Unique

I  am amazed at how true the statement “Everyone is unique” is…

A couple of months ago, our executive management team decided to give out bonuses to selected individuals based on a given criteria. A fixed amount was given to each career level, which means that one’s performance rating had no significance on the value. You can clearly see from people’s reactions how unique each one was… Other were clearly happy while others dismissed it as a totally ignorable amount.

Another instance also happened in the workplace. A couple of years ago, we were given jackets bearing the company name and logo. Most, if not all, who received one (including myself) had all the complaints in the world. The color was too bland, the material used was not smooth enough, blah, blah… Last week, these same jackets were given out as prized in some company initiatives. While most of the oldies simply snubbed the jackets, the newbies were all excited about it.

Although both of my examples here happened at work, there have been many instances in my personal life where I have seen how truly unique people are.

And because of this, I, as a leader, always try to handle them differently… I have closely guided some, given others space to develop and have even pushed others to their potential.

How about you? What unique qualities have you seen in the people around you?

Failure as a leader

No! This is not about the CLP that I wrote about the last time around. Read on…

===

Time and time again, I have been praised by parents & CFCs. They say that I am a good speaker and most importantly a good leader.

Such praises are really heart-warming but, as I suddenly reflected today, I came to realize that they are way off-target. I came to realize that all that I did as a YFC leader in the past were… well, part of the past. They no longer mattered.

What matters now is how my leadership then have molded our member’s future..

And in this area, I have been a real FAILURE. Look at the YFCs that I used to lead.. Where are they now? Are they still in YFC? Have they crossovered? Honestly, I don’t know where most of them have gone.

I just hope that someday, my failures as a leader may be overcome by the Lord’s grace & mercy.

May God be praised..

===

Update: Thank you for those who wrote comments (and sent me messages offline). In retrospect, I now believe that this was an attack by the enemy during my low moment. He probably tried to make me feel that I was incompetent to stop me from continuing my work, my mission. Again, thank you for egging me on. God bless!

No Worries, Mate!!!

I had heaps of fun last October when I went on my first mission trip out of the country. I am no stranger to mission trips, as I have been on two such activities during my YFC days when we went to Zambales and Burias Island to spread the word about our community, but this was certainly something new for me. I was actually going to fly off to another country, meet new people from a different culture and spread the word with a team that I have barely gotten to know. I was really excited!!!

That excitement suddenly turned to anxiety when, a week before the trip, I was asked to lead one-half of the mission team. It turned out that we had booked separate flights, one half going to Melbourne while the other (that’s us) would be flying to Sydney. Back then, I really don’t know why I was chosen to lead that team, apart from the fact that I was the one who gave all these suggestions and kept blabbing. I gotta learn to shut my trap! Everyone in that team was far more experienced than myself. Then again, who was I to say no to a blessing.

I do not want to get into each detail since it was such a full trip that one single blog entry would not do justice to it. Looking back, it was amazing how God worked during the whole trip. The team leader of the whole OZ team told us during our pre-mission training that we should prepare ourselves yet be flexible enough to God’s call because He is still in control. True enough, He led the way all throughout the trip.

He found a way for a mission team (that’s us!) to reach Canberra on a weekend because that’s when the SFC members are free. He made us go back to Sydney, even if we wanted to visit Melbourne, because we had a job to do their. We were to bring back the excitement into SFC Sydney and prepare them for the teachings that the second team was to bring.

We were sad that we had to leave Sydney because everyone there were so good to us, but still we are happy because we know that we had accomplished the mission that God wanted us to do.

To end this post, I would just like to thank some very special people who made our stay a truly memorable one. My hats off to Ian, Tristan, Jorge, Coy and Che. We will see each other some day. I love you all..