When prepping for the 2018 Leadership Safari conference, I found myself using a LOT of 
glitter and feathers. I was the safari guide of team Parakeet, and to me, this was the perfect opportunity to make some really cool swag. I wanted to show my team that I was really excited to usher them into their college experience, and since my top love language I give is gift-giving, this was very exciting. I made bandanas with feathers and had a small parakeet toy to serve as our “mascot” (which also doubled as a talking item).
In the week of training, I got to hang out with some of the greatest people. The amount of inside jokes and deep conversations we shared made our bond super strong; we spent the whole two weeks of training and conference lifting each 
other up and having such a supportive, family-like dynamic. I was nervous when I first met them, because I didn’t know how I would fit in, but it quickly turned into a tight-knit group all the way around. No subgroups, no cliques, just one big safari team.
The week of training that led up to the actual conference, I anticipated meeting my group more and more. Were they going to like me? Would they respect me as a leader? Would we have fun together, or would they be bored? I had prepared some “everyday awards,” where I would give one or two out each day of the week to my participants, to acknowledge something they did that day that was impressive or our of their comfort zone or helpful, etc. I wanted to show them that I recognized their efforts and that I appreciated them.
When it came time to meet them, I was a little… Underwhelmed. They weren’t as excited as I was to meet them, and I was missing one. Nevertheless, I was still so happy to finally meet them and I justified their energy level with the fact that they had had a long day, 
and were probably both physically and emotionally tired. As I went through the first notes of the week with them, I could tell they were zoning out, but I kept it going.
The second day, they got to know each other more, but you could tell that they weren’t quite bonded yet. I tried incorporating a few team-builder activities and icebreakers, but it was clear they were still tired, physically and emotionally. When I talked to my core group about it, a few of them said, “just wait until after the obstacle course tomorrow,” and they were right.
When it came to the obstacle course, they really started clicking. It’s something that every safari group goes through; the teamwork and trust-building that the course provides really helped to cement them together. I noticed 
that they were laughing, making jokes, and they even had a snapchat group together! At that point, I felt like I had really succeeded in being their guide, because that’s when I could tell they were starting college with at least a few new friends that they could turn to for a little help if they needed it.
By the end of the week, we were all pretty tired, but my participants still had a good time at the closing banquet. We made sure to get a picture together, and I gave them an opportunity to ask me any question they wanted to (which gave them a lot of inspiration. They were all of a sudden very curious about my social life and what I do on my Friday nights).
Even if it wasn’t perfectly cheerful the whole week, I still felt it was successful. I knew when I said goodbye to them that they’d be successful in whatever path they followed 
here at CMU, and I made it a point to contact me if they needed anything or had any questions. I’ve seen a few of them on campus, and every time I do, we hug and do a quick catch-up.
As a leader, I came to understand what it felt like to really lead a small group all my own. I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to really do that, so it was certainly full of a lot of firsts and little bumps, but one of the most important things that I learned is to be patient. Not every group dynamic is going to be perfect, especially at the start. However, it’s up to you as a leader to work with what you’ve got, and find what works for that group to bond the best that they can. It won’t always be what you imagined it to be, but going with the flow and making sure that each member feels important, cared for, and listened to is the biggest part of guiding followers.
And last but not least, yyyyaaaaaAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY SAFARIIIIIII!
