LEAD (Leadership Exploration and Development) Event

• DATE: 16 November 2019

• Venue: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Kerajaan Johor, Kluang, Johor

Background

Nowadays, businesses and enterprises seek out candidates who have certain leadership qualities or attributes. Some of those attributes are self-esteem, teamwork, ability to take actions, and communication skills. As a result of those demands, universities apply such qualities in their courses. High schools, on the other hand, do not emphasize on these skills, which makes university life so hard for students fresh out of high school. Our program gives students a look into the obstacles that awaits them, while also preparing them to face those obstacles.

List of activities:

1. Icebreaking

2. Personality test

3. Cheers and group logo

4. Find the Spy

5. Explorace: string and pipe, crossword, save ping pong, short quiz, one voice one action

6. Impromptu speech

Objective:

1. Improve leadership of students involved

2. Builds students’ confidence in dealing with the public.

3. Build and strengthen friendships between students and teachers and the community.

4. Expose the students to University Teknologi Malaysia to make them interested to further their studies here in the future.

5. Build the teamwork between team members.

Reflection:

In this activity, I was just a facilitator and have no exact position in the program. In this program I was assigned to be a facilitator to guide a group of 6 students with 1 more team member. The students that I had to take care was based on their personality from the 2nd activity, personality test. I am happy to see that the team members get along easily.

During the ice breaking session, we were able to get to know the students such as their names and where they are from. We also asked them about the subjects they are taking, and it reminds us so much about our times during school years. We gave them some advice about life and how they should appreciate their time there at school for when we grow older that (school years) is the time that we will miss the most where we get to meet friends and life is just not as hectic.

Next during the activity of making the group cheer and group logo. I realised the importance of having a good leader, and the importance of being one too. At first, we wanted to give them the chance of doing it themselves but without us giving the orders they will not even start. And I think it reflects how important it is for a leader to give out orders so that the team members will be informed of what to do.

For the activity ‘finding the spy’, its objective was to make sure that the students will be able to filter out which statement is correct or otherwise. This in terms of real-life application shows the importance of leader having to make sure that they make the right decision or someone else will take the effect such as the unnecessary removal of a ‘citizen’. This activity was celebrated quite well where the students even asked for a 2nd round and I am truly happy for that.

The next activity was the Explorace, its an activity where the students will move from one place to another place with each place having its own activity. It was tiring having to move around with them, but it was still fun and to know that each activity has their own objective made me relieved.

After a long day, its finally time to go back. However, before going back to UTM, I was surprised by the way they gave their farewell. They appreciated us so much and this one girl named Fatimah even asked for my signature for her to keep. It was amazing because for me it was just another event that I had to attend, but for them, they treasured us so It reminds me that it is important to be kind to everyone because we just might not know how much effect we have in someone’s life.

Originally posted on

June 1, 2022