With responsibility came difficult decisions, but leadership has many lessons to offer. In this chapter, we will uncover another side of leadership—one that taught me the importance of perseverance, trust, and commitment.
MY STORY
The first experience taught me about responsibility. The next one revealed something far less obvious: how a group of strangers can achieve something meaningful despite uncertainty, distance, and doubt.
Two months ago, I was taking extra classes at a tutoring centre when they assigned me along with 3 other people for a group assignment. We were to make videos teaching deaf people specific topics; in other words, create opportunities for the deaf communities in education. I had never spoken to any of these three people face-to-face before, nor did we share the same class. However, the teachers seemed to think that we would be a great fit. Whether they were wrong or correct, I didn’t yet know.
I was chosen as the leader, for I had background experience of successfully leading a group. My job was simple: we had 10 days to submit our work for twelve lessons. If we succeeded, it would reinforce the trust others had in me. If we failed, I would have to take responsibility for the outcome.
I spent half the day thinking about this project, how I was supposed to coordinate 3 strangers who we can only chat online, while having to give daily reports to the teacher. The teachers were also concerned, for they kept asking me if I had assigned tasks and created deadlines yet. I felt very anxious and uneasy in those following days. More importantly, it was the trust that the teachers had placed in me.
With some help and advice from my parents, I decided it was time to conquer this challenge. I first created a group chat and introduced myself to everyone. I explained our goals, our tasks, and most importantly, our commitment to the project. Being in this project meant that you would contribute your best to the team, never give up on it or abandon it when challenges arose.
Next, I sent messages to the managing teachers, saying that I had assigned the tasks with clear deadlines. I promised to send daily updates of the project, so the teachers would feel assured that the project was progressing well. Our goal was to finish 2 days earlier than the actual teachers’ deadline given for this project, for we would have time to fix if anything went wrong.
However, I didn’t get any response right away when I sent the message to my teammates. I felt nervous, for what if they didn’t care about this? What if they didn’t trust me at all? What if they decided to take matters into their own hands? Nevertheless, I waited. When the first deadline arrived, we only had 2 submissions, already counting myself. I hadn’t planned to enforce any consequences for missed deadlines, as we were only communicating online. Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to discuss the issue with my teammates and understand what was holding us back. On the second deadline, there were 3 submissions. I noticed one member wasn’t doing their work.
He was a taciturn person, never chatting much. I reached out to him personally and asked what was the matter, whether there was a reason he had been unable to complete the tasks I had assigned. Surprisingly, he apologised and said that he was caught up with schoolwork and other assignments, therefore not having enough time to do this project. I told him I understood what he was going through because I was also struggling with balancing my schoolwork and extracurriculars. Nevertheless, I solemnly said that apart from his personal responsibilities, we are a team, therefore we should try our best to commit to our team.
After that, I fervently told the team that no matter what, we should put in our efforts and try to make the best out of the circumstances. I reminded everyone that we were all facing our own challenges, even if those challenges looked different. I encouraged them not to let temporary obstacles stop us from reaching our goal.
Finally, everyone submitted their work on time (it was a few days later than expected but still in the deadline). We managed to create 12 fantastic lessons for deaf people (with subtitles). They were very pleased with how four strangers had come together to create something meaningful.
Looking back today, I still hope that this project, while not being the best, will somewhat help members of the deaf community gain access to educational opportunities. I felt that we spent our time and efforts dedicating the best for the community, something I had always hoped to contribute to one day.
LESSON LEARNED
Through this memorable experience, I learned how valuable perseverance is. This experience showed me that people can still achieve meaningful things together even when circumstances aren’t ideal. I realized that successful teamwork depends less on perfect conditions and more on commitment. Moreover, I saw that not all effort is immediately visible, but over time, it contributes to something much greater.
MY ADVICE
My advice: Never underestimate the power of commitment. You do not need perfect teammates, perfect timing, or perfect circumstances to achieve something meaningful. What you need are people who are willing to support one another and keep moving forward, even when the journey becomes difficult.
“Great teamwork does not require perfect circumstances; it requires committed people.”
