Never too early to lead - College Life

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Just begin (Source: Pinterest.com)

"I should change"

That's what I told to myself when I was being first-year student on ITB.

I realize what I've been through during my senior high school terms. Yups, I was just studying back then, not really involved in organizational experience, just compete myself with others to achieve top academic achievement, grab scholarship, and back to study.

Well, I don't really regret those moments, since it's the one who helped me worthy enough being accepted on ITB, without taking any written test, which I have prepared that as well, just in case if I wasn't accepted from this way.

But one thing I was concerned is, this is not the best of me. I tell myself that I should change, and balance my life, whether it's about academic and social stuff, anything should be balanced. I told myself that I should be able to lead, I should be able to influence people, I should be able speaking in front of lots of people (yups, back then I was literally shaking-up whenever I speak in front of people, even if it's just a few). And I have determined, this should be my turning point, to be a better person, starting from now.

OK, in this post, I will concern about one thing. Leadership.

1. Bumi Ganesha Dormitory

My senior taught me, we're never too young to lead. Even, we need to start building our leadership since young. I admit, I have lost in starting point. Back then, I just stuck on "Member" point, only observing how to lead, without really concern about that thing. And I was wrong.

Anyway, in leadership terms, you can't start directly on the top of board, unless you're born with it (which is I don't). So, basically I need to start my leadership career in one specific organization I choose. Yups, I choose Bumi Ganesha Dormitory, cause it's not only offering you cheap rooms, but also sustain organization, that's been established for more than 30 years.

During one year, we need to have "Kaderisasi", or you might say "Regeneration" terms, where all of the freshmen guided and learned any dormitory values. In here, we need to lead ourselves (yeah, discipline myself) to achieve socialization target (with other dormitory members). Perhaps it sounds easy, but it's not. We have our own schedule from morning to evening, and we need to adjust with other's member, which probably have their own unique schedule as well. We need to set appointment with them, and ...... Yeah, this is quite exhausting if you're not really social persons. Yet, the interview takes at least 1 hour per-person. This is insane!

Oke, besides leading myself to achieve goals, we need to create our own event, that needs overall 3 - 4 months preparation. I took role as Sponsorship, and in here, even though I didn't assign as head of department, everyone has equal voices, we challenge ourselves to achieve goals, and make this event real (of course with profits).

During this year also, I assigned as Intern on 2 business department (yups, our dormitory is independent organization, taking not a dime from ITB, and could be established this long cause by their creative startups that's build from a scratch.

Oke, I do enjoy my first-year program, passed all of the test, and officially be a member of this dorm. Next year, I was being vice minister of Business Innovation department, establishing 1 laundry business that's been proposed by my minister last year. This organization, by far, had its own Consultative assembly (MPR), President, Minister, Vice minister, Head of department/ Manager, and Intern. And of course, everything would be accounted for what they have done to dormitory so far.

I helped my vice minister to achieve his goals, and separate several work program for both of us. To be honest, I didn't take it seriously, and I must admit, I was failed to be the one.

During my third year, I was responsible to be Head of Laundry Management department (Yups, we're focusing on this), under the Minister of Economic. I was leading 6 employees and 1 vice department, and learned a lot from this. Being a leader, is about commitment, I was leading 6 employees (where  all of them had different background and motivation to work, and I need to fulfill their expectation, without ignoring the main goals, to take profit and met customer's expectations). When I was distracted, there would be problems growth, and you need to take decision asap before it's rooted and hard to be revoked.

Yups, Commitment (Source: Here)

Just like what I said, there should be commitment here, I was lost it at the moment, and it's not ending well, and at some point, I need to focus my energy right there, to fix what have been broken. And we did it.

Yups, even though I didn't make it to 50% successful rate (for all of my work program), I could get several achievement especially increase the total of investment (enrich the laundry tools), make it more sustain to get tones of service done on time.

Oke, last but not least, during my last year of students, I was responsible to be a member of Consultative Assembly, transfer values to the freshmen, helped alumni meetup done and collect pension fund to our employees as targeted.

2. Meteorology Students Association (HMME)

I decided for not taking any units besides BG and Student Association.

