All these are based on my personal experience and I write it down so that others won’t make the same mistakes I’ve made or mistakes I’ve observed others did. I think these mistakes would be most relevant to student leaders especially Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar.
1. Don’t demand respect from your peers, it will never come. Respect is a given, it comes from the heart. It comes naturally for those unique qualities you possess and utilize (skills, etc)
2. Don’t encourage nor be in love with your organization members. It will lead to your downfall through bad mouths spoken by your members. Professional conduct is a must.
3. A leader without a vision is similar to a newborn baby appointed as the President of a Nation / Country. Without any vision you can’t achieve anything significant.
4. For long term results and praises, go for intangible results. For short term results and praises, go for tangible results.
5. An organization that does not create tangible results would lead to further demotivation with a ‘given time’.
6. Allowing a member in the organization to slack off (lazy, ponteng) is the start of the organization’s downfall. This particular member must be dealt with. If slacking off is still apparent, forced resignation is applicable.
7. It’s better to safeguard the interests of the people who contribute to the organization and are loyal to the organization than protecting those people sucking-up to you in its entirety.
8. Trust, dedication and loyalty between “leaders-members” is the foundation of growth.
9. Recruit the cream of the crop (trustworthy, willingness, IQ & EQ intelligence) as your team members and not who talk-a-lot but does nothing.
10. First impression is a false assumption, constant impression is a near-accurate assumption.
11. Do not reveal secrets to those who are not trustworthy.
12. Do not take subordinates of your superiors as your protectors and listener unless they have proved their trustworthiness as those who are close to you could be your next betrayers and slanderers.
13. Never trade your religion / faith / principle with unlawful acts (example: accepting bribes, prosecuting when you know it is wrong)
14. Always assess and evaluate potential threats and opportunities on your environment to increase your “grip” with your current strength and cover your weaknesses.
15. Never trust fully the person with the running mouth (gossip, create stories, sucking-up to you, bodek), they may be entertaining but they will be the first to betray you in any case.
16. Keep and gather allies, be it friend, enemy or rivals for he who commands the battlefield wins half the fight.
17. Never let the ball off your feet and slack off for one second.
18. Always be truthful in your cause and not deviate. Anger is the cause of destruction to self and organization. Being proud is the source of failing to keep rule #14 in check.
19. An act of kindness and responsibility for governance and leadership is solely for Allah s.w.t., unjust doing leads to self-corruption.
20. Titles and decorations are purely responsibility given by Allah, as leaders we are stewards and shall discharge our duties for the benefit of all, not betray the oath we have promised.
21.Always be humble, everyone including you do not favour those who are proud of themselves. Humbleness + intelligence is the essence of loyalty and respect.
22. A leader who slack-off will destroy his / her organization in a “time” period.
23. A person who becomes a leader solely to pursue his personal intentions will be stewards who those not understand his people and subordinates.
Wow, you sure faced a lot of trust issues during your term. I think i know what you’re talking about. I saw some posters that mentions some similar stuff at DK2. Dunno if i saw it in your term or not.
I was wondering whether there are any techniques are taught to solve the issues you mentioned above in any of the camps held in UPM? In AIESEC we don’t see much of this issues, we are taught proper expectation setting and our goals are clear and precise, there might be some unpleasant gossips but at least the work at hand is finished. I see all student organizations face similar problems but no actions has been taken to alleviate it collectively.
I’m sure corporations face similar problems and have found solutions to this problem. So why does problems still exist in student organizations? My hypothesis is the camps done by student leaders are not designed to teach practical ‘leadership’ but more on games like team work games, leadership puzzles and so on. Absolutely nothing on the solving the issues you mentioned.
You sure hate NATO (No Action, Talk Only) people, don’t you. I think we can never run from these people, especially in Malaysia. But maybe there’s a way to survive them. Maybe this article of mine can give an idea: http://beyonduni.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-need-to-be-special.html
From what you’ve said I believe AIESEC and MPP are totally different environment altogether. MPP is a politically motivated organization in which the core members are from separate ideologies and thus the first invisible barrier is there. Secondly there are those that came into MPP for personal benefits be it promises to get incentives (cuti luar negara) or merely to fill in the seat to fulfill a ‘party’ majority in terms of constituency seats. Sometimes the environment is downright harsh when political parties be it BN or PR influences the student reps. That’s why trust is the absolute thing in MPP.
While I am making the assumption that AIESEC members joined the club for it’s activities, peers or interests, it could be the reason why leadership games are always being practiced.
But I do agree on the methodology of those approach in “solving problems” as mere games would be forgotten after quite some time. Perhaps we should innovate similar “case study” models used by Harvard Business School for their MBAs to create leaders who has the ability to think.
Although such models are adopted or what not, it depends entirely on the students themselves whether they want to learn or not. You cannot teach someone who do not want to learn. But you can show them greatness and the “output” of the straight path and they will learn.
Wow, attract the cream of the crop. Eh, how come MPP never take me in ar? I’m considered cream of the accounting crop what. Haha
Anyways, good post you have here. Perhaps you should get all the Menteri(s) emails and spam them with this. Haha. Should be fun. LOL.
Oh and furydose, AIESEC and MPP / MTM is different environment. I had previously been under the Interact Club and had the privilege to work under Rotary Clubs, but working with NGOs and the government is totally different. Sabrie’s right about the political thing. And one more issue I wanna post is on the racial composition. Look around in AIESEC. Look around UPM. Get what I mean? You cant’ compare both. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. I thought AIESEC should teach you that. Never compare apples and oranges.
Oh, and nice way to promote your blog. Here’s mine: http://www.manutd.com. Glory Glory Man United! Haha.
Haha good people like you choose to not come on board, that’s why I said; get the cream of the crop. Our previously pioneered “MPP executives” recruited from da 1st year students were one of the best I can say, out of 300 applicants only 20+ were accepted & they execute their job very well.
I wish I had met them during da early years of MPP but oh well, such is da malaysian student leadership case. We’re only there for a year, nothing much can be changed if our successors choose not to continue da previous policies.
anyway all da best for da CIMB thingy yah! Hong Kong la:P
Oranges and apples? That makes me think. Aren’t both oranges and apples are food. They’re different but are used in the same way and eaten for the same purpose.
Anyway, i do understand the differences that u talked off. Political barriers and such. I suspected of those differences for quite some time. Hopefully, some who can make a difference will join the MPP, and make a difference? In the mean time i’ll just keep blogging and try to encourage good discussion for such issues:
http://beyonduni.blogspot.com/2008/10/unnecessary-politics-in-mpp-and-mtp.html
Sabrie, I hope u dun mind me inserting links in your comments. Please feel free to do the same to my blog. I wont mind.
Wow. Thank you for putting the MPP tips crystal clear there, sabrie! Long had it in mind, but never got to listing them (numbered lagi!)
i SO feel you. Never did I understand the meaning of trust till I entered the MPP at my campus last year..! you certainly can’t TRUST anyone around u on campus, students and staff alike (and you full-heartedly value those u know u can trust)…! unfortunately, u realize that after you’ve been ’stabbed’ once or twice (or several times)…ouch.
ahhh…that’s the meaning of seniority isn’t it. experience firsthand.then pass to next gen. LOL..
thx again, sabrie..!
furydose: it’s alright man, you can take any writing of mine as reference. Yea I do hope things change too but it’s different when you’re in the game. It takes more than one person but masses to change things, my perspective though.
subtlefortitude: experience always teach you things. it’s great to go thru all this as it makes you a better person in the end. good luck and all da best as an mpp!