Lisa Antonecchia '08
Agriculture and Life Sciences
April 2007
Leadership Essay
When I wrote my last reflective leadership essay in April of 2006, I had recently been appointed as the President of a young organization called the AEM Ambassadors. At that time, the organization was a public relations group for the Applied Economics and Management major (AEM) and the Undergraduate Business Program (UBP) at Cornell. With numerous leadership and membership deficiencies, and organizational problems, I had identified that the AEM Ambassadors needed of a formal structure, purpose and mission statement. I felt strongly that the Ambassadors had a much bigger and more integral role to play for the university’s business program. Last year, I made a lot of ambitious leadership goals for myself and identified bold objectives for the organization. In the essay, I wrote:“Now, as the official President of the AEM Ambassadors organization, I am taking the necessary action steps to reach the aforementioned goals necessary for the group’s success. Setting up productive meetings, strategic plans and objectives in this role has taught me great time management and dedication, and the importance of persistence and optimism. I plan to hold this presidency for two more years in order to establish a strong foundation, infrastructure and plan for the group that will contribute to the future success and longevity of the organization. With my commitment and enthusiasm, the AEM Ambassadors will make great strides in supporting our program to the top of the national ranks.” – 4/06 Meinig Essay
My goals were high, however, with the right attitude and perseverance, they were certainly attainable. I am proud to say that yesterday’s plan has become today’s reality.
Before leaving school last year, I called my first general body meeting as President for the AEM Ambassadors. At the meeting I made an enthusiastic presentation illustrating my vision for the Ambassadors; I felt that our organization should no longer be a public relations group focused on prospective students, but an organization that would assist in the growth and development of the Undergraduate Business Program as well as foster relationships with all of its stakeholders. I identified five main components for the transformation of the organization: first, to assist in the progress and enhancement of the AEM major and the UBP; second, to communicate with and assist prospective students; third, to build a strong network and community among current AEM students; fourth, to foster strong ties with AEM alumni; and last, to work closely with and receive guidance from the Undergraduate Business Advisory Board. Following my presentation, I asked each of the current members to create a purpose and mission statement that they felt was appropriate for the expansion of the organization. Collectively, we developed this:
AEM Ambassadors is a student-directed organization committed to illustrating the AEM experience to prospective students, alumni, and the Cornell community. The organization consists of students with diverse backgrounds and experience, all united by their passion for AEM. The mission of the AEM Ambassadors is to promote and strengthen the Department of Applied Economics and Management, give leadership and assistance to fellow AEM students, provide representation and information to the Cornell community and beyond, and embody the ambition, diversity, and goals of Cornell's Undergraduate Business Program.
With a clear direction and objective for the group, the AEM Ambassadors needed an organizational structure. I established four committees and held elections for committee chairmen. The committees were aligned with each objective that I had previously mentioned; Student Connection Committees (targeting the needs of both prospective and current students), Alumni Relations Committee, Business Advisory Relations Committee, and Undergraduate Business Development Committee. I also established a position for a VP of Administration who assisted me in maintaining organizational records, our email account and our new website. By the beginning of the 2006 Fall semester, with a clear mission, purpose and structure, the AEM Ambassadors had positioned itself to make great strides over the academic year.
A year ago, I saw the AEM Ambassadors as an opportunity to make a change. I was not interested in being just another transactional leader who went through the motions to ensure the mere existence of the organization. I was determined to be a transformational leader who would create a strong organizational foundation, provide a vision for change, motivate the membership and most importantly, execute organizational plans. With all the pieces in place and a strong leadership team, it was time to take action.
Since the beginning of last semester, I have provided leadership, dedication and guidance to numerous AEM Ambassador projects and initiatives. For the first time, we opened membership through a selective recruitment process with a first round online application, followed by a second round interview. We received a record high number of applications (approximately 60 applications out a major of under 200 students per class), and selected under 50% to join the organization. This process sent the message that we were looking for enthusiastic and devoted business students, and therefore, attracted the students who wanted to work hard and had a true passion for the program.
With committed members and leadership, I went to the AEM administration and asked how we could play a more fundamental role in the development of the program. With enthusiasm, the Director of the Undergraduate Business Program and the Chairman of the AEM department agreed to participate in monthly breakfast meetings where Ambassadors would interact with AEM faculty to discuss the program. Almost every month since the Fall, I have invited different Ambassadors to attend these meetings where both the students and the Administration create an agenda and discuss issues. Through these productive meetings we have already worked on curriculum changes and program enhancements, such as a new Leadership Program called BOLD, exclusively for AEM students.
Additionally, the Ambassadors have worked on initiatives to build a stronger AEM community for the students. We designed the first ever AEM t-shirt, and sold around 200 shirts in just 2 weeks! This project gave us the money we need to fund other student programs that we are currently developing, such as AEM Prom. The Applied Economics and Management Department was impressed and granted the organization an additional $1200. We also created a successful program for prospective students. The organization implemented “AEM Days” during Cornell Days and invited accepted students to eat lunch with the AEM Ambassadors, attend an AEM panel discussion with ambassadors and business professors, as well as listen in on a skype call with an AEM alumna from Goldman Sachs. These activities truly illustrated the community and pride that the Ambassadors are building for the undergraduate business program.
Lastly, I was extremely fortunate to be invited by the Chairman of the UBP and the Director of AEM to travel with them to New York City for the bi-annual Business Advisory Council Meeting. Here, in front of top Corporate America executives (you can view the council members online), I presented a PowerPoint presentation on the AEM Ambassadors. The response was overwhelmingly positive and the members were generous in offering their time to meet with me and the rest of the Ambassadors in the Fall of this year.
To top my leadership experience off, the Applied Economics and Management Program was notified that in just one year we had advanced four spots in BusinessWeek’s Top Undergraduate Business School Rankings. We are now ranked #10 in the nation. BusinessWeek contacted the department and we arranged for a few AEM Ambassadors to do a photo shoot with the magazine. Our picture was selected as the lead photo for story. Nevertheless, I will continue to work diligently with the Ambassadors, Administration, Faculty, Alumni and our Advisory Council to ensure that we continue to improve and rise in the national rankings. I look forward to making a continual impact through effective leadership in my senior year as President. I’m shooting for #1!
