I always imagined a leader as someone with a loud voice, strong personality, and solidified plans and opinions; someone with the power to push their mission into reality. It seemed to me that good leaders think about how they can improve their community and have innate knowledge of what to do. They are powerful yet benevolent and are not afraid to put their foot down for their ideals. Growing up, leaders like this surrounded me: parents, teachers, self-appointed group-project leaders, and sports captains. Their leadership status felt impressive and pedestal-worthy.
This view shifted when I got to know the Crestone End of Life Project, a non-denominational nonprofit in Crestone, CO, which promotes informed end-of-life choices and supports the fulfillment of those choices for its community members. To fulfill these choices, the nonprofit offers green burials and open-air cremations, among other services. A strong group of long-time volunteers works to ensure that each individual’s wishes are served, advocating for them and empowering them to push for their wishes to come to fruition. Through individualized end-of-life plans and ceremonies, these community leaders use their knowledge and expertise to serve their community by offering suggestions and tips for ceremonies yet leaving the ultimate decision up to the individual.
The volunteers at the Crestone End of Life Project are leaders. Notably, they lead through advocacy and empowerment rather than pushing their own plans and opinions. I hope to practice these same skills of leadership throughout my time at El Pomar Foundation and beyond. I learned that for me leadership embodies selflessness and encourages continually learning from and advocating for the communities in which I’m immersed. The communities that El Pomar serves will always have the inside knowledge of how to improve themselves; it is our job to listen and empower them with our resources and skills. I believe that El Pomar embodies this type of leadership, and I am thrilled to spend the next two years working to empower communities across Colorado.
