Benefits of being a team leader or Local Support Team member

Having been a team leader for many teams in AIESEC, I want to bring out some important benefits team leaders as well as Local Support Team members have in front of other AIESEC members.

You can:

1. Be part of the Leadership team of LC Tallinn and participate in their events
2. Get more financtial support when attending national and international conferences
   
3. Get up to 50% discount from EP fee
4. Participate more trainings and leadership tracks at conferences
5. Get coaching support from EB members
6. Participate in National Planning Meeting
   
7. Have a much bigger impact on the LC and AIESEC in Estonia in general
8. Find many contacts in AIESEC network and much more.

So take this challenge and apply for TL and LST positions!

Oliver

Jaana´s story as the OGX TTÜ Team Leader

I decided to apply because I love challenges. Also I really started to love AIESEC and I wanted to go to the next level. At first I was really afraid as I didn`t saw leader in me, I have never even thought about this idea (me leading a team). Later when I really got into planning my next term in AIESEC I realized that I want to do something different in order to grow. I started to think what qualities I need to be a good leader and I thought that I should try this position (or at least apply for the TL position) as I love communicating with other people, I knew already some stuff about AIESEC to pass on, I was eager to learn and of course I liked to get challenges. Luckily I was selected :))
First thing when I started my term was creating a plan for the new term - setting goals and job descriptions for team members. When I got people in my team I needed to create a team spirit. I got to know my team members and all of them were so cool people! We started to plan our team goals and I explained how are we going to work.
After this year I can really see the power behind teamwork, how it is done when the whole team is working in order to achieve team goals. As a leader I know what it means to lead by an example.

Jaanika´s road as Eyes Wide Open (EWO) team leader

Summer 2009

I didn´t apply for EWO team leader position. It so called „fell into my lap“. I joined EDU team in May 2009. And in the end of June, Tiina (team leader of EDU team) asked if I would want to lead Klapid Eest! team (which was one part of EDU project). At that moment I didn´t have a clue what this means, but I agreed.

On 1st of July was the first meeting with people from Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu. We didn´t select national coordinator and I agreed to manage finances of the project – temporary, but as it is said that there is nothing more constant than temporary things. So I started to write fund applications for this project. But the idea was that the fund application must be with the new and fresh idea. It meant that I started to write the concept of the project. At the beginning it was said that this project will be like World On Wheels (WOW) where the theme was entrepreneurship. And the original name was Klapid Eest! WOW. Because of the new theme, which I thought might be about consumption, I suggested the new name: Eyes Wide Open. Klapid Eest! was mandatory name, so the final name was Klapid Eest! Eyes Wide Open. In August I continued with writing project concept and fund application.

Autumn 2009

From the beginning of October, after autumn recruitment, 5 fabulous people joined me. At first there was a lot of introduction work. We got to know each other better end better every time. We had weekly meetings and the collaborative work started. I was very excited with being a team leader. In autumn almost everything seemed so easy. But constant rejections from funds were very depressive. Nevertheless everything else worked quite well: contracts with school, EP-s, introduction week etc. There was a lot of work done. To be honest, it was hard, but I enjoyed every moment of this work. EWO team was very hard working and the results were obvious.

Winter 2009/2010

At the beginning of the year we started again with hard work, although exams were in January which made EWO work a bit harder. We made interviews with EP-s and matched them. School agreements were finalized, we got the apartment for EP-s and some food. Finance issue was still a problem, but LC was very supportive at that time and we got some help from them.

Spring 2010

In the end of February the first EP-s came to Tallinn. And then the real stress started: preparation of EP-s, sending them to schools and joining them in schools. Although I wasn´t able to attend their lessons as much as I wanted, but at least I visited some schools. There were some issues with some interns, which amplified the stress factor for me. The big aim was to make the life for interns as comfortable as possible. But to hear the positive feedback from some schools and seeing that EP-s try to develop the lessons gave the energy back. Now the project is finished and some interns have already left Tallinn and others are leaving very soon.

Now when the project is finished it is good to look back what has been done and what was the impact for me. I learned a lot about teamwork: how to manage the team and how to keep all functions working. I couldn´t do all this work without EWO team. Unfortunately one of my team members quit in the middle of the project, in result the work for other team members piled up. But they handled it very well.

I think that all that stress is just one part of the project and this is inevitable. But my motivation and passion were the elements that kept me going and motivation of my team members kept my mood up during stressful times. The main thing was to keep up with the project flow and keep myself up to date. I think that altogether the whole term was positive experience. And the reason for this was my team (I won´t stop repeating this!).

I can´t wait to see what course the project will take the next term.

Alar´s story as the Market Expansion TL

I had been in AIESEC for 2 months involved in sales team, selling traineeships to companies, making sales calls and going to sales meeting. It was all new to me and lot to learn but I found myself thinking of something more than being just a team member. As AIESEC aims to develop future leaders I felt that I wasn't getting this leadership experience and also I felt that I needed a bigger challenge.

Then LC opened leadership positions for the next term and I decided to apply. I started filling in the application. The decision was quite easy for me but with this decision came many mixed feelings: fear, doubts, excitement.

