George Town, 17 July 2019 – Being a good leader starts with being able to care for something fragile. So, to get UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College students started on understanding the burden of command, they were given eggs.

A total of 37 students, divided into eight groups, were given an egg per group at the start of the “Leadership Exploration and Development” programme and group members were required to take care of their eggs and keep them unbroken until the end of the program.

“The eggs were given to them to develop a sense of shared responsibility to focus on their mission and be accountable for their actions,” said Dr. Irhanida Abdul Kadir, senior lecturer of the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts (SHTCA), UOW Malaysia KDU Penang.

The school organised the “Leadership Exploration and Development” programme for students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. This one-day programme was held on April 27, 2019, at Kuala Juru in Penang. The main initiative of this leadership programme was to provide students with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through participation in group and teambuilding activities.

“This programme is in line with one of the subjects offered to SHTCA students, which is Leadership and Management in Hospitality and Tourism to equip them with communication skills, strategic thinking, good time management techniques and teamwork for the working environment,” said Dr. Irhanida.

Other than protecting an egg, the students had to catch the roosters and prevent the birds from running away.

“I never caught a rooster before this. At first, I was very scared to catch them but together with the helpers, I manage it,” said Lalitha Dorailigam, who was one of the participants. It was very difficult preventing the roosters from running away but my team members played the defending role and successfully kept the rooster from running away,” she added.

UOW Malaysia KDU Penang continuously organises such leadership programmes to develop student leadership skills and prepare them mentally and physically to join the workforce.