what kind of a leader are you?

here's another post i wrote a couple of years ago. try to check what kind of a leader are you..

i just came from the leadership training seminar which i gave to selected student leaders from our school. it was a very tiring two-day camp at the Don Bosco house in Talisay yet it was fun-filled and was surely worth it.

With all the activities we had, i was quiet struck with how differently the student leaders composed themselves under pressure. I had an activity just to test them that. Let me spare you the details so as not to spoil your excitement of joining the next camp early next year.
Anyway, they were under the heat of the sun for an hour or so, mentally and physically exhausted. Yet both groups were so determined to finish the task laid on them. I noticed there were a couple of students who at the start were taking the leadership role but when higher risks were at stake they suddenly left their posts and gave them to the others. on the other hand,there were students who really surprised me because they were the silent ones but when pressures came in they took the lead and risked being blamed had their group failed. there were also members who were so engrossed to the goal of the game that in the process forgot to consider the human limitations of their co-players. one group was so careful that it took them like forever to make the next move while the other group was the total opposite.
and what’s my point? well, with that small group of 22 i saw three kinds of leaders; a carrot, and egg and a coffee bean.

a carrot. everyone knows that a carrot is hard, but when placed in a boiling water it slowly softens. A carrot leader would be that leader who at the start is so full of energy, very well directed, principled, grounded and firm. But when placed under a lot of pressure the person becomes soft and weak.

an egg. an egg on the other hand is very fragile. it is very soft in the inside, but when placed under a boiling water it hardens, thus the hard boiled egg. An egg leader would be that person who looks so soft, who does not assert himself in the group, who always adjust with the rest of the people but when placed under pressure slowly hardens and become insensitive.

finally the coffee bean. well, i am yet to see a coffee bean, haha. i was told that a coffee bean is neither very hard nor very soft but when placed under fire it would surely emit its aroma. The coffee bean leader would be that person who handles pressure well. When placed on a difficult situation, this person emits his aroma (I’m not referring to his body odor, okay?) and the best of him comes out. Such is the leader we need.

as for me, i would like to believe that i am an aspiring coffee bean, hahaha