Day 2: Colors of Leadership by Deidre Chan

After waking up in Maui and starting the day at 3 am, I was excited to get to Hilo and meet everybody. Once I made it to Hilo, we went to Coconut Island to have lunch (pizza), snorkel, and observe different fish species. After completing our swim tests, we split into smaller focused groups and assigned roles such as the identifier, the searcher, and the recorder. My research group particularly saw a Reef Triggerfish and a school of small fish. Then, after spending some time in the water, we had a group discussion with Nicole about what we noticed about the fish we saw. I learned a lot about the significance of why fish are shaped and colored the way that they are. For example, the fish we saw tended to stay closer to the rocks and were more vertically flat. We learned that these features benefit them because their predators are usually bigger and can’t swim through the rocks to catch them. After that, we washed up and visited the University of Hawaii in Hilo to learn about invasive species, drones, and environmental conservation. Finally, we had dinner at Cronie’s and started our evening learning session. 

One event that stood out to me was our session after dinner about self-recognition and identity. I loved how the activities were very hands-on and group-oriented. I learned a lot about myself and how others may perceive me based on my leadership color. There were four different types of leadership colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green. Reds are very goal-oriented and organized. Greens tend to follow logic and practicality. Yellows value relationships, honesty, and being genuine. Oranges, though none were in our group, were the thrill seekers that love adventure and spontaneity. After figuring out which type everyone was, we split into color groups and had to devise a plan to rob a bank. I enjoyed planning and sharing ideas with my group because everyone had such creative approaches, and the end product perfectly combined all our personalities. This showed me a lot about my personality and why sometimes Yellows can come across as having certain traits they may not mean to. This, to me, was a realization that many conflicts may result from misunderstandings of intentions or miscommunication between different personality types since each color has its main traits and how it may appear to others. It was also interesting to see how each leadership type is apparent in the strategy used to rob the bank. For example, the Yellows didn’t want anyone to get hurt and used connections to succeed, while the Reds started their plan ten years in advance. On the other hand, the Greens came up with the most realistic yet creative idea that was much simpler than the other groups. 

Overall, my first day started rocky but ended well after a full day of fun activities and engaging discussions. I look forward to making more memories with everyone!


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