LEADERSHIP IN STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

by: Wibawa, I Made Artha

“Future leaders are leaders who change their leadership style from Reactive to Creative”

I.         Introduction

Basically, the spirit of leadership is possessed by every human being, at least it is felt when a person goes through a process of planning and determining a decision to realize his life's goal, but in actualizing leadership itself, human beings are often faced with various life problems and turns, not a few problems arise only due to mistakes in acting and mistakenly perceiving something, to avoid it becomes an important self-controlling factor, one of which is guided by ethical values ​​and morality in life, so leadership with ethics and morality is a very close unity.

In an organization, several elements will be found, namely vision-mission, goals and work programs, organizational structure, organizational code of ethics, relationships between organizational lines, individuals, leadership, and organizational dynamics. The success of an organization to achieve organizational goals depends on the leader and the people around the leader. A successful leader if he is able to move a number of people in achieving organizational goals. For this purpose, a leader should be able to create several things, namely: 

1.     Comfortable working relationship atmosphere,

2.     Maximum motivation,

3.     Discipline, example, and ability,

4.     Aspirational,

5.     Commit to organizational ethics and goals,

6.     Systemic thinking and always positive thinking.

In line with the explanation above, student organizations also have the same characteristics as organizations in general. It's just that student organizations have special dynamics atmosphere characteristics namely:

1.     Characterizing idealism,

2.     The Sharpness of thinking,

3.     Learning social interrelation,

4.     High social responsibility,

5.     Strong emotional connection,

6.     Personality transformation

7.     Expectations of ideals,

8.     Love for the institution,

9.     Teamwork.

Students are a milestone of change. A term that is certainly familiar to us, namely that "Students as the Application of Management in Student Life. Students are always a part of the history of a nation. Critical and constructive thinking is always born from the mindset of students. The attitude of idealism encourages students to fight for the aspirations of the people to the authorities, in their own way. The role of students is very real for a change in the life of society, nation, and state. The role of students include:

1.     As an analyzer, providing solutions to phenomena or events that are happening in the community,

2.     As an observer and controller of government policies and decisions,

3.     As a mouthpiece or messenger of the campus community in particular and the wider community in general,

4.     As a messenger of truth,

5.     As an agent of change,

6.     As a young generation the future of the nation.

II. Student Activities in the Organization

The direction and purpose of student coaching is directed to foster student responsibility which is essentially to develop a healthy and resilient personality, pious, capable of analytical and synthetic thinking, highly skilled, skilled, morally Pancasila and virtuous. As an analyst, students are not merely hunters of diplomas, but should produce ideas presented in regular thinking in accordance with the nature of science.

In order to support Student Organizations, fully support all positive activities by providing funding for student activities as well as student organization activities organized by the Student Representative Council (MPM), Student Executive Board (BEM), Student Association (HMJ) and the Activity Implementation Unit (UPK).

In the context of national and state life, students are always regarded as someone who can think critically, and realistically. In fact, not infrequently often radical and revolutionary. Because as part of the younger generation (youth), their student status bears more value than other youth. Through studies and methodical thoughts, students are expected to be able to capture, analyze, and synthesize any changes and dynamics of life that occur in society. Whether it concerns political life, social, economic, human rights, and other problems that require students to respond and voice their thoughts.

And of course, the attitudes and voices of these students need a place to channel them. Which of them can be in the form of student organizations that are quite widely available on and off-campus. The organization can be in the form of a student senate/student executive body (BEM), a student representative body (BPM), student activity units (UKM), student associations/study programs, or extra-campus organizations such as HMI, GMNI, PMKRI, PMII, and the like. All of these organizations have different activities and different organizational bases.

It is up to the students themselves to react to it and is usually adjusted to their respective backgrounds, interests, and talents. Students who are active in student organizations are usually called activists. Although in reality, it is true that not all students want to become activists and have a concern for developments occurring on and off-campus, but a caring activist movement has been able to color the dynamics of student life on campus. Quite a lot of student contributions, through their student organizations, in developing science and technology in accordance with their respective scientific disciplines or become motivators, mediators, and accelerators in addressing changes and developments that occur in the community. Whether it concerns social, economic, and political issues.

