I have felt a burden that I have to succeed early in life. I have heard that one should do well in school and that one has to be a great person. I also heard that one has to go to the best universities, and then one can get a decent job. I didn’t hear these rules from my parents. Society and the media are the ones who have repeated these guidelines.
  The conditions that enable success also have been a burden to me. One of them was the stereotype that I had to become a leader in a group or team, as leaders are considered honorable people. People can find books about leadership easily, like Conditions of a Leader, in the best- sellers’ sections of bookstores.
  I thought that the position of leader meant being at the head of a group and occupying a superior position before I came to CBT. Over the past two years as a CBT reporter, I realized that not only leaders but followers are essential. A group consists of leaders and many followers. The percentage of followers is more significant than the percentage of leaders in a group. Therefore, the role of followers is just as essential as the role of leaders in performing a successful project. When a group performs a specific project, leaders don’t just take charge of that project. The group members divide the project into tasks and take charge of certain parts of the project. The job of the group members is finishing their work because succeeding in the project is the aim of a group. Looking at the publication of the CBT newspapers as a project, the task of the group members is writing their articles. Completing a project results in the publication of the newspapers of CBT. I have realized that the members in a group are responsible for the project itself as well as their individual tasks.
  Before, I thought that my personal tasks were my only duties. Moreover, I felt that completing a project was not my duty when I joined CBT. I felt that if I finished my article, I had done my duty. Therefore, if I finished my assigned article, I neglected the articles of other reporters and other tasks. In my defense, my articles were a little out of my league when I was a new reporter because I was writing articles for the first time.
  The reason why followers are essential is that followers influence other followers. Leaders usually take the initiative. The leader has responsibility, but no matter what effort the leader makes, success is not guaranteed because completing the project needs outstanding followers as well as an exceptional leader. Followers can be classified in the case of CBT: cub reporters and reporters. Cub reporters learn from the actual reporters. Cub reporters write and edit their articles with the actual reporters. If actual reporters have a sense of responsibility for their articles and the publication of the newspapers of CBT, the cub reporters will also learn how to do their tasks faithfully.
  How can one motivate followers? I think that followers need to know the details of their tasks to help guide them. CBT educates cub reporters when they arrive. CBT explains the process of publishing newspapers to the cub reporters. However, cub reporters don’t understand entirely through this explanation, because they just hear words. They learn about the specific tasks through the writing of articles and the publishing newspapers.
  Moreover, followers can be motivated when they realize the tasks of the leader. Every time a group does work, the leader plans the project, collects opinions, and moves forward. In other words, the leaders plan a project, listen to ideas, mediate between group members, and make  decisions. By observing the editor-in-chief and assistant editor work, I experienced their jobs indirectly while working at CBT. I also realized how heavy the responsibility of the leader is because I learned about all of the tasks of the leader. Thus, followers should look at projects more broadly and then proceed because the function of the leader is organizing the entire project. Assuming the leader’s role has burdens and responsibilities. I realized that having a major title wasn’t so sweet after I watched the editor-in-chief’s and assistant editor’s work.
  I now understand that the position of the leader doesn’t just entail being at the head of the group and occupying a superior position. Leaders exist to guide the group members and to a complete a successful project. Everyone is essential no matter what position they hold because the collaboration of followers and leaders is necessary to succeed in the project. If I do my best, I think that the result will be the best. I thank the CBT and my co-workers who helped me find enlightenment.