Michael Sabatini (MSE 1T5+PEY) is ILead’s Communications Assistant for 2015-2016! Get to know him a bit more!
What is your favourite example of leadership at U of T?
This might be a little biased – but my favourite example of leadership at the University of Toronto is definitely F!rosh Week! I have been actively involved in F!rosh Week since I started at U of T and I continued to participate because of how much I believe in it. I often remember my F!Week, entering with feelings of apprehension for what I had taken on, like a small fish in a HUGE pond and finishing feeling like there was no other place I should be. Having been a head leader three times over, I love showing incoming students that U of T Engineering is not anything like they have ever heard about or experienced, and introducing them to the great community we have here. Definitely my favourite.
What does leadership mean to you?
I read an article recently, which hits the nail right on the head for this question. The article asks 30 Business Professionals to define leadership. While there were similar underlying ideas, not one person had the exact same definition of leadership, and that’s the best part! I think too often humanity associates the qualities of leaders with those who are outspoken or gravitating, while this may be true in some cases, it definitely is not be all end all. Leadership to me is being able to inspire others with vision and energy, it is knowing when to speak up and when to compromise, and it is about those who you surround yourself with. As Robert J. Joss so eloquently puts it, ‘[leadership] is not about you, it’s about them. It’s about a relationship between you and them.”
What interested you in leadership?
This is a difficult question to answer. I’m not sure there was one thing that interested me in leadership, and like I mentioned, I don’t think there is one true definition of leadership. With respect to taking on roles of leadership such as a F!rosh Leader and Discipline Club Chair, I had a natural gravitation towards them because I enjoy working with and learning about others. Everyone has something unique to bring to the table and I think in positions of leadership you are able to push comfort zones, allow those around to you to reach their full potential in areas they strive, and help improve in areas they may not.
What do you hope to achieve in your position as ILead’s Communications Assistant?
As ILead’s Communications Assistant, I hope to inform students of the fantastic things happening within the institute. There is a world of opportunities for not only academic, but also personal development at ILead and U of T that I feel students do not take enough advantage of!
What is one thing you would take on a desert island?
Definitely a Wilson volleyball (re: Castaway).