Leadership: beyond finding the fine balance

(Christina Cassandra Matas)

It is still vivid on my mind the first time I encroached the world of politics. I was in grade 1 way back then, when I was first elected as the Vice president in our classroom. As I reminisce about that instance when almost everyone was raising their hands for my name I cannot help but smile and felt this sense of pride within me. Growing up being exposed in the clamorous world of politics, I have always been fascinated of what would It be If I will be following our familys footsteps. Then eventually, that simple what-would-it-be question to myself instigated me to chase excellence in such field; it incessantly provided me the thermal blood that kept my inner desire of service to others alive. Then my journey in that field went on putting me to different electoral positions with various responsibilities. From the simple task of an elementary officer of writing the names of those unruly students to the heart-skipping impromptu speech in various school events .As the years goes by, the tasks that Id been getting grew more and more pressing each time but still it didnt equate the satisfaction that I was getting upon serving others. During my third year in college I was able to join the BulSU league of Student Council as the Vice Governor in our beloved college but the underlying pressure of the academe has prevailed leading me to function in a not so vigorous mode. The tightness of my schedule and the burden of school works killed my smoldering desire to pursue my dream of becoming the leader I want to be since I was a child; a kind of leader who inspires and a kind of leader with desire. My yearning of exercising leadership had been rekindled when I was chosen to be the Community Diagnosis Leader in our COPAR this semester.It was a tough task and I can say that the whole experience really made a difference in my past view of the word Leadership .I actually thought before that my experiences way back then was enough for me to say that I had developed such mastery in that skill but I was wrong. Theres a big difference on leading a group of rational people who had this immense views and opinions about things compared to those passive individuals that I had come to interact before. Therefore I decided to adapt. I learned to find the most accurate balance between autocracy and democracy. I learned to change my old ways of being a demanding leader to that of a patient leader. I learned that a leader should not just do the commanding but rather do things that are out of his or her responsibility for the betterment of the group. Truly, on the verge of my contemplation after this experience, I have come to understanding that the significance of leadership is to convey into being more leaders than followers. It is of prime substance that other people follows you and are able to realize in their hearts that everyone has a part to play .

At times, it just feels exhausting, like you wish you were just a usual member of the group who will only wait for the plans that will be laid to you by your Leader and use your spare time doing more beneficial things for yourself but on the other hand, I have realized that, that is leadershipto lead others selflessly without counting the deeds. Others may think that being a leader is all about assigning tasks or having the privilege to decide for the group, but for me being a leader is far more than that. Being a leader is a job that requires not only your labors but also your heart to love and embrace it. Leadership is 10% of how we make it and 90% of how we take it. Consequently we students, whether a leader or not, should remind ourselves that it is our sense of duty to help each other shine in different facets. More than that, it is also our task to help each other grow not just in the four corners of the classroom but also as individuals who knows how to find the connecting line between the lessons that must be learned in school and lessons that should be learned through experience. Leadership is a chance given to everyone. Thats what it should be all the time. Thats the reason why our Clinical Instructors wanted different students to stand as leaders in our Clinical or community exposure because they believe that in every individual there is a potential to lead, its just that that desire is not sustained well at times. To end this, I would like to leave a famous quotation to inspire us. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.