Meet Us Don't Eat Us!

6) Write about one Icelandic leader you have met: introduce him or her, describe the parts of the leadership system in relation to him or her.

At our “Meet Us Don’t Eat Us” service work, we met Marvin (far right). He was one of the leaders of the campaign who advocated for the whales in the waters of Iceland. His job was under human resources and he worked directly with tourists, recruiting some to help increase awareness of the campaign and urging others to sign the petition. His goal was to inform tourists that eating whale meat is not an Icelandic tradition and one should not participate in this activity, as it is harmful to the environment. In his leadership system, he was the leader and his followers were the tourists he recruited. Their relationship was often one that was brief but both positive and fulfilling. Marvin and his followers were dedicated to the improvement of Iceland’s economy and natural resources. They wanted what was best for the whales and the people of Iceland. The context surrounding this system was that Iceland is only one of two countries left in the world that allows commercial whaling. Iceland’s economy also relies heavily upon the tourist industry and so there is a heavy tourist presence around the whales and many tourists are misinformed on the information surrounding whaling. The positive change this system is bringing about is increasing awareness about the damage whaling causes on Iceland’s economy and the whales directly. Their ultimate goal is to make commercial whaling illegal in the country.

Describe one act of a servant leader that you have witnessed in Iceland

Marvin, as mentioned above, was not only just a leader we met in Iceland but also a servant leader. When we began petitioning, he taught us the best way to be persuasive with the tourists and then trusted us to go out on our own and communicate. He gave us the opportunity to work with the tourists and experiment with different techniques, even though he was the most qualified at the task. When we finished, he put the spotlight on us, praising us for a job well done and lifting up our small achievements. His humility and positive attitude truly stuck out to me as important behaviors of a servant leader.Read more