Introduction:

WhenIfirstthoughtabouttheclassIwasabouttotakeIexpecteditwouldbepurely
theoreticalandtextbookbased,andwhatIgotwascompletelydifferent.InessenceI
thoughtitwouldcontainmanagementprinciplesandleadershiptheories(traittheory,
behavioraltheoryetc)butitwasmoreaboutunderstandingyourstrengthsand
weaknessandbeingsociallyaware,empathizingwithpeoplearoundyouandhelping
themachievetheirpersonalgoals.Itisthroughthissharedcommitmentthatonecan
buildcoherenceandcoordination,toacheivegreatthings.Ihavelearnttheimportance
ofemotionsandthecrucialroletheyplayindictatinghowyoubehave
.Emotionsare
verypowerfulandsometimesitisinthebestinterestoftheteamtostepbackfrom
emotionsinordertobeabletomakethewisestchoices.Ilearnedthatexcellenceisnot
anactbutahabit.Acoachofmineoncetoldmetopracticelikeyouplayevery
time.Everyindividualhastheirownuniquesetofskillsandsuccesscomeswhenwe
applyourindividualskillstowardsacommongoal.Agoodleadershouldputtheneeds
ofothersbeforetheirownindividualdesiresandinspireotherswithconfidence.Ibelieve
leadershipisnotaboutmakingothersfollowyoubuthelpingothersrealizetheir
potentialandturnthemintoaleadersaswell.IQandtechnicalabilityarenottheonly
ingredientsrequiredbutalsosocialandemotionalintelligence,whichmakesupagreat
leader.

Mystrugglewithmotivation:
Ialwayshadableakoutlookonlife,thatanythingyoudoinlifeisinsignificantespecially
inmyteens,soIneverreallyputintheefforttomasterthethingsIwasdoingletitbe
classes,sportsorrelationships.notthatIdidbadlyatschoolquitetheoppositeIgot
decentgradesthroughoutbutnotreallyputtingintheefforttomasterthesubjects,
mostlytogetteachersandparentsoffmybackandgavetheillusionofeverythingbeing
fine.teachershavealwaystoldmethatIcouldhavedonealotbetter,ifIputinalittle
moreeffort.Ialwayswonderedifitwasjustmeormostpeoplesufferfromlackof
motivationordriveinlife.Irealizeditwasntjustmepeopleallaroundmestruggledwith
motivationsomeonewithlosingweight,othersintheirjobsandevenmyfriendswith
lackofinterestinstudies.
whenIwas17,Iwasforcedtoattendayouthleadershipseminarorganizedbyclub
whichmyfatherisamember,worstofallitwasforthreedays.Mostofthespeakersat
theseminarweresuccessfulpeoplefromdifferentfields.Theytalkedaboutdifferent
aspectsofleadershipandallthedifferentfacetsitencompasses.Icouldntreally
connectwithwhatwasbeingsaid.Oneoftheorganizersnoticedmydisinterestand
talkedtomeatlength.IexplainedtohermylackofmotivationandhowIdontthinkI
couldbealeader.sheexplainedthatleadershipisnotaboutbeingsuccessfulin
whateveryoudoorbeingsignificantinsociety,itsaboutunderstandingyourselfand
havingavisioninlifetostrivetowards.(Ittookacoupleofhourstogetthroughtome,
asIpickedapartherargumentcoupleoftimes,thankstomyhighC,DISCprofile).That
wasmyfirstleadershiplessonwhichresonatedwithmethroughoutthisclass.Ilearnt

abouttheconceptofintrinsicandextrinsicmotivation.IrealizedIwasdoingmostthings
throughextrinsicmotivationandalsomotivationisnotapersistentstateandIhadto
workhardtochangemyself.

lifeismadeupofmultitudinouseventseachofwhichis
individuallyinsignificant,andyetthefutureiswhatitisonlybecauseofthoseindividual
events(hencetheirimportance).Relatingittothebutterflyeffecttheflappingofa
butterfly'swingsmaybeconsideredinsignificantfromonesperspective,butwhoknows
whateffectswilleventuallyfollow?Inchaostheorythatsmall(apparently
insignificant)differencesintheinitialconditionofadynamicalsystemmayproduce
largevariationsinthelongtermbehaviorofthatsystem.EverytimeIfeelunmotivatedI
gothroughacycletodream,asses,refine,redirect.
Caughtintwominds:
Decisionsareattheheartofsuccessandit
isoneofthemostimportantaspectsof
leadership.Ialsobelieveitisoneofthemostcomplexprocesstogothroughasit
encompassesmanyviewpointsandleadersneedtomakesenseofadvanced
technology,globalization,intricatemarkets,culturalchange.Ioftengetcaughtintwo
mindsunabletomakeadecision.
AsthepopularsayinggoesThedifficultyinlifeisthe
choice.Itendtooveranalyzeasituation,whichmakesithardtomakearesolute
decision.Decisionmakingisnotalwayscharacterizedbysimplecauseandeffect
relationshipespeciallywhenitinvolvesotherpeople.Criticalthinkinganddecision
makingprocessgohandinhandasitinvolvesanalysisofasituationanddetermininga
courseofaction.ourviewofthesituationisdeterminedbysetofassumptionsaboutit,
toputinanotherway,ourbeliefsoftendeterminetheinformationthatweseeandthe

wayweperceiveit.12angrymenisaperfectexampleofhowpeoplereactto
situationshavingasetofprematureassumptions.AwhileagoItookaonlinecourseon
irrationalbehaviour,theprofessorwasinaseriousfireaccidentandmostofhisbody
hadburns.Whilehewasinthehospitalthenursehadtochangehisbandages
periodically,thenurseusedtoripthebandagesoffanditwasintenselypainful,the
professor(alsopatient)askedthenursetotakethebandagesoffslowly.Sherefusedto
doitsayingshehaddoneitforyearsandknowsbetter.laterwhentheprofessorgotout
ofthehospitalheresearchedthiscaseandfoundthattakingthebandagesoffslowly
wasbetter.Inthiscasethenursehadpreconcievednotionandrefusedtoconsiderthe
alternativeandcausingmorepain.Henceusingadifferentperspectiveandconsidering
allthealternateoptionsisvitallyimportantfordecisionmaking.

Conclusion:
Iwasabletoidentifymyleadershipstrengthsandweaknessesaftertakingthe
requiredassessmentsandtheyrequiredmetobecomemoretransparent.Iamnowa
leaderconstantlylearningandgrowingintotheleaderIenvisioninthe
future.Furthermore,IwasabletoidentifymyweaknessasaleaderIamstillstruggling
withalackinconfidenceandorganizationalskills.Itakemytimeforgranted,anddonot
haveasetvisionformyfuture,ratherawiderangeofthingsIwanttodo.Iammaking
stridesinbecomingmoreorganizedandrealizingmyleadershipstyleisofvalue.Imay
notthinklikeothers,butthereisaplaceintheworldforme.WhileinhighschoolIhave
alwaysabstainedfromleadershipresponsibilitiesandfocusedonmyindividual

performanceasanathleteorineducation.IrealizedthatthisisahugemistakeasI
couldhaveperformedbetterinallaspectsoflifebysharingresponsibility.