January 9th, 2014
The
beginning of the year is the time period when people set up new decisions about
themselves as well as the ways of how they will change. While for most people
these decisions just end up being "unfulfilled new year’s
resolution", nineteen people from all around the Europe have set upon a
path of proving this theory wrong. They have set their young minds to make a
difference and a change by taking control of their lives and going to a
Momentum Leadership Course in London.
On the 3rd
of January that moment had come. People from UK, Finland, Belgium, Poland,
Austria and Croatia have met for the first time in one of the classrooms of the
Brunel University in Uxbridge. Seeing each other for the first time,
introducing oneself to one another and doing icebreakers was the moment of
truth where everybody realized they were all on the same page and for the same
reason here. That reason is a simple one... the young minds wanted to make a
change in their lives, understand themselves better, and realize their potential
in order to be a good influence, better leaders and ones who would try to make
a difference in the world. After a talk during dinner, some basic rules were
set, people got to know each other better and the day took its finest course
while ending with a chat in a pub.
The second day of the course all the
participants were divided into groups to play Monopoly all day long. This is
NOT how it sounds :) The participants got a Monopoly Board and their task was
to visit as many streets, sights and stations from the board as they were able
and to take pictures as proof. The group that visited the most from the board
won. After the exhausting day, the lessons they got from the game, which were
explained in the follow up session the following morning were worth the entire
day’s loss of calories. Team work, open-mindedness and enthusiasm were the main
values and skills that were needed and that were supported and acquired during
the game. Participants got to know each other even better while staying focused
to accomplish the goal, while sightseeing and also having fun. The night ended
with a beer and a fancy dinner at an Italian place where everybody showed high
enthusiasm to get to know each other better.
The third
day was the day of a breakthrough. Participants had a guest, Paul van Casteren
who faced them with personal branding, self-awareness, team exercises,
coaching, support and different challenges. His intent was to raise
participants’ awareness of their own qualities, which resulted in some
insecurities being brought to light, which was on one hand emotionally hard,
but on the other hand very insightful and useful for all the individuals. Fast
feedback was also introduced which gave participants insight of what they were
doing good and what they could have done better, because realizing your fears
and trying to overcome them is a difficult, long, but rewarding process, as
well as appreciating your positive values. Even though the day was a bit
stressful, participants were enthusiastic about the intercultural night that followed. Traditional danced were introduced and well as food and drinks and everybody had a great time.
The main
idea of the following day was to reveal to each other some qualities that
leaders possess or should possess, as well as the positive and negative sides
of that enormous responsibility. In the afternoon, the simulation "Law of
the Jungle" was introduced where the participants were divided in groups
of Mayas, Aztecs and Incas who were supposed to trade between each other to get
as much money as possible. Again, as it was in the London challenge and the
monopoly game, the most important part of the game was the manner, HOW the game
was played. The analysis of the game showed how each group behaved, cooperated,
understood the game and how they supported or did not support each other. The
devil hides in the details which they had gotten aware of after the discussion
and the fast feedback. Participants want feedback, any kind of feedback,
because they realize that by getting feedback they learn stuff about themselves
that they had not been aware of before.
The long
Monday ended with a master class on coaching directed by Paul Van Casteren,
saying in order to become a leader you have to know how to coach people and
bring the best out of them. The next day was a „rest your brain, emotions and
feelings“ day, where the participants had a free entry into the Houses of
Parliament as well as a small private tour around the House of Commons, which
was a great privilege, an everlasting memory and an unforgettable experience.
The afternoon was spent either in a pub, shopping or sightseeing, which was just
the right thing needed to be able to continue the long and insightful journey
with a lot of energy.
Wednesday
was the day of the “big challenge“. Participants were divided into groups and
asked to show their leadership skills in a new challenge of cooperating while
being in different groups with different tasks in order to make Momentums 2020
Education even more common to young people. The challenge is still going on and
the participants are doing their best to accomplish their goal in only a day.
They have not lost the focus or the main idea of why they came to this course.
Their will is even stronger now and after the challenge is over, it will be
obvious how strongly they were influenced and motivated by the Momentum
Leadership Course, by all the people running the Momentum Course and all the
other participants as well.
During the course the participants will have
made the first step to the "change", and hopefully continue to spread
awareness to make a difference in the world, when they get back to their
countries, which was originally intended from the beginning. To sum everything
up, change the world by changing yourself!
Mia
Hocenski, one of the participants from Croatia
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