To me, leadership is about inspiring and supporting others to work towards achieving a common goal or establishing an idea. An effective leader motivates others to act while simultaneously redirecting the group or suggesting changes if something isn’t working. I have demonstrated strong leadership skills through my leadership roles as the Inaugural Sports Captain of the Junior School, a year 8 class representative, and a Murdoch House Councillor in the years 2020 and 2021. In addition to these leadership opportunities, I was lucky enough to camp at Kalbarri, another fantastic opportunity to demonstrate my skills in this area.
The first day at Camp Kalbarri already presented numerous leadership opportunities for me. The first night setting up tents, something that most people weren’t confident in doing, was a great opportunity to exhibit my leadership skills. Pitching a tent wasn’t a new skill for me, so I was confident in instructing my tent group in this process. After we successfully put up our tent, I realized that everyone else was struggling, so I called a team meeting to determine where help was needed. Once I established that everyone knew what to do, I proceeded to offer assistance as required. This not only helped to achieve our team goal of setting up all the tents, but it also meant everyone had the skills and confidence to erect a tent in the future.
I define teamwork as the willingness of a group of people to work together, utilizing their skills and talents in constructive ways to achieve a common goal. This skill is, and has been utilized continuously throughout my life, due to people’s dependence on cooperation to enhance our ability to survive. To use teamwork effectively, you have to be flexible and adaptable when making decisions and proposing ideas to accommodate most peoples’ needs and wants. In almost all of my subjects, I have had to work with people in team projects and assignments that I wouldn’t usually choose. This means that I have had to be more accommodating to consider everyone’s abilities. In a recent assignment, when deciding on a theme, I agreed to the idea that my other group member proposed, so that they could be more involved and interested in a subject area that they found challenging. Even though this may not have been my preferred scenario, it helped my group member contribute to the project, and learn more due to their interest in the chosen theme.
The use of the skills, teamwork and leadership are continuously used to empower others and support them in achieving their goals and dreams. Your team is the vehicle you need to help you reach your goal, so just like a boat needs all of its parts to work, a team needs all its members working together to be efficient. Leaders help guide their team, like a lighthouse rather than a lifeboat; they do not rescue but help others find their way to shore, leading by example. A life without teamwork and leadership wouldn’t be nearly as productive and rewarding. These skills have helped me grow and mature as an individual, as I have realized how important they are to be successful and fulfilled.
