So what was the program about?
It was a one year full leadership development training program, where a young, motivated, over enthusiastic maniac like me was given a great organization of 150 young people to lead and manage it.
Amazing, isn't it? A playground to dream about. A truly life changing experience. Besides Maru the most enjoyable and challenging thing I've ever done:)
The rules were simple:
You apply
You get elected
You get a team (in my case 5 girls together with me at national board and 4 girls in national support team)
You have 3 local branches called Local Committees
You have a budget...for the organization
You get enough money for you....to barely survive
And - red-red-yellow-GREEN!!! Let your thoughts wonder to the wilderness, make a plan, follow it through and grow, grow, grow as a person (and - of course - take into account the opinions of all stakeholders in global, national and local level – yes, yes, simple rules with some hooks:)! Some things will work, some won't work – what the hack! Learning happens now and experiences won't repeat themselves.
When I started I was so serious about my work and AIESEC. Sat down with the girls to prepare The Master Plan, made agendas, was looking for this PERFECT solution. But truth is simple, like a poem goes – “There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in”.
And the light got in, actually I was stroke by the lighting itself! Turns out I'm twice as creative, productive and fun as a person when I just let go of the preconceptions and use my IMAGINATION. I caused some pain for my girls with my “whatever happens is the right thing to happen” attitude, but you can't really choose your leader, can you? Hahaa:) Actually we all learned a lot about hitting the balance between procedures and breaking the rules, some did better in first, others in second part, but I must admit – I would work once more with that team - my girls and the rest of the 150 wacky people who played an important role in my experience.
The AIESEC program in my life was bluntly said one hell of an experience! If you have survived all these long meetings, giving practical trainings on things you've never practiced, lets-try-it-out-projects with ideas you just dreamed last night, partying till 6 AM and running a workshop at 9 AM, networking with people you read from a business magazine the other day, improvising speeches for 200 people, spending majority of your social life with aieseccars (!!!) and STILL being the unfortunate 66% of them who don't get married with the other aiesecca
r - then I can honestly tell: “You are ready for much, Much, MUCH, SO MUCH more!”
So here you have it – I'm in love again, this time not so “weak, overwhelmed and blaa-blaa-blaa”, but just simply hooked by the blue guy stepping out of the logo :)) (I'm a freak, I'm a freak, forgive me – and listen to Radiohead “Creep” several times to associate with me better).
Now I'm the blue girl myself and according to the mission statement ready to change the world. Oh, the world...me likes you SO MUCH! There's more of a horizon to see than I see right now (just maybe, baby, it's in Malaysia:))
* Some wonder why I just finished yesterday though my term was finished in the end of May. Well, that's the beauty of post-work that is brought to our lives with full colors by the opportunity to write final reports for funds, wiihhaa!
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