Leadership is an action, not a position. When faced with drawbacks during a 7-day school facility camp, I was blessed with the opportunity to navigate a map and leads thirty students to a safe return from the base of a 50-meter gorge. The challenge was a 4km hike that demands a volunteer that carries a lot of confidence in leadership. Suddenly, I found myself acting by example. With a small compass and a map in my hands, I complied my first leadership skills by taking the first steps against a slant 5-meter cliff.
Since I have experiences requiring physical attributes and knowledge, it was not much of an issue for me to find myself in a challenging circumstance. However, I observed that several of the students found it as strenuous as we are not all physically inclined. Having to take the lead, I made an attempt to formulate strategies to motivate students so they find themselves active as they can gradually climb efficiently.
Eventually, all 30 students successfully overcome their obstacles against the cliff. Halfway through the hike, my second attribute of leadership was commenting on the next action. With the observed knowledge that the students are effectively fatigued due to the challenging obstacles, I made the decision against any further actions to be complied before our teachers could. This decision-making made me felt a pang of guilt as I compromised my respect for elders. However, guilt was justified by the fact that I am not offered with this opportunity to lead every day.
I have benefited from exercising leadership skills to foster motivation and greater strength from the group of demotivated and unskilled students. Hours before the deadline, we successfully made it through the three hour hike from the bottom of a 50 metre gorge unscathed. Leadership has truly taught me the importance of responsibility.
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