Working in groups offers the opportunity to collaborate with various personalities and exchange creative ideas, which can be a rewarding experience. However, a downside emerges when certain individuals do not fully contribute their potential and effort to the assigned tasks.
Initially, I believed that I possessed good teamwork skills. However, this year has revealed flaws in my behavior that require attention. Consequently, I am currently engaging in self-reflection and reassessing my principles. It is evident that I have a proclivity for assuming leadership roles and steering projects towards my own concepts. A teacher of mine identified this controlling disposition and labeled me as someone with a “strong personality” who becomes agitated when situations deviate from my vision. Despite initially opposing this feedback, upon contemplation, I recognized that I possess aspects of both extroversion and introversion.
After reflecting on my desires and goals, I have come to the conclusion that I want to be a support system for the group. It is important to me that I value input from all members rather than solely relying on my own ideas. In the future, my intention is to actively listen to everyone’s suggestions and encourage open communication among all of us. Being the force that brings the group together holds more significance for me than asserting my own ideas in a way that discourages other perspectives. However, during this phase of self-reflection, it is difficult for me to maintain the same level of confidence I had before.
As I continue to learn how to be a follower, I have noticed that the groups I’ve been part of encountered challenges. These difficulties arose because certain members were not willing to contribute, while others applied pressure on them. It is possible that those individuals who lacked interest in contributing might have preferred pursuing their own ideas. If they had found enjoyment in the tasks and were not obligated to carry out repetitive and uninteresting work, they may have felt more motivated.
When I am in a group, my main goal is to gently persuade individuals to unite, utilize their strengths, and enhance the group’s bonds.
