Perseverance pays off for organizer of leadership society at CSB

Maddy Zinken knows a thing or two about perseverance.

Ever since completing an internship this past summer with the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) in Hoboken, New Jersey, the College of Saint Benedict junior communication major has worked hard to establish a chapter of the organization at CSB.

“Every great success story always has a ‘no’ involved,” Zinken said. “And, I heard my fair share of ‘no’s.’ I fought so hard for this program.”

Mission accomplished. With the help of an executive board, Zinken’s work and perseverance has paid off as 161 CSB students have enrolled in the NSLS chapter.

The organization is the nation’s largest leadership society, with 596 chapters and nearly 869,000 members across the country. There are now five chapters in Minnesota – Southwest Minnesota State University (established in 2005), St. Cloud State University (2011), Minnesota State University-Mankato (2016), Concordia College-Moorhead (2017) and CSB.

The NSLS provides a step-by-step program for members to build their leadership skills through participation at their campus or online. Membership is for life, and provides access to benefits including scholarships and awards, exclusive on-campus events, employment recruitment through an online job bank and discounts on computers, textbooks, graduate school prep courses and insurance.

Like any good leader, Zinken quickly downplayed her role in the establishment of the chapter.

“When student ideas come forward, (CSB) is ready to listen,” Zinken said. “They want to run with them. If you are very passionate about what you are doing, and you are ready to persevere through the ‘no’s’ and the rocky roads, then you’re going to get what you want and it’s going to be successful.

“All those stressful days and long phone calls and long emails definitely proved to be worth it with 161 members,” Zinken added.

“Maddy is passionate about this,” said Mary Geller, vice president for student development at CSB. “She is energetic, organized and helps others see a vision for leadership development through NSLS on our campuses. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and she is willing to work hard to accomplish her goals and you can’t help but want to be on board with her and help her succeed.

“We have far exceeded our expectations for the founding class,” Geller added. “We were hoping for 30 members, and we are currently at 161. Clearly, this is resonating with our students.”

Zinken has been interested in leadership since her high school days in Big Lake, Minnesota. She was the student body president while a junior, then worked for the mayor of Big Lake as a senior.

“Once I got to college, I’ve been really involved with different organizations on campus,” Zinken said. “I love taking the initiative and seeing change at different things.”

Zinken works in the Student Activities and Leadership Development office at CSB, and saw a need for leadership training.

“We have a really strong student activities area, but not a strong leadership development area,” Zinken said. “I found the society and what it could provide for members. When joining the society, I thought this would be something that everybody could benefit from.”

The NSLS uses a five-step program for members, who pay a one-time membership fee of $85.

Members attended an orientation meeting Feb. 28 to learn what NSLS is. Two leadership training days will be held on March 18 and March 20. During those three-hour training sessions, a DISC assessment will be given to determine what type of leader the person is “and how they can apply that with different leaders around them,” Zinken said.

Finally, members will attend three online seminars on March 25, April 4 and April 12 to hear individuals speak about leadership. Members will also work with a success networking team, which “makes sure that you are being held accountable for the goals that you have set for yourself, whether it’s acing an exam or getting a job that you applied for,” Zinken said.

Geller said she was persuaded to look into NSLS after Zinken put forth a compelling argument.

“I took a month to look into it, talked to my staff, other schools with chapters and directly questioned leaders in the national office,” Geller said. “I took all that information into account and determined that it was worth trying.

“What really sold me is the student development and leadership theories/models around which NSLS builds its program. I felt NSLS has so much to offer in developing leadership skills and networking, and I wanted to bring that opportunity to students,” Geller added.

“You really have to go into it and be mentally and physically present,” Zinken said. “If you do both of those things, you will learn so much, not only about yourself but the people around you.”

---

Information about picture:

Executive Board from left: Dalia Serrata '21, Skyler Jensen '20, Maren Curley '20, Maddy Zinken '19 and Ashley Payne '19. Not pictured: Hannah Calton '21.

Picture by: Hannah Schwietz '20 for the Record