Written by Cassie, 2021 Cohort
When I was first assigned to be the team leader, I was both excited and anxious. Excited because Aida gave me a precious chance to improve my leadership skills, anxious because this was my first time to become a team leader for such an important project. Therefore, I had doubts about my potential. What if my lacking management skills hinder the progress of the group?
But in the process of working on the project, I found all these worries were superfluous.
Partly because I had a group of teammates who trusted me very much. They were very conscientious, assigned tasks that could be scheduled to their best efforts to present. Most of the processes we discussed went well. Although there were sometimes disagreements during the project, I often encouraged members to speak out so that each person’s values can be maximized. It is because of these numerous clashes of ideas that we can finally ignite the spark of the perfect solution. I’m glad we’ve always been a harmonious team, we’re like family now.
On the other hand, the change of my mindset was one of the crucial factors. I found that we all have hidden leadership skills. That’s why we have to get out of our comfort zone and keep trying. In this case, our countless different potentials will be explored, and that’s what makes us better.
The first attempt may not always be successful, but every attempt will pay off. Looking back from the first meeting I organized to the end, now I better control the length of the meeting to make the meeting more efficient. I’m better at identifying new goals and outlining key deliverables and milestones during each meeting. During this journey, I not only witnessed and participated in the progress of our team, but also found my sense of responsibility and belonging.