Graduate School Gave Me Knowledge. This Course Gave Me Perspective.

Editor's Note: Since 2018, The Patterson Foundation has collaborated with Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (LFSOP) through its Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative. Recognizing the value of academic and professional educational experiences offered by LFSOP, the Foundation is providing opportunities for its staff and consultants to enroll in LFSOP graduate and professional development courses through its Tuition/Fees Reimbursement Program. TPFers, including Lyndsey Smith, Carrie Miley, Alicia Exantus, Josephine Eisenberg, and Stacy Sternberg, are pushing beyond their respective professional and personal comfort levels and are successfully completing challenging LFSOP courses.

I've spent the last few years working through my master's program, and like most graduate students, I've read countless articles, books, and case studies. Some were interesting, many were difficult, and a few were merely assignments to complete before the next deadline. 
 
Then came my Directed Off-Site Study. 
 
I began the semester expecting to complete an internship project. Along the way, the experience gave me a new perspective on how the theories I had been studying could show up in my everyday work and prompted me to think about how I show up in that work and the kind of professional, coworker, and leader I want to be.
 
As I look back on my graduate program so far, this course has been one of the most impactful parts of my educational journey. Every class I've taken has strengthened my understanding of philanthropy and nonprofit leadership, but this one brought everything together. For the first time, I was living concepts in ways that felt authentic to ME. 
 
The purpose of the course was to connect what we learned in the classroom with real-world experiences. That's exactly what happened.
 
Throughout my graduate program, I've studied nonprofit leadership, ethics, governance, organizational culture, and philanthropy. Most of those conversations focused on how organizations serve communities and create impact. 
 
I discovered those same principles matter just as much inside an organization. 
 
How we communicate with coworkers. 
How we build trust. 
How we handle disagreements. 
How we support our supervisors. 
How we make people feel valued. 
 
Building relationships has always been one of my greatest passions. Whether I was teaching elementary school, working with students, or collaborating with coworkers, I've always believed relationships are at the heart of meaningful work. 
 
What made this course different was learning the theories behind leadership, communication, teamwork, and organizational culture, then having the opportunity to apply those ideas in real-life situations. Watching those concepts come to life and seeing the positive impact they could have on people and workplace culture was a very rewarding experience. 
 
One reading that has stayed with me is Danny Meyer's idea of the 51 Percent. He argues that while technical skills are important, they're only part of what makes someone successful. The other 51 percent is made up of qualities like kindness, curiosity, empathy, integrity, optimism, self-awareness, and work ethic. 

 
I LOVED this idea. 
 
Like many people, I've spent years trying to become better at my job by learning new skills, earning another degree, and building my technical knowledge. This reading made me pause and ask myself a different set of questions. 
 
Who am I while I'm doing my job? 
Am I someone people trust? 
Am I someone people enjoy working with? 
Do I make someone else's day easier? 
Am I curious enough to keep learning? 
Do people feel respected after interacting with me? 
 
Another reading introduced the idea of managing up. Before this course, I had always thought leadership flowed from the top down. Reading about managing up taught me that leadership also happens from every seat in an organization. It's about anticipating needs, communicating well, bringing solutions instead of just problems, and helping your supervisor succeed. 
 
That mindset shifted something for me. 
 
Instead of asking, "What do I need from my manager?" I started asking, "How can I make their job easier? How can I contribute in a way that helps the whole team?" 
 
It's a simple shift in thinking, but it's changed how I approach my work. 
 
One of our final readings focused on the Eight Essential Employability Qualities. As I looked through them, communication, teamwork, professionalism, critical thinking, adaptability, personal effectiveness, and continuous learning I realized the qualities that make someone a great employee aren't really about technical expertise. 
 
They're about how we work with other people. 
 
The more I reflected, the more I realized those are exactly the qualities I admire most in the people I've been fortunate enough to work alongside. 
 
I started by working on an employee onboarding project, but the project became much bigger than onboarding. It became about communication, leadership, employee development, organizational culture, and relationships. 
 
It made me realize that culture isn't built through a mission statement or an annual training. 
 
It's built through hundreds of small moments every day. 
 
The email you send. 
 
The conversation after a meeting. 
 
The way you respond when someone makes a mistake. 
 
The willingness to listen before making assumptions. 
 
The choice to help someone instead of simply pointing out what's wrong. 
 
Those moments become the culture people experience. 
 
I'm leaving with a different understanding of leadership, teamwork, communication, and the kind of coworker I want to be. 
 
I'm genuinely sad to see this course come to an end because it reminded me why I chose this graduate program in the first place. It challenged me to grow not only as a professional but also as a person. The lessons I'll carry with me won't just influence the work I do, they'll influence how I treat people, how I build relationships, and how I show up every day. 
 
Graduate school has given me knowledge. 
 
This course gave me perspective and confidence. 
 
And I have a feeling that perspective will continue to shape the way I work, lead, and build relationships long after I've forgotten the assignments.