leading in a group
Questions/Instructions:
How have you contributed to solving a challenge and to implementing change or reform?
Be specific and include:
- What aspect/s of your leadership knowledge, skills and practice you consider to be well established and effective?
- Which people or organizations you worked with to solve the problem?
- What creative methods were used?
Answer:
Challenge solving, implementation of change, as well as reforming people are great things to do to contribute to realize a better society. As the Latin saying goes, non nobis solum nati sumus, which loosely translated as we are not born only for ourselves. We are indeed social creatures who can never stand alone. Life is meaningful when we help each other.
I have had some experiences in this matter. For instance, I made a study group to help my friends to understand more about a particular topic. They believed that they were not smart enough to study alone. I tried to change their mindset by encouraging them to believe in themselves. One way that I implement to achieve this was to tell them to speak up and share their opinions in front of the group mates. It did not only improve their understanding regarding the topic, but it also helped to boost their self-confidence.
Although it is hard to do, sometimes I try to bring the best in people, such as when I encouraged my students to speak up and be confident. I wanted them to have qualities of a leader: confident, able to make good decisions, can endure pressure, etc. It worked for some students. They were braver in expressing themselves. I also taught them some moral lesson, such as being kind to others, that bullying is bad, and to always appreciate what they have.
Furthermore, whenever there were group works, I always become the leader. I tried to share the group work equally among the group members. I want all of them to participate no matter what, even if it means that some will only come to the meeting as spectators, although I still try to encourage them to contribute in the group. Sometimes I tried to speak to them nicely and some other times, I had to be bold and straightforward. Both ways of communications worked, but it depends on them in the end. Every method of solving problems can be double-edged sword.
