Daily Reflections Day 6 /ห้า/

Today we took a break from our research! During breakfast that morning, we decided to explore Warorot Market for a taste of everyday life for the people in Chiang Mai. There was something in the spontaneity of the whole thing that made the experience an exciting one for me. The simplicity of the market was a welcome change from the bustle of the tourist attractions we visited. It was therapeutic to walk among rows and rows of local products, observing the quiet flurry of activity in the morning as people went about their daily lives. We really embraced the slow pace of life in Chiang Mai that morning.

The restful laziness of the morning was soon replaced by the thrill that accompanied the amazing race. We would win!!! The unrelenting sun tired all of us out that afternoon, but I had severable valuable takeaways from the activity.

We had to set out in our sub groups and make our way around Chiang Mai unassisted. During the journey, I saw each of my group members step up. Some took the map and led the way to our destinations, some took care of us by constantly asking if we needed water to stay hydrated, some took the initiative to remind us of the time so we would stay on task, some provided much-needed support and encouragement as we trudged on in the hot afternoon sun. Everyone led in some way or another during the trip, and I was thankful to be in a group with no one dominant leader. Everyone wanted to contribute and bring their best to the group; everyone was invested and involved in the task on hand. The most memorable part of the race for me was our last task. We had was to complete 50 pushups on a pebbly path in the sports stadium. Our group only had one guy, so we were already at a physical disadvantage! He volunteered to complete 30 pushups, so the girls would have an easier time. Some of the girls in my group immediately volunteered to do more pushups in order to even out the workload. It was heartening to see my group mates being so eager to help one another out even though all of us were exhausted after the first two tasks. Through the race, we also had the chance to discover one another’s working style, which would be helpful in subsequent parts of our group project. There is something about overcoming a challenge together, especially in an unfamiliar environment, that brings people together and I felt that the race bonded us even more.

The race also made me realize the importance of being willing to ask for help. If help is available, we should not hesitate to go forth and seek it. It’s nice to be independent and be able to do things yourself, but it would be unwise to ignore help when it can save so much time and make the process of completing the task a lot more efficient. We sought a lot of help during the race and it shortened the time we took significantly—acquiring the map from the hotel concierge so we could plan our route and asking the tourist help centres for directions whenever we walked past one.

Something that the seniors shared during the debriefing of this activity stuck with me: what we gain from any experience depends on how much we put into it; it is a reciprocal relationship. The mindset of going into any task is of prime importance; it would make or break the experience. My group mates went into the amazing race with the mindset of doing our best. All of us contributed in whatever way we could, instead of stepping back to let one person do all the work. By the end of the race, this was reflected on our faces, as all of us felt a sense of satisfaction and achievement from completing the race together.

I have attended a few leadership workshops before, though they happened some time ago. Since then, I have formed my own thoughts about leadership. To me, the mark of a true leader is the willingness to listen. A leader has to be humble enough to listen to what the teammates have to say and take their opinions into account. This may not be the most efficient method of doing things, but this way, the teammates benefit from the experience as well. We should not underestimate how much a conducive, accepting and love-centered environment can improve the quality of the results. I believe that a leader should bring his or her teammates along on the journey instead of commanding them to charge forth from behind them.

Ultimately, there is a time for everyone to step up and lead. I believe that everyone has the capability to lead, but it is only when they are ready that they can fulfill their true potential. It is not about the charisma, or the confidence, or the experience. All of us have different seasons of growth in our lives. At any given moment in time, some of us may have to learn how to be a follower before being able to lead, while others may have to learn to be confident about displaying their abilities in a leadership position, and yet others may have to learn to be humble enough to admit that they made a mistake as a leader. Regardless, I think that leadership roles are definitely a source of growth for a person. It is less about the power and authority that a leadership role gives to you, but more about realizing how much more there is to learn after becoming a leader.