Looking back now I see that these feelings were really normal as any new challenge that one decides to face. Looking back now I feel fortunate that I had this opportunity and I had courage and will to apply. And fortunately I was elected for the position I applied.

The year as a team leader has definitely made me into a better person than I was before and I have learned a lot about leadership, value of team and team work. I have learned to always stretch myself and try to think out of box and big. I have learned to never give up - the moment you give up the environment around you will lose yourself in that decision. There are always things to improve, people to talk to, solutions to be created and judgments to be faced and mindsets to be changed. Also being responsible for not only myself has though me a lot about my own motivation. And finally I have learned to have fun and take the journey and the challenges you face with a bit of humor, things are never as serious as they look and you are rarely to find the best solutions when you are stressed, frustrated and depressed.

During a year there have been many failures and many successes. But the most positive thing during the year I will remember is people I have met. AIESEC has amazing, passionate and smart people and everyone has their one story. One chapter in my story is now ending and the next one is starting soon. I feel now that because of this decision I made a year ago I am now ready to face even bigger challenges.

Mari´s story as the OGX TLÜ TL

Future team leader ! You are probably wondering that you haven’t lead a team, think if you have the right skills and what would happen if you don’t have all the right answers. So, forget all that !

You are definitely the right person! You are in AIESEC, which means that you are capable of anything. Believe that! You have already the right tools and resources, but you just have to believe in yourself, I know I am!

But what’s my story? Well, I guess most of you don’t know that, but I first applied a TL position in Tartu EB, with no leadership experience what so ever. Unfortunately I didn’t get the TL position that I wanted, but fortunately I was offered ET OGX TL position, which is basically EDU project. I gladly accepted that, but as it turned out I changed my subjects and came to Tallinn.

It was all new to me. Well, I know AIESEC is cool, but what about LC Tallinn. I knew some people, but still I wasn’t sure, whether to be a TL or not, so in autumn I started my work as just a team member.

As the time went, at some point I felt that I need bigger challenges and there are a lot more for me to gain and also to give. Therefore applying for TL position in February wasn’t difficult, because it had been in my head for some time. But...I still had doubts. How will I do the first meeting, how will I be a leader, when all the members in my team are used to me as a member. How will I be heard? Actually it wasn’t so difficult and I learned in progress as well. As my job wasn’t as easy as the people applying now, because I came a TL in the middle of the term. You can have a long period of transition, planning and all that fun stuff!

If you haven’t been a team leader, then you actually don’t know how to prepare for that. You can learn by failing and trying different things. That’s very normal and okay.

I have learned that I don’t have to do everything on my own, I have my team and there’s a lot more teams and people who are willing to help team leaders with everything. If you think you might be stupid, while asking so many questions, but if you don’t know something then you need to ask. If you don’t get your answers, then you don’t get the knowledge.

If you don’t know how to be a leader, then this is your chance, it’s your time to shine and gain the knowledge that you don’t have now, because nobody is expecting you to be perfect. If you are, then very good, but usually it’s not that way.

The most positive thing about TL experience has been the surprising moments, when I learn something new about me. Also the constant pushing the limits a bit.. I realize that I can do more that I have done at the moment. And as a lot of people have mentioned it, the people are just great, you will have a great support from others and get to know different opinions.

In the end I would like to say that in autumn, when I started just as a team member. When I look back then I realize that I regret a bit that I didn’t take the chance to be a TL then, when it was offered to me. Like you, I was hesitating. Hesitate, but go beyond that. Even if you don´t know if you are ready, you’ll never find out, what might had happen if you had taken the role as a team leader.

Cheers,

Mari

Laura´s story as the TL of EDU Team

I felt I wanted to use the chance right away not to wait till I'm married with some African and will be living in Taiwan or somewhere else as AIESEC pretty ofter does with people.

In the beginning I felt excited and powerful. I was the BOSS.

In the middle I have had some periods when I' m so busy with some other responsibilities or I just have lack of motivation. But there is an uphill after every downhill, which give me an other experience to learn something. Usuallly it's not a problem if you are a little bit distant from your team for a short period. They understand and survive.

Now I feel I can change some young person's (Yours) life to motivate them to have the experience most people don't have when they are in that age.

The greatest is when people say you do your work great and they think you can be a role model for someone else.

As I started to lead a team, which already had really good team spirit and the work was ongoing, I just continued the work, created some tracking system and felt powerful :)

I' ve learned a lot about how to work with different people, accept and respect them. Learned to manage my time much better, how to get motivated when it just doesn't work. I'v got a lot more bravery to climb higher, step out from the ground and be the one who influences others.

(Laura with some of her members)

What next?

The end of the term 2009/ 10 is coming very quickly. So far we have elected our Executive Board and now it is time to find the new Team Leaders. Now is the time to put together the Leadership Team of Term 2010/ 11.

Check the opportunities we are opening and make your pick. Be the change!

Will you be the person to continue making the change?

Applications are already out- take a look and stay tuned for stories from the current Team Leaders ;)

Cheers