Leadership Training (LDK) of SMA BOPKRI Banguntapan for Intra-School Student Organization (OSIS)          

Who is your favorite leader? The initial question from Trustha Rembaka, S.Th to the participants of the Leadership Training (LDK) of the Intra-School Student Organization (OSIS) of SMA BOPKRI Banguntapan (6/10/2024). Various answers emerged from the participants such as the president, minister, and figures both from within and outside the country, including the school principal. What reason are there so they become the favorite leader of the participants? Some expressed that they were famous, did good things, gave interesting speeches, were firm, and cared to whom they led.

Collaboration in the Leadership Training of the SMA BOPKRI Banguntapan Student Organization (OSIS) is  Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta's commitment to participate in forming young leaders in the high school level. There are three important points in this LDK, namely basic leadership, communication skills, and decision-making. A simple questionnaire about leadership was given with the following criteria: 1) the important thing is that the group/OSIS runs as it is, 2) the group/OSIS can do better but are not brave enough to make breakthroughs to develop, and 3) those have leadership skills, but need to build self-confidence, and be sure they can be good leaders.

Good leaders do not come just in a moment, but through a process, in addition to the basic potency that already exists. According to John C. Maxwell, a leadership expert, leadership is the art/process of influencing others, so they are willing to make an effort or work to achieve a certain goal. In leadership, there is a dynamic of how to lead and manage the people being led. Furthermore, Trustha explained the 'step by step' of becoming a leader in a school organization. The OSIS administrators should have of course the character of a leader, such as integrity (words are in line with actions), ethics, honesty, and assertiveness, ability to influence others, innovation, and courage to take risks.

In the Effective Communication session, Kresensia Risna Efrieno, S.I.Kom from Stube HEMAT Yogyakarta opened the session with a guessing game, where three people conveyed messages through gestures, and other participants interpreted them. It turned out that not every gesture can be interpreted, so they learned that a message cannot always be understood directly. How can a message be understood and have an impact? Isna revealed the scope of communication that participants need to know, namely, Who: who is speaking, Says What: what message is said, In Which Channel: through what media, To Whom: to who is the listener, and What Effect: what impact is expected. So, Effective Communication is a process of interaction or exchange of information that produces a common opinion or perception between communication actors and minimizes misunderstandings. Therefore, it is necessary to respect each other between the communicator (message giver) and the communicant (message recipient), by providing 'feedback' or response, 'audible' or can be heard well, 'clarity' or clearly understood, and 'humble'.

In the Decision-Making session, Trustha began with the understanding that decision-making is part of leadership. Decision-making is a science that studies how to choose the right alternative and will become a decision related to a person's behavior in deciding something. According to Siagian, Sondang P., in ‘Sistem Informasi untuk Pengambilan Keputusan’, decision-making includes problem definition, data collection, data analysis, determination of alternatives, selection of the best alternative, decision, implementation, and monitoring of results, and evaluation.

Furthermore, the participants practiced handling a case of a 12th-grade student who was often late and sometimes did not attend school. The distance from his house to the school was about 10 kms, and he did not have a vehicle to go to school and there is no public transportation. He did not receive pocket money from his parents, who worked as casual laborers. He admitted that both of his parents were facing family problems. He wanted to drop out of school because he did not get support from his family. The OSIS administrators proposed alternatives, including mobilizing the public to donate bicycles, trying to live with other students who were willing, and scheduling friends living nearby areas to pick up and  to go to school together.

In this training, a caring and communicative leadership character emerged and found solutions to the problems faced. A leader is someone who knows the way, takes the way, and shows the way! Congratulation for OSIS SMA Bobayo administrators to continue the process of forming leaders and serving others.***