Spider Leadership Initiative Leaders Of The Week Presented By CapTech
10/14/2020
Frankie-Lynne Conklin
Senior
Field Hockey
Champion Leader
Ray Eldridge
Redshirt Sophomore
Football
Rising Leader
How does it feel to be seen as a leader on your team and in our department?
I’m super grateful for the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of women and staff, and it’s even more rewarding to be seen as a leader. I’m massively appreciative of their support and feel honored to get this recognition.
How does it feel to be seen as a leader on your team and in our department?
It is kind of crazy seeing myself as a leader now. I remember like it was just yesterday where I was just a small freshman looking up to some great players like Maurice Jackson and Andrew Clyde. I am now in a similar spot to those guys and it seems surreal. I love that my teammates and coaches see me in this manner and it means a lot to me. I care a lot about the University and it makes me very appreciative I chose to go here.
What qualities do you think makes a good leader?
I think the ability to communicate effectively with others is a crucial element of being a leader. With that, I think that actively listening and having the ability to advocate for your teammates and others is what sets leaders apart.
What qualities do you think makes a good leader?
I think a good leader has the ability to relate to everyone on their team and can help each individual raise their game. They are able to identify when certain people are struggling and will go out of their way to help that person because they know at the end of the day that will help the team as a whole. Good leaders are also very selfless. They do not inflate their egos in any way and they do any kind of work that is needed of them. No leader is too good for any job. That goes from moving equipment onto the field to giving a younger player a good look in a drill where you could easily take a break.
What are you hoping to work on yourself to become a better leader?
I want to better recognize my privilege as a leader and honor that others around me face challenges that I will never understand. As I continue to educate myself, I strive to particularly be a better ally to the Black community and support the Black Lives Matter movement.
What are you hoping to work on yourself to become a better leader?
I want to become more of a serious figure to people when it comes to certain individuals doing things they should not do. I obviously want to be nice to everyone, but I see myself having trouble being able to reprimand people because I am a nice guy and all these people are my friends. I have to be able to separate friendships when I am a leader and to let everyone know I am not doing this because I want to, but because it will better that person at the end of the day.ether.
What are some challenges you have as a leader in different times like we have now with COVID-19?
While I’m grateful for the ways we are able to maintain some normalcy throughout this semester, it’s definitely been difficult to grapple with the loss of our senior season. With that, it’s also been challenging to connect with others in the same way. This has forced us to be more creative with the ways that we spend time together as a team, and pushed us to support each other even more through these uncertain times.
What are some challenges you have as a leader in different times like we have now with COVID-19?
I saw myself lose motivation during the COVID-19 lockdown because I was not physically with my teammates who are always pushing me and are bettering me as a leader and as a player. We did find ways of holding each other accountable though by sending videos of workouts to our group chat and by having competitions with one another towards the end of our lockdown. This did motivate me because I was able to compete with my teammates once again. I saw my mood over the whole situation improve and in turn I was able to become a better leader from it.
