Day 5: Leadership

“If you always do what is easy and choose the path of least resistance, you never step outside your comfort zone. Great things don’t come from comfort zones.” – Roy Bennett

Photo credit: Darren Leong

Undergoing leadership training has always been uncomfortable for me. The last leadership camp I went left me feeling inadequate rather than empowered.

My past experiences as a leader were challenging, and I’m often left wondering if I’m cut out to be one. My impression of a leader is one who is charismatic and outspoken. I was the quite the opposite. Shy and soft-spoken by nature, I would feel insecure whenever I had to rise up to the occasion and step up as a leader.

Although it was merely 2 hours, the leadership race has taught me more than what the 4D3N leadership camp could. Prof Zachary had all of us write down 2 words that came to mind when we thought about leadership. We had to pool our words together and choose any two words that we felt represent us. I was pleasantly surprised at the words my batch mates offered. I saw words like “humility”, “listener” and “acts of service”. This short yet impactful activity has opened my mind to the many different qualities of a leader. There isn’t a “perfect” leader. A good leader isn’t restricted to the qualities that I’ve always assumed one must have. I’ve been so caught up with my own notion of the qualities of a good leader that I disregarded the other qualities that I have or could work on. This lesson was also echoed by Yi Jie and Yi Jing, who were the seniors accompanying my sub-group throughout the race. They reminded us that there are many forms of leadership and no form is better than the other. What’s important is the ability to switch between the different leadership styles to fit the dynamics of the group.

Another activity that Prof Zachary made us do was to introduce ourselves to someone we are unfamiliar with. Striking a conversation with someone I don’t know? Definitely not my forte. Initially, I felt uncomfortable. There were times when I couldn’t continue the conversation and awkward silences would ensue. All I wanted was for the activity to be over. Prof Zachary later explained that the purpose of this activity is to teach us the importance of feeling confident in your own skin. He repeatedly emphasised the need to “own your strengths, know your weaknesses”. Confident people naturally leave a good impression and people would be more interested in holding a conversation. Prof Zachary is right. We were no longer a bunch of kids. There would come a time where we’d have to step out of our comfort zone and socialise. Especially given my major (ACBS), networking is essential. What better time to learn than now? At the end of the leadership training, Prof Zachary had us repeat the same activity. This time, I felt more confident and better able to hold a conversation.