In the fall of 2017, I had an idea to start up a community service club in my school called We Care Club. I started this club because I knew that I had the opportunity to at the very least brighten the lives of those suffering around me. I wasn’t too fortunate myself when I was a kid, my parents were facing a financial crisis back then, we had to move from one apartment to another as we weren’t able to afford the rent. With that being said, knowing that it was painful to struggle during my childhood days, I wanted to help those who are in need and to do that I decided to start a voluntary community service club. Since I realized that I cannot single- handedly solve this issue, I gathered a bunch of my friends who would want to run this club with me. After the team was gathered, we organized different types of charity and voluntary events.
A lot of them was a learning experience but there was one specific event that really opens my mind on the ways of leading a team properly. I remember it very vividly, it was a week before our very first fundraiser event and the funds we raised were still down by about 30 Million Rupiah (equivalent to 2000 USD). We were holding a bazaar, selling different kinds of Indonesian food and drinks near our school to raise funds for a local orphanage called “Mama Sayang”. The orphanage was in need of funds to build Lawrance 2 houses for the orphans, as their current space were not enough to fit all the orphans. My job was to get people around the school to come to our stall and buy our products, while at the same time ensuring that everything was running smoothly. We were working under the hot sun and therefore everyone looked extremely tired and frustrated. We worked really hard every day but our effort seemed to be futile. With the school, the student body, the student council, and the orphanage all counting on us to get more funding, we were getting more and more nervous each day.
There were only three days left and we were still lacking the funds needed. Most of my team members looked very tired and didn’t seem like they were motivated to keep the event going. I realized that this kind of pressure and pessimism were detrimental to our team. So I decided, as a leader, I should step up and take action. The next day, I called for a meeting after school. Firstly, I told them that we shouldn’t give up yet, after all that we’ve been through, I felt like it just wasn’t right to give up at that stage. Secondly, we reviewed our performance, our results, and our goal. I told my team that the amount that we got so far was already impressive. Although our goal seemed impossible at that moment, it was reachable–we just had to push through. I also empowered them by providing them some consulting work, which they felt that it was shown to the client as their own work in order for them to feel that they were part of the team and have a sense they belong to the organization.
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That day, I saw the student council advisor and governing committee and requested that my team was to be given space to work peacefully–with no excessive pressure or distraction so that we could all focus and get things done. Lawrance 3 On the very next day, everyone looked more motivated to work and we started to become more and more productive. The number of people who were coming to our stall also started to increase and I was starting to believe that it was possible to raise the remaining amount of money required. After working hard for the next 3 days, we finally reached our goal. The amount of money we raised was finally enough to help the orphanage build houses for their orphans. I felt so happy as I was able to lead a team to finish a task that seemed impossible. Although we were standing on our feet under the sun working for weeks, I was elated that I have the opportunity to help these orphans build a new house.
While we weren’t able to meet the people that we helped in person, I can only imagine the joy in their faces as they get a new home to live in, and that is more than enough for me. From this experience, I finally understood what it means to “lead with a heart.” To solve this problem, I had to hear my team’s concerns, be their friend and motivate them when they are down. I learned that a good leader would prioritize his subordinates over himself. A good leader wouldn’t leave any of his people behind. I also learned that I should appreciate and consider all the ideas that my club members are giving me. Furthermore, I also learned the meaning of “servant leadership.” Being the leader doesn’t mean that I get to order people around. Instead, as the leader, I had to facilitate them to be able to work with their full potential: I protected them from unnecessary external pressure, requested materials that they might need and offered help when they needed it. In other words, I learned that a good leader is not the smartest person in the room. Instead, a good leader helps the team work smarter together.
