Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Before I start, I wish to warn you guys that this is NOT a suanning post. Now that things are out of the way, let's begin.Recently, I've been talking random bullshit with various people of the CoH about 02. And I get to speak to everyone but Rohan, Justin and Xiao Dong. (Sidenote: I'm interested to listen to Xiao Dong's views, but Rohan is too pretentious and bubbly to even be serious, and Justin is kinda afk here. Even Hui Kiat does more than him =/) Oh wait, I forgot Kenneth Yong and Ryan. (Though, I don't think Kenneth Yong gives a shit and Ryan is too slack to care too. We can skip them too, I guess.)And guess what? Despite the talk about the COH 07/08 batch being strong and stuff, I cannot see a future where 02 can get better. Reason? It's not just about the batch, but more about the SrPL. What is leadership, and what is the leadership in 02? I cannot envision it, even now. It's near non-existent.I had never dreamt of Biang becoming the SrPL of 02, so his rise of power gave me a certain sense of happiness and, pardon me, salvation for 02. To be frank, NSPC has been a pretty good bonding competition between me and Biang. (we're in the same team =P) And I've seen the 'leadership' side in Biang. His dreams, his concerns... I think I do know about Biang's concerns for 02 better than most of the batch. And I know that Anandraaj's sharing of insights has shed light into both Biang's and my undertanding of 02 from the perspective of a higher-up. And I do believe in the same things that Biang believes in. Because, like him, I have been inspired by the same source of 'enlightenment', and we believe in the same ideals. (not totally, but mostly.)So you can tell that I do wish for Biang to become Sr at that time. And he did. But what Anandraaj had said before struck me hard as I thought about the falling standards of 02. And it was pretty ironic."Choosing a PL is not choosing the best of the best. It's about choosing the people who can lead. And who can lead well." Ironic? Why?Bing Yang cannot lead. I have been sticking around for quite a bit (being an exco member of 02, duh) and I have seen him lead many times. He does not command respect like a lot of the CoH members. I had a small talk with Gabriel Tan on my way back from the Kayaking course (second day), and he told me that the only people that can command the Sec 1s and 2 with authority is Marc Tan (and me occasionally). Marc Tan has maintained that distance away from the rest of the troop, and people do follow his orders with a heightened sense of responsibility because they do not know Marc as well as they know us. As for me, people do not really listen to me usually but I *can* make them fear with a louder voice and lots of bullshit ways. Bing Yang does not know when to draw the line between seriousness and play. And if he does, people are not aware of it. How can he lead when his people are not even aware of when he will become serious? (Other authorities include Hui Kiat and Justin)This brings me to a person who have given up on 02 for other endeavours. Koon Chong, the man who has just won his Hillary Challenge without the Vijay. When I compare him to Bing Yang, I get reminded of Anandraaj's words. Yet, I do see some flaws in the reasoning. Is Koon Chong really dictatorial? Is Bing Yang really good? Or did Bing Yang get the top job because he is the only person who is deemed by the TT to know the situation well? (That argument can also work against my PL post. If I owe my PL post to someone, it will not be Hui Kiat, but Kenneth Ngoh.)Koon Chong CAN lead. He's a good leader in fact, as I observe from the many PM sessions that he held in Bing Yang's slackiness or absence. And I was shocked to see the Orca people have so much trust in him. Even now, I think the troop has a lot more confidence in Koon Chong, but likes Bing Yang more as a friend. Being friendly is good, but being able to lead is the more important thing for a CCAL. Take Paul Tern for example; he is pretty much absent half the time (leading to Koon Chong's hatred for our dear head prefect XD) but he can lead. Why? He gives people confidence. When people look at Paul/Koon, they see a skilled and experienced guy who they can trust in. And they'll complete the task knowing that Paul/Koon will know what is going on, and will be able to rectify any mistakes fast (thus getting the work done.) Bing Yang? Sure, people will say that he's good, and he's a leader. But when it comes to getting the work done, Koon's efficiency and competency beats Bing Yang hands down. Sometimes I wonder if I had been looking at things in a point of view that is too subjective. Three months after IAC, and I have already begun to see the flaws in Biang. Yep, I kinda looked up to him as an imba leader before, but as I spent more time with various people in my batch, I am beginning to see changes in my point of view. Koon Chong is not so screwed up in my opinion; Hui Kiat is actually serious when there is a need to be serious. Rohan is still as bubbly as ever, and Kenneth Ngoh is still lame (though slightly more slack-ish). Justin is putting less effort in 02, and Marc is the one that people listen to (he's the REAL authority.) I'm getting less and less suanned (unless Hui Kiat comes and suans me.) and people is listening more and more to the people who actually conducting the PM sessions/ having a louder voice. Bing Yang, learn to lead.
[blogged]
at 7:40 AM