In the history of the student movement before independence until now, through the activities of student organizations, students have been able and proven to contribute to being a motivator, mediator, and accelerator for the struggle for independence to the struggle to build the life of the nation and state today. However, it cannot be denied, if there is still a skewed impression on the existence of activists in student organizations which include many student organizations activists who are 'immortal students' or drop out prone students (DO). Many things lie behind why this happens, so it would be nice if we look at the figure of students who are on campus. When observed closely related to student activities on campus, it turns out there are two types of student figures, namely the first student figure who is apathetic towards student organization activities and second is the active student figure in student organizations, which are usually called activists as described in advance, with various activities which are sometimes not only active in one student organization.

Although studying in one study program or department, it turns out that these two antagonistic figures are very clear in their differences in coloring the dynamics of campus life.

Students who are apathetic towards student organization activities are, of course, students who only think about their college activities. Everything is always measured by the achievement of course credit and a high achievement index and strives to complete college in the shortest possible time. But usually the figure of students like this, it will experience weaknesses and problems in terms of self-socialization with the environment, fellow students, and the community. Whose negative impacts can be felt when you have become a graduate and are ready to enter the community into 'the world of work'. This student typology is more on the pragmatic attitude it has, which is to go to college as soon as possible, graduate as a graduate and 'be ready for work'. Is that simple?

Because the world of work does not only require the reality of the quality of scholarship, but also demands the quality of socialization. Especially the world of work that demands more intense cooperation and interaction, and prioritizes the ability of language logic. A scholar who merely relies on the logic of his scientific world will certainly, be excluded. While the activist student figures in the activities of student organizations are students who besides pursuing lecture activities but also take the time to participate in student organization activities. Activity in this organization is usually based on talent, hobbies, organizational life, and leadership demands, social demands or it could be due to escaping from lecture activities which are sometimes considered boring. The logical consequence of a student figure like this is of course the concentration of thought and time will be divided into two, one side in lectures and the other side in organizational activities. Lecture activities are also sometimes even interrupted by organizational activities or some even leave because they are too absorbed. So that sometimes it becomes a justification that activist students are perpetual students and are prone to Drop Out.

However, when viewed from the ability to organize and leadership and socialization, it would be very different compared to apathetic students. The experience in expressing reality and playing logic in language has matured itself as a student figure. Especially when associated with other functions of the campus as agents of change, the role of activist students cannot be seen with one eye. They have always been a driving force in voicing the aspirations of the community in responding to the critical demands of society and other social, economic, and political problems. Except for students who make their activities in student organizations only as an escape from their college activities. Lecture activities, task completion, practicum, the actualization of ideas and scientific studies, etc. are even ignored. Student organizations are only used as a place to please themselves. The activist student figure is certainly not the expected student figure. Because it is indeed the main obligation of a student to attend lectures with full responsibility. It is not justified if the organization's activities which sometimes take up time for college are always used as an excuse and a guise for not attending lecture activities. Such students do not have a clear grip as a student. As a result, predictably, the completion of course credits is hampered. And because the college did not pass in a reasonable measure of graduation, the 'eternal student' stamp was attached to it. Even worse if the student is threatened with DO.

Therefore, of course, students, especially new students, in entering the campus world already have an idea of ​​how to behave. And surely it is expected to be an ideal student, that is, students who have good intellectual abilities according to the scientific fields chosen with responsibility, also have the ability to organize and socialize with their environment and are sensitive to changes in society. The most important thing is in conducting lectures and organizational activities, students must be able to divide their time and carefully determine the priorities of the activities that will be undertaken. Do not want to graduate when you become a graduate plus, namely a graduate who is not only smart in science but also able to socialize and organize well.

