Entries

Badminton Athlete/Coach For many years, I played badminton at the elite level in a competitive environment. My efforts involved training for several workouts each week, participating in lots of tournament competitions that are stressful and competitive, requiring a lot of discipline and mental toughness. Training with players of all abilities and competitive ambitions required a high level of co-operation, as well as the ability to be resilient and work together in tough situations. Additionally, I developed significant mental toughness while participating in both training and competition held through all stages of the season, as well as losing matches and/or close matches.

Even though I didn't have an official leadership role on my team, I acted from a leadership role. I assisted newer players by providing good instruction to new players and coaches, making adjustments to improve their skills, and providing support while adapting to competitive play. I also modeled the duties of a captain by my actions and being a role model as far as punctuality, work ethic, and sportsmanship were concerned, and displayed my commitment to my team by the way I conducted myself during practice and competition.

I connect this experience with Unit 1 of our course, where we explore definitions of leadership and identify different styles of leaders. I learned that leadership is not about power or authority, but about the ability to influence others and how one's values align with the values of those who are being led by that person. The behaviours that I demonstrated were consistent with a Servant Leader and demonstrate how serving and supporting others, along with contributing to the overall success of peers, is a priority for me. I learned that an effective leader must have the qualities of a leader, as well as have the same ethical standards as a leader.