As a teenager, I loved being in some breath taking adventures. I would go for hiking, surfing at the beach, skate boarding across the neighborhood and all other activities that I could engage in. The experience of being outdoors with friends used to be my top interest. I was not the kind of a guy that you could find in the movies or in house parties during the weekend; I was just in a world of my own. These experiences were great and helped me discover my abilities, particularly my ability to lead. In this narrative, I will take you through the journey which led me to discover my leadership skills, back in the days when I knew nothing about leadership.
It was on a Saturday morning when I decided to go for a hunting escapade with a couple of my friends. The group was composed of adventure-seeking young boys who had little or no skills in hunting, or even the right use of bow and arrow for hunting. Without consulting our parents, we left our homes in an old truck that was abandoned in the neighborhood yard. We did not want to raise any eyebrows; hence we ensured it was a high secret mission. We were off to the woods and ready to experience our first hunting experience.
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Once in the forest, we did not have any plan on how to go about our mission. In fact, we did not have any idea of what hunting was all about, what we were hunting for, what the woods were like or even what we would do with our catch; if at all we would get some. We chanted and shouted all place and in a span of a moment we had gone in different directions. Everyone wanted to be the first one to make a kill and be the talk of the group. It was all about beating each other and being the ‘hero’.
As time went by, I started feeling lonely. I did not know where any of my six friends were. It started getting dark and I was very frightened. I started shouting for my friends’ names but could hear no sound. I wandered across the bushes without knowing where I was going to. I knew something was terribly wrong. Either my friends had left since they could not find me, or they too were lost like me. Fortunately I had carried a few tools in my bag as I had searched on the internet on what to carry for a hunting escapade. I gathered some wood and light up a big fire. I took my spotlight and continued to wander through the bushes shouting for my friends. I had lit the fire as a point of reference. Within no time, I heard some sounds; some of my friends had seen the bonfire and were heading towards it. They were too scared, just as I was. I assured them that all would be fine.
We realized that one of our friends was missing. We had to find him before leaving. I advised that we go on separate directions, with fire being our reference point. For those who did not have flashlights, I asked them to take burning piece of wood, so that he could be visible. We shouted for our friends name throughout the forest. Time was running and we had not seen our friend yet. It was hitting midnight. Unfortunately no one had carried a cell phone to the place since we did not want to be traced.
After long hours of desperation, I resorted to regrouping the members. One of my friend had to trace the track we cam e with, while the rest remained at the fire point. We had to seek help from the authorities regardless. Tracing the track wasn’t easy, but we finally managed and went back to the city. We guided the authorities and our friend was traced; though he was traumatizes as he had fell in a pit.
The authorities as well as our parents were so appreciative of the decisions I had made. The group members started calling me ‘captain’ for my leadership. I learnt that I had special skills in leadership. Today, these skills have enabled me to accomplish various goals in life. I have always taken leadership as one of my pillars and have used it not to gain power over others, but to inspire and change the lives of others. I can describe myself as a servant leader. My great concern has been to serve others and the interest of others. Leadership has also taught me to be honest, responsible and ensure integrity.
As university students, we are all looking forward to a great career ahead. Employers and business are generally looking for people who are able to make strong decision and exhibit important leadership abilities like responsibility, honest, authority and integrity. To succeed in the current world, one need to be responsible and focused. It is fulfilling to be reckoned as a pillar of inspiration by others.
My story may appear an obvious thing, but it was an important point in my life. Most of us have hidden skills that we only realize in difficult situations. We should always strive to bring the best out of ourselves through our experiences and the knowledge we have through education. As an anonymous speaker once said “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only option”.
