Introduction
Leadership in any context, whether in business or the arts, often demands navigating complex interpersonal dynamics and making decisions under pressure. This essay reflects on a critical moment in my leadership journey during the LitFest Music Competition in 2023, where my band won first place by depicting the emotion of “Fear” through a performance involving seven instruments, one percussion, and two vocalists. As a business student, I draw parallels between this experience and leadership principles in organisational settings, focusing on a conflict that tested my values and challenged the beliefs of my team. I explore the cultural and social dynamics at play, my decision-making process, the strategies employed to resolve differences, and the short- and long-term impacts of my actions. Ultimately, I discuss how this experience reshaped my understanding of accountability and my aspirations for future leadership roles.
Context of the Conflict: Cultural and Social Dynamics
The LitFest Music Competition posed a unique challenge: to evoke a deeply unsettling emotion, “Fear,” through a collaborative performance. As the leader of a diverse group of nine musicians, including myself as a violinist since 2019, I faced not only artistic but also interpersonal hurdles. The team comprised students from varied cultural backgrounds, each bringing distinct interpretations of fear shaped by personal and societal influences. For instance, some viewed fear as a visceral, loud expression, while others saw it as subtle and haunting. Socially, the group dynamics were strained by the pressure of competition and the academic demands of Class 10 in 2023, a particularly challenging year. The conflict emerged when deciding the tone of our performance—whether to adopt a dramatic, overt portrayal of fear or a nuanced, restrained approach. This disagreement tested my commitment to inclusivity and fairness, core values I hold as a leader, while challenging some team members’ belief in the superiority of their individual perspectives.
The Dilemma and My Decision-Making Rationale
The dilemma was stark: impose a singular vision to ensure cohesion or risk a disjointed performance by accommodating conflicting ideas. Drawing on leadership theories, such as transformational leadership which emphasises inspiration and collaboration (Bass, 1990), I leaned towards fostering unity through dialogue. My rationale was twofold. First, I believed that suppressing diverse perspectives could alienate team members, undermining morale—a key lesson from business studies on team motivation (Robbins and Judge, 2019). Second, as a violinist whose foundational training under my guru’s rigorous mentorship for two years taught me patience, I trusted that slow consensus-building could yield a richer outcome. Thus, I prioritised open discussion over authoritarian control, despite the time constraints.
Strategies for Navigating Differing Perspectives
To resolve the conflict, I employed two main strategies. First, I facilitated structured brainstorming sessions where each member articulated their vision of “Fear,” ensuring everyone felt heard. This mirrored conflict resolution techniques in business, such as active listening (Armstrong, 2011). Second, I proposed blending elements of both dramatic and subtle interpretations, assigning specific instruments to contrasting emotional tones while maintaining a unified narrative. For example, the percussion conveyed raw intensity, while the violin and vocals added eerie undertones. Though initially met with scepticism, this compromise gradually gained traction as rehearsals demonstrated its effectiveness. My prior experience teaching six junior students under my guru’s guidance proved instrumental here, as it had honed my ability to explain complex ideas patiently and adapt to varied learning paces.
Short- and Long-Term Impacts
In the short term, the strategy fostered a sense of ownership among team members, culminating in our first-place win at LitFest. However, not all were immediately convinced; a few felt their original ideas were diluted, requiring post-competition debriefs to rebuild trust. Over the long term, the experience strengthened team cohesion, as members later acknowledged the value of compromise. For my personal development, leading through this conflict deepened my resilience and adaptability— skills vital in business leadership where stakeholder conflicts are common (Robbins and Judge, 2019). Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of emotional intelligence, a concept widely discussed in management literature (Goleman, 1995), as I learned to balance empathy with decisiveness.
Reshaping Accountability and Future Aspirations
This experience redefined accountability for me. I realised that true accountability extends beyond achieving results; it involves safeguarding team morale and ensuring every voice is valued, even amid disagreement. In business terms, this aligns with ethical leadership, where transparency and fairness drive sustainable success (Brown and Treviño, 2006). Looking ahead, I aspire to lead with a stronger emphasis on inclusive decision-making, whether in managing teams or projects. My goal is to cultivate environments where diverse perspectives are not just tolerated but actively harnessed as strengths, much like I did during the competition.
Conclusion
Reflecting on the LitFest Music Competition, I recognise how navigating conflict over depicting “Fear” tested my values and reshaped my leadership approach. By prioritising dialogue and compromise, I resolved differing perspectives within a culturally diverse team, achieving both competitive success and personal growth. The short-term win and long-term lessons in resilience and emotional intelligence have parallels in business leadership, underscoring the universal applicability of these skills. Ultimately, this Defining Moment reinforced my commitment to accountability and inspired future aspirations to lead inclusively, ensuring that challenges become opportunities for collective growth.
References
- Armstrong, M. (2011) How to Be an Even Better Manager: A Complete A-Z of Proven Techniques and Essential Skills. Kogan Page.
- Bass, B. M. (1990) ‘From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision’, Organizational Dynamics, 18(3), pp. 19-31.
- Brown, M. E. and Treviño, L. K. (2006) ‘Ethical leadership: A review and future directions’, The Leadership Quarterly, 17(6), pp. 595-616.
- Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books.
- Robbins, S. P. and Judge, T. A. (2019) Organizational Behavior. 18th edn. Pearson Education.
