Yesterday, we took a hike up to Jabarkhet Nature Reserve, and we had our first mini solo which was a moving experience.  Sitting in alone with nothing but the sounds of the critters around you and your own thoughts was an influential experience for not only my personal goals, but also for personal reflection and connecting with my own emotions.  I really enjoyed taking that time alone to just think about anything and everything, but specifically my personal goals for this experience in the Himalayas.

Our leadership games this week have challenged how we work together as a team and refined our group decision-making as well as our communication skills.  All of the games have been collaborative with everyone having a role whether that be in the puzzle-based games or the physical tasks.  With different roles comes the need to be flexible and support where necessary or maybe step in and give guidance when it’s needed.  Every game required strategic thinking on all parts, but the great thing about our crew is that we all think about things so differently, so there’s always new perspectives.  I think this ability to work together in a cohesive manner and address bumps in the road as they come along is an important thing for applying these concepts in the real world.

For a little break between our shakedown preparation and the actual hike, we visited the Mussoorie markets on Mall Road.  It was a whole new world of sights, sounds, and smells, but I was still thinking about the leadership abilities I use in my daily life even when doing something seemingly mundane like shopping.  In this way, I think my perspective of leadership is changing because I’m always thinking about it.  As I learn more about myself and the others in the group as well as learning new leadership strategies, I have a new insight on leadership.  Our group dynamic is always changing, and I think that’s a productive way to see where everyone naturally fits, and it helps us embrace differences and increase diversity.  Learning a structured feedback model is new to me, and I know it will help even with understanding my own feelings on situations which creates the personal growth needed for everyone in the group.

However, leaders aren’t perfect, and they’re not supposed to be.  When leaders make mistakes, they take responsibility for their actions, but they also hold themselves accountable.  They make it known that they made a mistake, and they learn from it.  When it’s necessary, they apologize.  They try to fix the problem and minimize the consequences that might arise from their mistake.  They use mistakes as learning moments for themselves and their followers.  The goal in mind is growth when one makes a mistake.  They figure out where they went wrong and work to prevent it from happening again.  Transparency and authenticity are crucial when anyone makes a mistake, but especially the leaders.  From the leader’s example, you can learn valuable lessons.  If the leader admits to their mistakes up front, it builds trust and it increases the transparency and authenticity from their group.  It creates an expectation for the team, and you learn to admit to your mistakes instead of covering them up.  Taking accountability without blaming it on others is huge for showing the team you respect them.