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Topic 138 Member vs. leader

Both a leader and members play crucial roles in a team. However, being a leader asks for much more talent and special ability in dealing with challenges and different types of people. The truth is that very few people have these qualities. Therefore, I think for majority of people, being a member is better, for that would be the position where one can make the most contribution and make one's life worthwhile.

First of all, being a member does not mean being less significant in the success of a task. Often enough, people are amazed by the glory of a successful leader, who has to bear the extra pressure, responsibility and risks to achieve the supreme statue and to gain the power of authority. However, people overlook the vital contributions made by the group members and think them as less important. They also forget about the fact that the main body of a group is made up by members who is the main driveling force that makes plans into reality. A captain of a ship is the leader who needs to give instruction on how he wants the ship to be driven. All other cruise members need to do their jobs well to ensure that the ship go into the right direction at suitable speed. Unlike most of the people would have argued that members just simply follow what have been told, I think members also have to think. It is only that they have to think specifically in the area of their job instead of think globally. Most people will work the best with a specific goal in the particular area that they are most familiar with.

Secondly, being a member gain no less sense of satisfaction than being a leader. This, of course, depends a lot on one's perspective of success. In my point of view, success means being able to make the best of one's ability and to have achieved the self-motivated goal. Being a member makes no less chance to be successful. In fact, most people will perform better in this less stressful state, compared to the highly pressured nature of a leader's work. Knowing that his accomplishment of the assigned task contribute to the overall success of the group, and the vital role he has played in supporting other members and the leader, one can appreciate the fruit of success.

Last but not least, being a member means more involvement with the actual process of the work and naturally leads to closer bond with other colleagues. Usually, after working closely together after a period of time in a project, a mutual understanding naturally develops between the members. This would take a leader great effort and maybe a long time to be regarded as member of the party. There is famous Chinese traditional saying that goes, "one cannot stand the cold for being up there." It is a well reflection of the loneliness to be a leader. On the other hand, one can be embedded in a family of coordinators who understand each other well and easily help and support each other.

All in all, besides the common opinion about more free time and more leisure lifestyle of being a member instead of leader, I think the above three points are strong enough to show that it is better to be a member for most of the people.

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