Dormitory Leadership Camp
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent.
As a lifetime learner, I have joined several leadership camps organised by schools and universities, and the experiences from all these camps vary from one another. Among the many camps I have attended and been a part of the committees, I remember the most challenging were those for which I was not mentally prepared. Definitely, the Mahallah (Dormitory) Training for Trainers (MT4T) is one of the most challenging camps so far, featuring an island-hopping and kayaking program for three straight days in Kedah.
In theory, all trainers are briefed for two days before the actual camp on the procedures and SOPs. The sessions were fruitful as team members got to know each other’s characteristics through discussions and activities. I believe that the objective was achieved, as the committee’s main goal is to push potential leaders to stand out and be idealistic during troubled times. It was a week later that we put our theories into practice and went to the camp, which was held at Tasik Beris from 7th March to 10th March 2019. Then came the awaited day when we were warmly welcomed by the professional guide Mr. Adnan Ali and his team.
The first thing I realized was that the camp would be a tough one when I was partnered with a person who was the total opposite of me. It hit me hard, especially when I wanted my team to be the best and win the overall performance. My expectations were crushed on day one when we were nearly at the bottom in kayaking. It was then I realized that leadership is not about winning every game or becoming a champion, but about how you manage a situation and overcome it. Thus, I decided to focus on our strengths and change our strategy.
All trainers were tested during cooking time. This is when all the she-alphas began to emerge and show off their cooking skills. Almost everyone was eager to take charge and do their best to earn points from our conductor and flaunt their hidden skills, which had been concealed at university. Again, the most experienced cooks shined and awed other trainers with their amazing tips and tricks for ingredient substitution and handling dull knives. To our surprise that night, Mr. Adnan proved that men can cook just as well, if not better, than us when they served us a feast of fresh seafood and rice, grilled and steamed over charcoal.
In general, I learned that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Some may excel in major disciplines, while others excel in minor ones. Not everyone can become world leaders, top corporate leaders, governors, chancellors, or hold other famous designations, but everyone can be the best in their field and soar high in their forte. Itqan, which means excellence or precision, is the main purpose of a quality product. As leaders, we strive to produce excellent quality work in everything we do. The best is not about being top-ranking leaders, but about contributing and never giving up on pursuing our dreams. We are humans, and surviving in this challenging world has been a constant since the past.
We have been sustaining ourselves since the Stone Age and are destined to be caliphs. We are competitive, initiative-driven, and extraordinary people coming from all backgrounds to seek knowledge and live in an advanced technological world. The obstacles from this camp not only sharpened our leadership skills but also made us see things from rural perspectives. The difficulties we overcame should be celebrated, and the agony of small failures put behind us. After all, I am glad and fortunate to have been presented with the tremendous opportunity to be a committee member of this program.
Finally, from this training, we uncovered latent talents, restored our bonds (ukhuwwah), nurtured empathy and more imperatively relook at many things we have taken for granted. MT4T not only succeeded in producing outstanding leaders but also in educating us to appreciate and respect differences, which can be applied in a diverse community, making this camp a meaningful experience.
Signing off,
Ummi
