Leadership: Genuine Service or Ego? - by Bill Pullen

Leadership: Genuine Service or Ego? - by Bill Pullen: "For about a year, I considered applying for a position on the board of a local non-profit organization whose mission I believe in deeply. I felt that my education, skills, and experience would help them. Eventually, I approached one of the board members and expressed my interest. I was excited at the prospect of being involved in good work; I could not stop talking about it. Two of my friends called board members to express their support for my involvement. Here was my chance to engage in community leadership and to honor my belief in the value of service. T he eagerly awaited call finally came. To my surprise and disappointment the caller said, 'Well, we're not sure you're what we need on the board at this time.' There was more to the conversation but that sentence was all I heard. My heart sank. I felt a knot in my stomach. For two days, my emotions bounced from sadness to anger to frustration. I knew this organization was in need of board members. I was offering my time and energy. How could they not want me? I am not pleased to admit that I found myself planning to withdraw the donation I had pledged to them. I began to plot my revenge."