Recently, my mother said, “Becky, you have always been that way.  You have always gone after what you wanted.”  After I thought about what she said, I knew she was right -- but only half right.  What she didn’t know is that I had to be in my comfort zone to follow through with a goal.  The more I think about it, this is probably true for most people.  No one enjoys being placed in a leadership position without being ready.  It creates too much anxiety and stress.  I suppose that partly explains why there are more followers than leaders. 

At the end of my second year in college, the advisor of the cheerleading club resigned.  Guess who became the advisor?  That’s right.  The responsibility of two squads was officially turned over to me.  Without even a second thought I found myself responsible for the expenses, student senate issues, and tryouts.  I learned that I was responsible for disciplinary actions as well.  Talk about a fish out of water.  I couldn’t find my comfort zone anywhere. 

Aside from not having enough time to deal with the new responsibilities, I did not have the first clue how to be an advisor.  My advisor did not mentor me.  I was not prepared to be the advisor.  Not many people are prepared to be leaders.  But, eventually, with hard work and persistence, they do the job.  Do they make mistakes?  You bet.  Does age help?  Not as much as you might think.  Being a leader isn’t easy. 

Long story short…I survived three years as the advisor.  The number of cheerleaders grew, and I learned a few tricks of my own.  For example, I learned that I didn’t have to do everything myself.  Classmates, who were also cheerleaders, helped with the responsibilities.  I learned that I could talk with the college administration about the club.  And I realized that it was okay if some things didn’t get done.  The club wasn’t going to shut down. 

While my experience as an advisor isn’t anything like what the founders of the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP) must have gone through, it did give me an appreciation for a few things they must have endured.  For example, when I was asked to be the advisor, I couldn’t stop thinking about what if I can’t do the job?  What will my friends say?  No one wants to look like an idiot if it becomes obvious he or she is not a leader [1]. 

Or, in the case of ASEP, no one wants to support an idea that hardly anyone in the field believed it was possible to do.  I learned that it takes great courage to follow through with an idea, especially if it is outside of your comfort zone.  The ASEP founders must have had firm leadership qualities that allowed them to follow through despite the negative comments from colleagues and others. 

Courage may have helped the founders of ASEP get started, but their commitment is what brought the ASEP organization to where it is today.  Obviously, they were committed to the future of exercise physiology by developing steps to accredit undergraduate programs and certify exercise physiologists.  Through the ASEP electronic journals, they continue to talk about the vision of exercise physiology. 

More leaders are needed, however.  The work of the ASEP leaders is only as good as there are students to carry on their work.  That’s why students must be interested in ASEP, support it, and the board certification.  As professional exercise physiologists, they can then mentor others to do the same. 

Boone [2] raises the questions, “How can exercise physiology students avoid sitting for the EPC exam?”  Well, that is easy to answer.  When employment opportunities require ACSM certifications or no certification at all, the natural reaction is to not spend extra time and money on the ASEP certification.  Anyway, hardly anyone seems to know about the EPC certification. 

While I have always agreed with requiring the EPC exam after completing a degree in exercise physiology, at one point I, too, felt compelled to become ACSM certified.  However, by adding the ACSM certification to my list of credentials, I felt that I would no longer be supporting ASEP.  Students need to see and talk with certified exercise physiologists in the field so they in turn can show their support for the ASEP certification. 

Another issue I came across during my undergraduate years was employment.  Not my own thank goodness, but from the class that entered the field a year ahead of me.  Some of the graduates shifted to other professions after coming up empty handed searching for exercise physiology jobs.  One person felt the only job she could get was on the east coast, which was too far from Minnesota.  She went back to college for a degree in nursing and cut her ties to exercise physiology. 

I know it is difficult to not find the right job.  At times, I think too many of my friends want to stay too close to home.  If their home town is small, that is not usually possible. It is life.  But, by throwing in the towel after a year of searching for a good job, they are also throwing away four or five years of education.  And, when they jump ship, it makes it harder for those future graduates to find jobs.  More exercise physiologists must stay in the field, fight for jobs, and share their commitment about ASEP to others. 

Leadership by itself can only take the profession so far.  Mentors for future professionals in exercise physiology must take graduates to the next level.  Mentors show students the possibilities in the field.  They support them as they search for employment.  Many “individuals have the power to build a relationship that achieves a common goal for all exercise physiologists’ employment [3].  Increased employment will further strengthen ASEP and the professional community.  It will also enhance job placement for future graduates. 

Students have some mentors already.  They are the professors!  Every teacher has a tremendous amount of influence on students.  But, many teachers have not been in the field very long.  And, it seems some of them are very interested in doing what they believe is necessary to get promoted or tenured.  It is hard to fault them for doing whatever is right to keep their job, but it doesn’t help students if they are not reaching out to them. 

The internship is helpful, but it is not enough.  Also, not enough of the preceptors are ASEP members.  Too many of them do not have the EPC credential.  Perhaps, the EPCs should reach out to the community and make themselves available to work with students.  Job shadowing might be a good possibility for mentoring.  Here again, those who are willing to get involved must be ASEP members to help share the vision. 

Maybe it is all about them finding their comfort zone, too.  Or, maybe it is about being patient.  What I’ve learned is that “…the performance of the individual leader is hard to measure, but the involvement, dedication, and strategic planning do benefit those who proceed to further develop the profession in the future…” [4].  I’ve also learned that leaders “…must be willing to grow, improve, and change…” [5] if they are to get an idea of what works across to others. 

If you are uncomfortable becoming a leader, why not become a mentor instead.  Remember, “…no single raindrop is ever responsible for a flood, but with many raindrops lakes, oceans, and rivers have been created.  Collectively, we can create a flood of opportunities…” [6] one mentor at a time.  The ASEP leaders are doing what they can to help.  The path is now well-known and defined.  In time, today’s leaders will need you and me to step up and take over.  If you are working in the field, why not be a mentor? 

References
1. Boone, T. (2004). The “3-Cs” of Leadership: Courage, Caring, and Commitment. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 7:5 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/3CsOfLeadership.html
2. Boone, T. (2002). Helping Students Understand the Need for Professionalism. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 5:4 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/HelpingStudents.html
3. Kaelin, M. (2002). Building a Future for All Exercise Physiologists. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 3:5 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/BuildingExercisePhysiology.html
4. Anglin, J. (2002). Empowering Strategic Leadership Within the Field of Exercise Physiology. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 8:4 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/EmpoweringLeadership.html
5. Grev, J. (2005). Follow the Leader. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 8:4 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/FellowTheLeader.html
6. Comstock, T. (2002). Working Together – We Can Create a Flood of Opportunities. Professionalization of Exercise Physiologyonline. 5:6 [Online]. http://www.css.edu/users/tboone2/asep/WorkingTogether.html