However, I would like to challenge that stereotype by concentrating on the professional development and self-improvement opportunity that's presented to Greek life members - especially those that hold leadership positions. Currently, I serve my one-hundred member sorority as chapter president and use other officers to keep up a well-balanced, structured, and involved organization.

Fraternities and sororities must operate as a company first, and a socialite second to be able to be successful. I would like to point out some key concepts that show the relation between Greek organizations and businesses.

Greek organizations:
• Divide officers into teams to focus on specific aspects of the chapter
• Must operate on a strict budget, fueled solely from member's dues
• Must market themselves well to be able to continue to recruit new members
• Have mission statements and values to carry their members to and gear their brand
• Must follow rules from, and report to, their national headquarters
• Have insurance to cover their organization and its members, along with many policies and procedures in area for holding events

These are just a few points that show how Greek organizations are ran as the best business, combining friendship with professionalism and offering members a great opportunity for private development.

As president, I see all sides of owning a Greek organization and must help every officer no real matter what team her position is just a part of. My days are filled with constantly making decisions and weighing the consequences. I discovered to produce fair decisions that benefit the greater good, while remaining unbiased in the process. I also reply to everyone's questions and concerns while problem solving when an unplanned event takes place. For example, we'd a tiny crisis with flyers that were made to promote an event we were having. If they came in, we noticed the contact email on the flyers was spelled wrong. After some deliberation, we decided to utilize the flyers we'd and made a new current email address with the typo included.

A huge section of owning a successful organization is beneficial and professional communication. Our main forum of communication between officers and the advisory board is emailing. I have discovered just how to properly send and respond to emails in a professional manner. My communication skills have improved substantially since being a leader of my chapter. I have learned to communicate concisely and format information in the most truly effective way. I are finding providing information in bullet lists is the best way to obtain members to read messages fully. Our officers must hold team meetings and get reports of progress in the different areas on their team. Officers are responsible for organizing their very own meetings and taking minutes to record what was discussed. Greek organizations teach members to effectively and professionally communicate through emailing, holding meetings, and working together with others.

One of the most valuable traits that I'm still learning through my presidency, is getting comfortable with hard conversations. I work closely with this Director of Standards and Ethics to make sure our members are holding themselves to the high ideals and values. If someone is falling behind, it is our job to possess conversations using them about why this really is happening and what we could do to ensure it doesn't happen again. These tough conversations become even tougher when remembering that the members of our chapter will also be our friends and sisters. As a leader of a Greek organization, I am learning to have these hard conversations while remaining in control of myself and the conversation.

Greek life has much more to provide than the social facet of the corporation, and can truly prepare teenagers to participate the professional world. Through developing members personally, and developing officers professionally, Greek organizations could offer life-changing collegiate experiences that can't be found elsewhere.