III. Ethics of Leadership in Organizing

Student organizations need strong and complete collegial leadership in realizing shared goals. Student organization leadership has 6 (six) main missions, namely:

1.     Bridging student aspirations related to the smooth teaching and learning process,

2.     Developing and serving student interest and talent programs,

3.     Developing students' character and capacity,

4.     Creating a conducive, creative, innovative and productive atmosphere on campus,

5.     Maintaining campus facilities and infrastructure,

6.     Carry out a role in solving community problems.

Effective student leadership is leadership that is able to realize the six missions above. Such leadership is certainly not a leadership that is merely serving or how to servant. However, the leadership needed is visionary transformative leadership, especially in responding to the changes that continue to occur. Visionary transformative leadership always puts forward a number of ideas or constructive ideas going forward. So, there needs to be a paradigm shift in leadership that focuses the organization on improving the quality of organizational actors and individuals who are led. The leader in transformative leadership knows and understands the potential of the individuals around him and is skilled at optimizing the available organizational resources. In fact, visionary transformative leaders think far ahead of the individuals they lead. Therefore, optimizing the potential and resources of an organization by transformative leaders is always appropriate and measurable successes.

Student organization leadership requires transformative leaders who are not only reliable in optimizing the potential they lead and available organizational resources but also have a good motivating spirit when others are weak. Transformative leaders always guide the policy direction (policy direction) set by the organization. Thus he is able to bring the individuals he leads to a common goal namely:

1.     Successful study with timely and good grades,

2.     Confidence in entering the job market,

3.     The ability to create (how to creat) work,

4.     Self character and strong personality and high morality,

5.     Togetherness in every activity of the organization,

The leader of the student organization will be the central figure in every clink of the heartbeat of the organization. Thus, the leaders of student organizations are considered as inspirators who are expected to bring the organization as an organization that is reliable, has the skills, is calculated, and complies with the ethics and norms of campus life.

IV. Leadership Ethics

Ethics is a normative standard behavior in the form of moral values, norms, and good things. Ethics function as a guide in behaving and acting towards life to a better state. Basically the essential meaning of ethics is the determination of guidelines to do what is right and not do anything that is not right. Thus running an ethical life is believed to bring life to a condition that does not cause negative effects that are detrimental to the life around it. In terms of evolution, the ethical dimension can be a key factor in the success of leadership. In an organization, leadership is considered good when the leadership functions are carried out based on ethical principles.

Ethical leadership will make the atmosphere of work relations in the organization more comfortable and avoid vertical or horizontal conflicts. This is because organizational actors are aware of the existence of guidelines and guidelines in the form of ethical principles that limit their actions and actions. The principles of organizational ethics are:

1.     Take care of other people's feelings,

2.     Solve problems humbly,

3.     Avoid coercion of the will but respect the opinions of others,

4.     Prioritizing the dialogic process in solving problems,

5.     Respond to a problem quickly, and according to expertise

6.     Be aware of mistakes and try to correct,

7.     Promoting an honest, disciplined, and trustworthy attitude.

The effort to apply ethical principles in leadership is not an easy thing. For this need, a common perception is needed for what the organization is run. In the sense that it takes a commitment of the actors of the organization to equate the steps of action to realize organizational goals. One other thing that is also important is the imposition of sanctions that can be used as a basis for the learning process for mistakes made by organizational actors. Sanctions can be imposed without discrimination. Therefore, every organization should have an "organizational code of ethics" that functions as a means of controlling or overseeing the organization. The organization's code of ethics and organizational strategic planning can be used as guidelines by the organizational considerations overseeing the running of the organization. The organization's code of ethics is based on several factors:

1.     Rules and conditions agreed upon,

2.     Synergy,

3.     Healthy competition, "competition is a matter of spirit, not strength",

4.     Responsibility or integrity,

5.     Work relations

6.     Aspiration.

V. Conclusion

Leadership ethics in carrying out organizational activities is an inseparable dimension of daily organizational life. Without effective leadership, ethics can result in disrupted organizational balance. Leadership ethics that is applied by the organization's management in running the wheels of the organization can spread added value for improving the character of the self, especially in mental and spiritual robustness.