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My Ideal Leader

Takahashi Kazumasa (Numazu National College of Technology)

“Show them, tell them, have them do it, and then praise them; otherwise, people won’t follow.” These are the words by Yamamoto Isoroku, one of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II. Now I hold these words close to me after the experience I had in the tennis club. Today, I'd like to tell you why.

I belong to the tennis club at Numazu National College of Technology. The aim of our club is to win the game, not to play around, and I completely agree with this aim. After I joined the tennis club, I have practiced very hard for three years. As a result, I feel my tennis skills have improved every year, and I take special pride in this.

Even though I practice with determination, a year after I joined the tennis club, I began to feel that something was different about my teammates. This was, that they were mentally weak. The first-graders always complained about hard practices and sometimes even criticized the third graders. This is absurd! Remember, the aim of our club is to win games. How can we win games without the hard practices? I empathized with the third-graders and agreed with their criticisms of the first-graders.

However, after talking with the first-graders, I found that this situation was not so simple. Actually, this gap between the first-graders and the third-graders was complicated. The third graders would criticize the first-graders every time the first-graders did not join practice. Needless to say, this did not encourage the first-graders to commit and do their best. The third-graders were also sometimes absent from practices due to projects, and they would not tell the reasons of their absences to the first-graders. It is because of these actions they became estranged from each other.

I think the third-graders should have communicated their opinions honestly and praised the club members who practiced seriously. The third graders did not “show them” or “tell them” or ”praise them”. As a result, the first-graders did not follow.

This made me think about what ideal leaders should be like. I think leaders should lead by example, use words well and give praise to those who deserve it. This builds human relationships. As we do not have a professional coach and we have to coach ourselves, the trust among the teammates is indispensable. Our club will soon break down if we lose the trust our relationships are built on.

Now, I am the captain of the tennis club and I hold the words by Yamamoto Isoroku as my motto. This May, I won the pennant at singles and finished second at doubles in the Tokai Hokuriku Kosen Regional Tennis Competition. But we lost at the team competition, the division I really wanted to win. Because of the loss, we couldn't take part in the Kosen Nationals. I was really frustrated. But at the same time, I felt something surprising: I was also happy. You see, the teammates who could not take part in the games were also really frustrated at our loss. I felt then that everyone in my tennis club really wanted to win from the bottom of their hearts. Yes, I felt that we were together as one.

I always keep the words of Yamamoto Isoroku in my mind. I lead the group runs to show my energy and to rouse them up. I try to smile at them when I have something to say. I praise them when they work hard. I have them reflect about the practice and I follow their suggestions. Sometimes I shout encouragements at them, “You can do it!”, “Don’t limit yourself” like Matsuoka Shuzo. I am glad my club members are beginning to say things like “Our tennis club is really united” or “Practice was fun today.”

We have been practicing hard for the games next year. Since becoming captain, I have encountered many precious experiences. I look forward to the next undiscovered treasures ahead. My most exciting challenges are yet to come. I will enjoy my club to the fullest. I will practice tennis to the fullest. And I will always hold these words close to my heart! “Show them, tell them, have them do it, and then praise them; otherwise, people won’t follow.”