Leading a group of the self-possessed, stubborn, and capricious children known as teenagers is an interesting business, to say the least. You go through all of the effort required to be recognized as a leader by the adults, only to have to start all over again in convincing your peers that you are, in fact, more qualified in the many areas that comprise leadership than they are. Every group has a handful of people that believe nobody could possibly be more capable than themselves. Teenage groups have more than a handful, but I have been able to persuade my peers to follow me multiple times. You don’t have to be loud about it, or forceful about it. You just have to show them, show them that they can trust you. They can trust their success in you.
I have been the section leader or at least a higher-up of every ensemble I’ve been involved with. It has been my job to make sure everything is happening efficiently, no matter who I have to work with, and to ensure that any arising problems, whether from the group itself or from an individual, are solved in a manner that does not involve any conflict or controversy from anyone. I know very well that a leader is not everyone’s friend, and I have had to tell good friends off before and get them to take things seriously, but a good leader can do the job without becoming everyone’s enemy and can maintain the group sense of camaraderie that allows the great musicians to perform truly well together. A good leader can spread their own high standards across to everyone, and cause people to want to do well for their own sakes and not some sort of reward. I have done this before, and not merely once.
While it is indeed difficult to earn the respect of one’s superiors, it is harder still to gain the same from those one has been elevated above. A position is formed not from the holder, but from those supporting him. A leader is just the guide, bringing everyone to greater success without regard for personal glory, while also taking full responsibility for the failures and transforming the negatives into new positives. I’ve taken responsibility for many…unfortunate accidents involving both people and collateral damage. I’ve also taken responsibility for any shortcomings of whatever I am in charge of and used them to help those people grow.
Arrogant as it may sound, I do not believe I need to reflect upon the meaning of leadership. I know what it is, and I know that I am a leader.
3 years ago
