Unmoderated Caucus Leadership

 Unmoderated Caucus Leadership


Though widely regarded as critical to getting awards outside of Taiwan, leadership during unmoderated caucuses is seemingly undervalued in the current committee meta. In this article, I’m going to discuss WHY leadership should be valued, why it’s important in committee, and how to do it, that is, be a leader.


Why bother valuing leadership?


In the real UN, who the leader is when discussing a resolution paper doesn’t matter, so why should it matter here? The answer is quite clear. To start, Model UN is modeling the UN, but it is not the UN itself. It is supposed to be educational, a place where we can gain skills like public speaking or policy development, or leadership. In the end, the people who do Model UN and who really try at it, do it for a reason; because we want to be leaders just like how those who go to the UN are. So it makes perfect sense to use Model UN to practice leadership, not to mention the fact that leadership is a highly valued aspect of Model UN everywhere else in the world. 


How can it help you in committee?


Though many don’t realize it, Model UN can often be a game of influence. The ones who win, win because they are able to influence the opinion of others. Here in Taiwan, speeches are the primary way you debate and win people over or present arguments, but unmoderated caucuses are not prioritized as a means to do this, or at least not performed in the correct way that is actually educationally and skillfully constructive. 


By being the leader of your bloc in MUN, you hold tremendous influence over the actions that the bloc makes. When a decision needs to be made about the draft resolution/working paper, such as how many operative clauses should the paper have or if there is an argument within the bloc, who is going to settle it? The answer must be the bloc leader. 


Therefore, as a bloc leader, you get more eyes on you, people trust you more, people respect you more, and you will influence the flow of debate of the committee more (hopefully, in your favor).


How do you become a leader?


Before explaining how one becomes a leader, it should be stated that being a leader in a committee is MUCH easier said than done. A leader in Model UN can be a lot of things, but I’ve always found it easier to first explain what a leader is not and then explain what a leader is.


What a leader is not:

  • A leader is never mean! This might seem obvious but as a leader, you should not be putting other people or their ideas down (no matter how bad you might think their ideas are).

Instead…

  • A leader uplifts others! A leader makes others feel like their ideas have value and like it's worth it for them to speak their mind. You should encourage people to speak and give them confidence!


What a leader is not:

  • A leader is not a dictator. This means a leader does not simply tell others what to do and force others to do things. What you will NOT hear a leader say is “you! Write the preambulatory clauses, and you, get signatories, now!” This is a dictator. People listen to dictators out of fear, but they listen to leaders out of trust.

Instead…

  • Understand that leadership is not given, nor is it taken, it is earned. EARNED. This means that by proving to others that you are confident, that you are educated, and well-researched, that you are a good decision maker and a good conflict mediator, you will find that people naturally look to you to be their leader and will prefer you to be their leader over another dictator.


What a leader is not:

  • Leaders do not have to be extroverts, introverts, or ambiverts. Far too often, I’ve heard people say “Taiwanese delegates aren’t leaders because the culture here is simply too shy and introverted.” This is not true! Delegates here in Taiwan are not leaders because they are not taught how to be leaders. I say this as an introvert myself, you do not have to be outspoken or loud or ultra-social to be a leader, a leader manifests itself in a variety of ways.

Instead…

  • A leader does not have to be the person who talks the most in the bloc. Of course, it’s important to speak up when the need arises, but a leader is also a great listener. Who are the people who you trust, who you let lead your life? Your parents? Teachers? Are they the most outspoken and extroverted people in your life? I bet they aren’t. But you trust them anyway, and that’s why they can lead you. As a leader, know when to talk, but also know when to shut up and listen to your peers.


Written by: Mikele Mancuso

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