During my second year, we have got our major, I choose Meteorology as my major (had lots of reasons here), and of course, intend to join Student Association. At first, it's simply because "There's nothing to lose" but it's not. Since we are at the same Major, we will go through this together for the next 3 years, pursuing what should be achieved and stuff. It changed to be give what you have learned to develop this community. From here, you may serve to the society, but with academical and more rational ways. And since we learned the same thing, we -somehow- have similar way of thinking to solve the problems.

At Kaderisasi/ Re-generation terms, we learned about this organization values, vision, mission, what kind of division they had, anything. We, even, had "Saturday Session", where HMME invited one of "cool" alumni, to give us, the fresh-meat, what can we do after we graduated. This was -of course- important, since Meteorology's not really favorite major, and the least major you want to take in ITB. Not for me, I came here for a reason, at least, I have faith about this haha.

Oke. After being appointed, and official member of HMME. I was intern in Academic Division, idk, because I was one of top 3 students who had highest GPA. And I guess I want to help anyone to study Meteorology.

On the next terms, I was being a member of Science and Research Division, simply cause I begun loving Meteorology, and perhaps, I was quite "Geek" for that. Yups, learning from mas Fadil about Zephyrus, one of social project from HMME. I must admit, I didn't really put myself in here, since I should focus myself on Bumi Ganesha.

Next term, I was being Head of Research by myself, lead 4 members. The work load obviously not really that much compare with BG, this was why I didn't take it seriously. I could manage do 2 out of 3 work program successfully, especially do the public discussion about Meteorology Phenomenon (Back then, there are strong El-Nino, and determined as National Disaster cause we have wide drought and worst forest fire, so far).

One thing I regret, I didn't try to develop my members well, mostly I do it myself, ya even though they didn't complain, but I guess that's not the right thing to do. Whereas, perhaps I could delegate things to do more, and perhaps we could achieve more research if I could manage them well (which I didn't do).

About developing together (Source: Here)

And that's that. That's my end of career on HMME, back to focus on BG and established my own projects after that.

3. Disaster Creative Mapping and Education

I am not going to talk much in here. You may check my report right over here

For me, I personally grateful that I could establish this project, together with > 13 volunteers + Local Youth community supported by BEYOND ASEAN and Young Leaders for Indonesia. I definitely learned a lot from this, learned about Commitment, where instead of going to my hometown (North Sumatera), I chose to stay in Bandung, and giving my full time to do this project. Also, I was sharping my Public speaking, where we're challenged to give the information about disaster for local communities, which might be not really had good education, but urgently need this type of information. Dedication and awareness also played huge roles to this project, simply when we surveyed to the slum areas, and saw how vulnerable they are IF something happened. These were something that could triggered and gave you lots of motivation to keep your projects on track.

In General

Speaking of leadership. Many of us thought, this is something we will have in the future, and slowly but sure, we might have this way of effective leader do, during their leadership term. We might learn just by observing it, and applied it directly to our lives, right?

Agree to disagree. I agree that we might learn this by observing, this -perhaps- one of safest way to learn leadership. But this -of course- takes time. Instead of waiting in the future, for the right moment, why don't we take action and learning it from now? Try from leading small projects, developed into the big ones, and enjoy the process. You may do something wrong, and try to fix it during your leadership.

My next tips for you ..... In any project/ organization you lead, try to be committed, dedicated, and focused with it. One or two organizations are enough, but if you're sure you could give more dedication to the others, it's obviously oke. One of more leadership advantages are .... You could know more about yourself, and of course, it's part of your self-awareness, which is one of important keys to be successful person.

Source: Here

Take Opportunities

If you're given the opportunity to lead. Grab it fast! Especially if you're still in college, where you could make mistakes as many as you can, without getting fired. Of course you need to be accounted, but this is the best place to experiment the best leadership style you have.

Me, of course, always try to take any opportunities I had. When I was given opportunity to lead DCME, I took it, when Adnan (President of HMME) asked me to help him achieve his goals, I took it. I guess, there's nothing to lose for taking these opportunities, and once again, this may develop you well and faster than the one who's just having free time with themselves*.

*PS. There's nothing wrong about this, it's just about what option you choose. The result, of course, might different, if we saw it in the future.