Leading When I’m Not Perfect

Note: Havana Clark is a sophomore at a private Christian school in Tulsa.

A rubber bouncy-ball robot was an unusual sight among the more experienced robotics teams. Havana Clark and her teammates were first-year competitors on a first-year team with a first-year coach hoping to make it to the state tournament. 

Other schools with established robotics teams had more money and invested in special mechanics and custom pieces. “We didn’t have any money, so we used bouncy balls,” Havana said. “I had the idea to cut them in half.” The idea worked. The challenge was to pick up blocks and move them to score, and the rough insides of the ball didn’t let the blocks slip.

The young team waited in line for inspection, eager to compete in their first meet, when suddenly a wheel popped off their robot! It had to be fixed or their dream of advancing through the competition would be just that—a dream. 

“Everyone freaked out for a second,” Havana recalled. They scrambled to make the repair and realized they had not tightened the screws on the wheels. In hindsight it was obvious, but they learned from the moment. “It helped everyone bond as a team because you learn to work together really fast,” she said. “You don’t have time to argue!”

The bouncy-ball robot did not win the meet, but it racked up creativity points and judges sent the team home with an award for ingenuity.

“It gave us a lot of confidence,” Havana said. “When you come back with an award, even if it’s not for what you were originally going for, it made everyone realize we are doing all right!”

Next Step? Leadership!

Outside of school, Havana already had a full life. She rescued animals and had nine cats and seven chickens. Ice skating was a hobby she recently traded in for new experiences with acting and voice lessons. When the robotics team started, her motivation to join was not because she wanted to build robots. Her small school had few options for extracurricular activities, and she had not been involved very much. It sounded like fun to be a part of something new and grow deeper relationships with her classmates. 

When the team began its second year, they nominated members for the leadership roles of team captain, programmer lead, and builder lead. Once the voting came in, Havana was the peer choice for captain—by one point. 

“Honestly, he would have been a great choice,” she said., referring to the runner up for captain. “He’s a really, really good builder! Either way, the team would have been successful.” But Havana had no experience as a leader. 

“It was a lot more work than I thought,” she said. “The hardest thing is that you’re trying to get humans to work with other humans! I learned how much responsibility you have. I’m not leading a huge company or a team of missionaries or anything, but I learned that you have to be involved, not just at school or with your team, but when you’re at home planning. You are actively looking for ways to get everyone involved so people don’t feel left out or that their potential isn’t being realized.”

Learn From Others

One of the teammates, Max, was involved in leadership and other aspects of their school. He saw Havana struggling and offered to give her some pointers during lunch. She took him up on it, and he gave her a miniature leadership course.

“It was really helpful,” she said. “Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I wasn’t taking initiative, and I was being very vague.” He helped her see that she needed to individually speak to people and tell them exactly what needed to be done. He showed her situations that needed help and gave her options to consider. 

 “He would point out what I wasn’t doing well, but also where I was doing well.” When she had a question, she texted Max and got some advice. He didn’t dictate what she should do but showed her where she could step in. She learned that she could motivate others in a way that wasn’t annoying and nagging, but instead highlight their talents and characteristics. “I knew that before, but I didn’t know how to do it! I’m still not 100 percent, but I’m learning how to get someone’s brain turning.” 

She encourages her teammates and when there is a challenge, instead of telling them what to do, she asks, “Okay, so what can we do instead?” Once their brains start turning, she sits back and lets them do whatever they need to do without interrupting. “I have no idea what they’re talking about, and all of a sudden they’ll go, ‘We got it!’ And then they fix the problem, and I just help them fix it.” 

Max also helped her create checklists to plan ways to help the team be more productive. Havana already had a practice of journaling and making lists, so it fit her organizational style. It also helped fulfil the requirements for the robotics team to document their procedures. Now she doesn’t need to text Max as much. 

Learn From God

Havana opened a packet her school had given to students. It was written by a Christian who was a high-ranking officer in the army with many good points on leadership. She pondered one of the concepts she read: If you can get people to follow you, you’re a leader but it doesn’t mean you’re a good leader; you can get people to follow you and be terrible.

She thought of her team members. Certainly, she did not want to be a terrible leader! She wanted to lead in ways that made their days better; she wanted to make a difference like Christ and determined to make every moment count. 

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be in each other’s lives, but while we’re at the same school and on the same team, we need to be kind and encouraging to each other. I don’t know where they’re going to end up ten years from now, but I want to be a positive influence in their lives!” 

Havana learned to rely on her faith to strengthen her leadership role. She countered frustration with the thought, “Jesus would not yell at this person just because they don’t understand! I’m going to be kind, the same way I would want someone to be kind to me.” Love became a priority, and she learned to breathe for a moment and give herself time to pray.

“One day I was super-stressed. Everyone was talking to me at one time. Our teacher was out that day, and I couldn’t go to her with questions. I like to be alone to think, but I was in a room full of people. So I just prayed for a second: Lord Jesus, I need You to help me here because I do not know what to do.” It wasn’t a perfect day, but they got through it. 

When the teacher came back a few days later, she said, “You guys did a really great job! I just wanted to let you know that was really encouraging to me.” Havana wondered if God put it on her teacher’s heart to share. It was her honest prayer for Jesus to help her through, and her teacher’s words helped her see that He did.

Havana encourages girls to pursue leadership opportunities—even if they feel uncertain. “You’ll learn a lot about yourself! But also, if you have anyone that can give you tips, you should definitely lean into that person!” And of course, the person to lean into the most is Jesus.

“You really realize that you need Jesus when you’re trying to lead people!”