For several years, I volunteered as a science fair judge at Minnesota state university, Mankato for elementary, middle, and high school levels. For each category, there was a team of judges, and this was my first time working in a group since I came to college. The concept was that everyone in the group would judge each of the projects individually, and then we would come together at the end and decide who won first, second, and third place for their category. Our team leader was a faculty member who knew what to look for and could help guide us in our judgments.
This experience taught me how to work well in a group setting, but also how to identify and reflect on the roles of each individual in the team. Although we were all judging the same thing, different people in the group often had different input about each project. Reflecting back on my strengths as a leader, I realized that my strength of consistency really came into play here. Consistency means treating everyone equally and realizing that each person has just as much to bring to the table as the next. Everyone’s opinion was important to me, and I made sure to make note of their comments. In the end, we were all able to work together to achieve our goal of deciding the winners.
Overall, being a judge at the science fair was a great way for me to begin my journey towards becoming a leader. Although I didn’t take on the role of the group leader, it taught me how to be a team and work with others towards a common goal. I was able to observe the group dynamics and reflect on how the roles of each individual was important to the team. I learned that in order to be a good leader, you have to be a good team player first.
This experience taught me how to work well in a group setting, but also how to identify and reflect on the roles of each individual in the team. Although we were all judging the same thing, different people in the group often had different input about each project. Reflecting back on my strengths as a leader, I realized that my strength of consistency really came into play here. Consistency means treating everyone equally and realizing that each person has just as much to bring to the table as the next. Everyone’s opinion was important to me, and I made sure to make note of their comments. In the end, we were all able to work together to achieve our goal of deciding the winners.
Overall, being a judge at the science fair was a great way for me to begin my journey towards becoming a leader. Although I didn’t take on the role of the group leader, it taught me how to be a team and work with others towards a common goal. I was able to observe the group dynamics and reflect on how the roles of each individual was important to the team. I learned that in order to be a good leader, you have to be a good team player first.