Lonestly when I heard of YLI and signed up to go I was thinking 'what am I getting
myself into?' 'I can't believe I paid good money to go to a boring leadership camp. I won't learn
anything that I don't already know.' I can't tell you how wrong I was with those initial thoughts.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that during those 5 days I learned from some very
special people how to become a great leader and a great person, and I was also taught an
essential concept that I will use throughout my life: the Rotary Club 4- Way Test.
Picture this: you are going into your sophomore or junior year of high school. You love
soccer and it has been your favorite sport since you were a little kid. The fall season has just
ended and you are at the final meeting of the season. Your coach calls you over; he wants to talk
to you. He tells you that you need to start taking steroids. He says it will help out the team and
it will help you get a starting spot on the varsity team. As he says this, there is an implicit
meaning in his words that, if you do not agree, there won't be a place on the team for you next
year.
What should you do? What can you do? Do you go along with him, or tell him you
won't do it? This is where your true character is revealed. It's times like these when the rotary
club 4-way test comes in very handy. To use the 4-way test in this situation ask yourself, 'Is it
truth?' In this case it is not truth because steroids are illegal. 'Is it fair to all concerned?' Taking
steroids is definitely not fair. It is not fair to your other teammates trying out for the team and it
is not fair to the teams you play because you have an unfair advantage. 'Is it beneficial to all?'
No, it is not, because steroids can be harmful to you and to those who are close to you. 'Will it
build goodwill and better friendships?' There is no way steroids will build better friendships. In
fact, the side effects will do the opposite. They will hurt those around you. It's a tough decision
to make, but if you take the time to ask yourself these questions you will realize the right course
of action.
We all know that YLI is about leadership. But what is leadership? What does leadership
mean? And how can you become a leader? I learned that being a leader is more than just being
in charge. It is using and developing your skills in support of your community. John Quincy
Adams once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become
more, you are a leader." (wisdomquotes.com).
The best day of YLI for me was the day we spent at Wildwood. At Wildwood I became
friends with all my classmates and I learned some very valuable lessons about leadership. One
of the most fun and ironically the most dangerous challenges was setting a mousetrap
blindfolded. All you had to guide you was your partner's voice. This challenge helped me realize
how important it is to listen to everyone in a group because they may very well see something
that you aren't able to see or be able to guide you through a time when you are unsure. The most
challenging obstacle we had to overcome was the 12-foot wall. To conquer this challenge we
had to come together and help each other. The most important thing I learned from this
challenge was that to overcome obstacles you have to set goals and make strategies so that when
it gets tough you know what to do. The things I learned at Wildwood helped me during the rest
of the week.
There are 2 main types of leadership that we learned about at YLI 2007. They are
servant leadership and facilitative leadership. Facilitative leadership is defined as "Providing
direction without totally taking the reigns." (pegasuscom.com). The most important aspect of this
type of leadership is teamwork. To be a facilitative leader you must be a team player and be
willing to let others lead as well. These leaders "ask rather than tell groups what needs to be
done."(pegasuscom.com). An important aspect of facilitative leadership, which can be applied to
any type of leadership, is "Taking into account many people's interests, not just the leader's."
(winstonbrill.com). To be a good facilitative leader you must remember that the 'team' is most
important.
Servant leadership is the second type of leadership we learned about. The most important
component of servant leadership is leading through your example. You set an example and
others see that and follow it. These leaders "Devote themselves to serving the needs of an
organization." (leadersdirect.com). A servant leader sacrifices their needs to serve the needs of
others. Mother Theresa is the ultimate example of servant leadership because by demonstrating
her great love through her actions she attracted followers to her cause.
There are a few qualities that are necessary for both types of leadership. The most
essential of these is respect. To be a good leader you must have respect for yourself and respect
for your team. This respect must be mutual because if you are not respected, then no one will
follow you. Without followers you will no longer be able to make a difference. Spiderman
knew what he was talking about when he said, "With great power comes great responsibility." It
takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a truly great leader. I learned some very
important lessons at YLI this summer, and I think Spidey would say that because I have had
these opportunities I have the responsibility to go out into my community and put these new
concepts and principles into action.