After arriving at the Hanifl Centre on Wednesday, we all happily crashed for bed at around 9:00 PM and woke up around 5:00 AM. It seems that we might have to endure jet lag for a bit longer. Nonetheless, our early-rising biological blocks have made 7:30 AM a great time for breakfast, even though this start time would be incomprehensible to the typical college student. Breakfast consisted of eggs, chicken salami, beans, and a few Indian dishes that I am struggling to name (I will pay closer attention in the future).
Following breakfast, our group departed for a hike of the Jabarkhet Nature Reserve, one of the only private forest reserves in India. The views were striking. Along the way, our guides Vipul and Shantanu stopped for quick briefings on the history and ecology of Mussoorie. For instance, I learned that Mussoorie was named after an indigenous shrub. We also encountered Tibetan prayer flags, which sparked a discussion about the migration of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Buddhist community to India following persecution.
Once we reached the end of the trail, we were given 45 minutes to individually reflect on our personal goals. I highly enjoyed this time alone—it gave me a few moments of normalcy to connect with the beautiful vistas. On a last whim, I brought my AirPods with me on this hike, allowing me to enjoy some great music while searching for new and exciting views of the mountains. I frequently encountered trees blocking my view of the terrain, and I even wished they were not blocking me at times. I then realized that gaining a better view is not worth cutting down trees. If we sacrificed the pillars in our lives for a grander outlook, we would be barren of substance. This landscape is rife with life lessons!
In addition to some colorful analogies about life, I produced a few goals for my leadership journey this month. The first goal was to avoid setting goals for myself. While specific goals certainly have their value in other settings, I want to avoid limiting my experiences. I chose this program because I sought to immerse myself in scenarios like backpacking where I knew I would not have control. Back at home, I love to exercise control over the major and minor details of everything I do. This approach delivers positive outcomes most of the time, but sometimes I fail to connect with the feelings and the personal growth of my teammates. I want to yield some control, learn how my leadership affects people, and have some unrestricted experiences without any pressure. Hopefully, these experiences will add new depths to my leadership.
After completing this reflection and returning from our hike, we played a series of leadership games to improve our communication skills, apply our knowledge of leadership models, and bond as a group. Several activities were particularly notable to me. The first was a hand-holding challenge we completed on the day hike Thursday morning. We were instructed to stand in a circle holding hands and facing outward; then, we were asked to create a circle with each teammate facing inward without breaking any handholds. Our first solution was to simply rotate our bodies and end up with crossed arms. Our second, which I suggested (somehow), was to walk backwards toward the other side of the circle and step underneath the linked arms. It was definitely rewarding to supply some creativity to the group.
The second salient activity for me involved making right triangles out of rope while blindfolded. The group was divided into two teams, which each made one right triangle. This process was fairly successful and efficient for both teams. Less efficient was the second task, in which we were asked to unite the two right triangles and form a rectangle. A chorus of potential solutions prevented us from executing an organized idea. After this activity, the group had a productive feedback session to brainstorm better strategies, which included amplifying the quieter voices in our group.
Our successes and failures have added another element to my perspective of leadership: focus. Leaders must ensure that group efforts are oriented cooperatively to maximize team resources. If the group is concentrated on one idea, as was the case in the hand-holding game, then success is more probable. If the group is scattered between multiple ideas at the same time, then chaos may ensue. Deciding which idea to pursue is not an easy call, but it is a necessary one. Furthermore, this decision must be made with the recognition that other ideas are available should the chosen idea derail.