Who Am I as a leader?
'’ Legacies are passed on in the stories we tell. Each of us, whether we intend to or not, will become at some point a character in someone’s story.’’ (Kouzes and Posner 2006, p25)
It is easy to look at the problems of the world and tell ourselves that no one can really make a difference. War, terrorism, crime, unemployment, poverty, climate change, and the list goes on. Sometimes I feel helpless, useless, and I'm not always sure where to start or even if it actually matters to try. Then I think of people like Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Mother Teresa, so I know that a person can make a difference. All these people were world leaders, and each one of them left an incredible legacy. History tells us that maybe these were extraordinary people, and I am not an extraordinary person. Then I read several articles about more ordinary people. People like Jadav Payeng, who alone planted an entire forest in India and regenerated a whole ecosystem. As a leader, I also need to believe that I can make a change. I need to be open to new ideas and be receptive to feedback. A good leader likes working independently but also collectively with his team members.
When I lived in Africa, I witnessed social and economic injustice every single day, but I felt helpless. I dreamed of a better life, not just for me but for my family and community. I was young, I had the energy, but I lacked training. Joining AIESEC and becoming a student leader allowed me to grow as a volunteer and made me a better person. Being an effective leader is about results, but who we are being when we are getting those results can make all the difference in the world. We’ve all held a leadership position in our lives at a certain point, whether at work supervising a team, at home with our kids or little siblings, at school when leading a classroom presentation, or even in sports’ club. When we talk about legacy, everything comes back to one single thing ‘’ how do I want people to remember me as a leader‘’?
Personally, I am more inspired than ever by the articles I read about my peers and mentees. Reading about all the hard work they’ve accomplished makes me happy and proud. I am just glad to have the opportunity every time I participate in an AIESEC event to see young people engaged with a firm conviction and an indomitable hope of making a difference and realizing that we can make small gestures to improve our way of life and the life of the people around us. After coming back from India, I facilitated workshops and made presentations in several colleges encouraging people to volunteer abroad, and in 3 years we’ve sent over 200 volunteer teachers abroad. These volunteers usually go back to their home countries and inspire others to do the same. They share their experiences and knowledge about the country they were in and three times a year, students from all over the world meet for international conferences where they share ideas and work on different sustainable projects. Hearing their stories during the youth events and conferences and the fact that my international experiences inspired others to give back to the community is what I want people to remember me with as a leader.
Letting young people express their views on the current issues of society is the first step in hoping for a better future for this world. Since it’s with today’s ideas that we shape the society of tomorrow.
Otherwise, we might just stop discussing, exchanging new ideas and seeking the advice of others. To me, hearing the testimony of a young person determined to be an example to those around him and talking about recycling garbage, is more rewarding than a pseudo leader in environmental protection who continues not to apply these ecological principles in his everyday lifestyle. At least I can identify with this young person, and I know that I can do something on my own and start at the bottom level even if it’s a small contribution.
Sometimes, people would just say yes and agree with their boss because they’re scared of losing their jobs or because they don’t want to speak up in front of their peers, however, if a leader and his team always agree on everything, one of them is redundant. As a leader, I shouldn’t surround myself with ‘’yes-people’. I want to be able to manage and lead a team of people who have different views and opinions. The more diverse our team is, the more we can learn from each other’s’ experiences.
A leader should also keep learning new things to challenge himself and his team. I think that the best way to teach is to learn.
When I was working in South Eash Asia, I was in charge of delivering workshops to teachers every month. However, since my company had five language centers across the city, I had to deliver the same workshop five times to different ESL teachers. I found out that even though it was the same workshop, the outcome was different from a group to another.
Finally, I think that as a leader, I should also be committed to my cause. Commitment does not necessarily mean that we are at the head of an NGO with several million donors, that we are a spokesperson for a significant association or that we are a primary political decision-maker.
To me, it is above all to believe in our cause, and to ensure that our way of life reflects our adherence to this cause.
I want to seal my commitment through actions and, ideally, act globally and reach as many people as possible. But before that, I must begin by inspiring my entourage and my friends.
It's like the domino effect; one or two people can cause a wave of change by inspiring one or two other people who would continue the chain.
So many truths spoken in this posts. What I really saw come through was your beliefs that leaders should have a Bias towards action! We'll talk about that more as we move through this next 14 weeks.
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