A common misunderstanding about leadership is that people often think it involves telling others what to do.  While this method can be effective, it also tends to be slow and stressful for your teammates. When people are simply given directions, they will lack the intrinsic motivation to complete the task.  A good leader not only directs their teammates, but also inspires them to perform.  How do you inspire your team?  Let them contribute to your problem-solving process.

People are motivated to work on a project when they feel completely involved and vital to the team.  The goal of a good leader is to make all members of the team feel significant.  When an entire group solves a problem together, and everyone contributes, all participants will be motivated to perform their duties to the best of their ability.  Suddenly, the assignment will have worked its way up to the top of your teammates' to-do list.  With the proper inspiration, you can get your group to happily work at completing any team project. 

Speaking of leadership, TSA wants to thank DuPont for supporting the national officer program each year.  DuPont is a leader in science and technology and is proud to support TSA members as they participate in competitions and take on leadership roles within their school and state. 

  The 2013-2014 National TSA Officer team is subsidized by DuPont.

With the school year (and TSA activities) well under way, it is a good time to think about the principles of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).  After all, our entire organization is centered on the application of these concepts.  Many students don't realize the importance of STEM outside of industry.  The fact of the matter is that STEM is not only applicable in the workforce but in everyday life, as well.  STEM is a perspective and a way of thinking.

At the root of those core subjects is the fundamental application of logic and reasoning.  Mathematics is simply visual logic; we use numbers to quantify and visualize our world and its intricacies.  Science is based on observation and applying our critical reasoning skills to show how our world works and to explain why it works.  Engineering is problem-solving with an application in mind; that application is technology that will enhance our lives.

I am excited to have this opportunity to share what your national officers have been working on throughout the year.  When the six officers first met, we created a special plan of work tailored to enhance TSA.  We factored in suggestions that we heard at the 2013 national TSA conference in Orlando, Florida, such as the need for more interaction between members to create a more cohesive TSA spirit.  We also heard that as members, you would like for TSA to have more recognition. 

The program of work that we developed focuses on improving TSA for its membership.  First, we were all very excited to introduce #myTSAstory.  The purpose of #myTSAstory is to encourage TSA members to share their personal and inspirational TSA experiences.   The use of hashtags allows these stories to be available to other TSA members.   Via the hashtag, you can read about the positive impact TSA has made on other members' lives.  We hope to select our favorite stories and share them at the 2014 national TSA conference.   To learn more about #my TSAstory, watch the video on our website, http://www.tsaweb.org/National-TSA-Week.  Additionally, we are working with TSA's social media intern, Gus White, to make our Facebook page more active.

Also included in our program of work is the Community Outreach Toolkit.  This toolkit contains a letter, brochure, and poster for your state officers to distribute to local businesses, organizations, and educational systems.  These items contain information about TSA and an optional invitation to state conferences.  The toolkit is intended to inform local companies, colleges and universities about the benefits and potential of TSA in the community.

Additionally, we have been advising national TSA on the national service project and the national TSA Alumni Association.

As a team, we are very excited about the upcoming 2014 national TSA conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland (near Washington D.C.), June 27-July 1, 2014, and hope that you are excited, as well.  We are creating a promotional video about the upcoming conference that will be available to state delegations when it is completed.

We hope that our hard work will help lay the foundation for a stronger and more successful TSA!