduate with more than four decades of leadership experience serving our country in the U.S. Air Force, as the former Dean of the School of Business Administration and recent Vice President for Academics, and current Senior Advisor to our University President, Thomas White. We also use Tim Elmore’s Habitudes (faith-based edition): Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes . I highly recommend any of these resources as you seek to serve and lead well. Please feel free to reach out if we can be of service to you or your organization. For His glory and our exceeding joy, Rick Melson, Ph.D. Vice President for Advancement OFFICE OF ALUMNI AND PARENT RELATIONS Alumni and Parent Relations Executive Director Jeff Beste ’87 Assistant Director of Student Philanthropy and Young Alumni Rahul Jacob ’17 Coordinator for Alumni and Parent Engagement Melanie Edris ’17 Coordinator for Communication and Regional Programming Kaileigh McCann If you love Cedarville University − home of the Yellow Jackets − this is the place to shop. Browse Cedarville apparel, gifts, and athletic-branded products available online. Visit yellowjacketzone.com VISIT THE YELLOW JACKET ZONE VANTAGE POINT Spring 2020 | Cedarville University