Sample Personal Account on Leadership Dilemma
Being in a position of control and influence has been one of my driving forces in leadership positions. Whether as a student team leader, in the playground, or any activity I am involved in with other students, I have always exerted my desire to control events, and have a bigger role to play in steering others in a particular direction. As a quality, I consider innate, and due to a personal initiative, I often strive in many cases to have a significant role to play in the society. Considering the sagnificant influence and impact artists, musicians, teachers, politicians, and parents have upon the society as leaders, I believe and hold the school of thought that leaders have the mantle and responsibility to lead the society to a common progressive course. However, despite the fact that liability and duties leaders have in the society, some challenges stand in their way, hindering them from being prominent as the voice of reason amongst their followers. This paper is a personal experience as an international leader, faced with an impasse while standing out as the voice of students, sharing their needs, cultures, and issues.
As the international Senator in Student Government Organization at the Universityrepresenting students of diverse backgrounds and cultures is one of the most challenging concepts. The students come from different backgrounds and nationalities such as Asians, Africans, Indians, and Arabs among others. The dilemma of matching these diverse backgrounds has never been that easy. As their leader, I often encounter the predicament of taking a sensitive position that may not augur well with other nationalities considering their different ethical, linguistic, religious, and political backgrounds. On many occasions, I give the students the chance to vote on an issue that I consider too sensitive for a personal judgment. However, I knew that I would not use votes to make a common decision for all the students. My main dilemma often arose in instances that I did not have the time to call on all the students to make a vote or even call upon other leaders to help me in making the decision.
On one occasion, the President of the University called upon me to get my opinion regarding allowing students, who were undertaking art courses, to move to a different wing within their hostel. I did not see the problem in just changing wings in the hostel considering that it was within the same complex. Unknown to me, a majority of the students were of Arab background and found the East Wing suitable for their prayers. My decision and position on the issue put me at high collision with the Arab students, although Asian and American students were comfortable with the position. Without notice or following the university protocol, the Arab students stormed the President’s office demanding an explanation and a stop to what they considered ethnic bias. I was tasked to mediate and seek out a solution to the student’s needs.
Considering the student’s plight and grievances, I talked the President out of the decision until consultation on the matter concluded. The students pointed fingers at me, as the reason for the President’s decision, an act that put me in an awkward position with my fellow students. Taking into account my fellow student’s religious beliefs in addition to my personal values on matters and religion, I convinced the president to abandon the plan until further notice. The President also did acknowledge that the institution did not have a clear position on handling cases of differences based on ethnic and cultural backgrounds. However, the dilemma enabled me to look beyond the apparent surface of leadership and pay more attention to critical non-obvious details that may bring up collision and misunderstanding.