building young leaders

2009-07-20T06:59:00.000-07:00

Questions That Sustain Your Leadership

"Judge a person by their questions, rather than their answers."~ Voltaire
The willingness to ask questions coupled with the discipline to seek out answers separates leaders from followers. Influencers question assumptions, inquire about the environment around them, and probe into the future. They have an insatiable appetite to learn, and they convert their knowledge to action at light speed.
The Value of Questions
While leaders constantly investigate their surroundings, the most important questions they ask are the ones they pose to themselves. By routinely questioning their goals, motives, and purpose leaders renew their self-identity along with their sense of perspective. Consider the following benefits of examining yourself as a leader.
1) Quality Questions Create a Quality Life
You only get answers to the questions you ask. If you won't dare to wrestle with the tough dilemmas in life, then you'll live small.
2) Focused Questions Stimulates Creative Thinking
A well-considered question penetrates to the heart of the matter and triggers new ideas and insights.
3) Honest Questions Lead to Solid Convictions.
Inquisitiveness clarifies morals and beliefs. Values are shaped when you force yourself to be truthful in answering tough questions about where you stand on key issues.
4) Correct Questions Help Us Find Ourselves and Our Mission.
Tackling life's biggest questions brings direction and meaning to life's journey. Bob Buford captures this thought in his book, The Second Half.
What is your passion? What have you achieved? What have you done uncommonly well? How are you wired? Where do you belong? What are the ‘shoulds' that have trailed you during the first half? These and other questions like them will direct you toward the self your heart longs for; they will help you discover the task for which you were especially made. Throughout your years in leadership, if you know the right questions then you will ultimately gain the right answers.
Questions I Ask Myself as a Leader
1) Am I Investing in Myself?
This question probes your commitment to personal growth. An empty glass won't refresh anyone. Before you can influence others, you need to contain something worth offering to others.
Don't be content to stockpile knowledge. Once you've ascertained a new insight or developed a skill, pass on what you've discovered. A learner builds reservoir of learning, whereas a leader becomes a river of learning for others.
2) Am I Genuinely Interested In Others?
This question delves into motives. As J.P. Morgan cynically observed, "A man always has two reasons for doing anything - a good reason and the real reason." Since leaders are inclined to figure out situations before anyone else, they have capacity to take advantage of others. For this reason, it's essential to regularly question your motives. There's a fine line between manipulation and motivation. The former moves people for personal benefit, while the latter moves people for mutual gain.
3) Am I Doing What I Love and Loving What I Do?
This question determines passion. You will never find your passion doing work you despise. If you go to work only to fulfill processes and functions then you're in jeopardy of losing your humanity and turning into a machine. "Find your passion and follow it," is all the career advice you'll ever need. Passion gives you the edge by endowing you with more energy than others have.
4) Am I Taking Others to a Higher Level?
This question has to do with mission. Regardless of your industry, as a leader, you're in the people development business. Fulfilling your mission depends upon lifting the performance of those you lead. As Zig Ziglar says, "You can get everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." By adding value to those you lead, you're investing in men and women with the potential to multiply your influence exponentially.
5) Am I Taking Care of Today?
How you treat today speaks volumes about your likelihood of success. In fact, if I spent one day observing your priorities, behaviors, and interactions with people, then, with about 90% accuracy, I could let you know your leadership potential. Why would I be so certain in my judgment? Because I've learned that the secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.
Conclusion
The great artist, Pablo Picasso, once remarked, "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." I tend to agree, and I think Picasso's observation carries truth for leaders as well. Regardless of your technical skill or relational charm, you'll be inhibited as a leader until you learn the art of asking questions. Knowing how has merit, but influencers will always be the men and women who understand why.

2009-04-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

posted by akindipe oluwaleke
5 Reasons Why Dreams Don't Take Flight

1.We Have Been Discouraged from Dreaming by Others
We have to pilot our own dreams; we cannot entrust them to anyone else. People who aren't following their own dreams resent us pursuing ours. Such people feel inadequate when we succeed, so they try to drag us down.
If we listen to external voices, then we allow our dreams to be hijacked. At some point, other people will place limitations on us by doubting our abilities. When surrounded by the turbulence of criticism, we have to grasp the controls tightly to keep from being knocked off course.
#2 We Are Hindered by Past Disappointments and Hurts
In the movie Top Gun, Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a young, talented, and cocky aviator who dreams of being the premier pilot in the U.S. navy. In the film's opening scenes, Maverick showcases his flying ability but also displays a knack for pushing the envelope with regards to safety. Midway through the movie, Maverick's characteristic aggression spells disaster. His plane crashes, killing his best friend and co-pilot.
Although cleared of wrongdoing, the painful memory of the accident haunts Maverick. He quits taking risks and loses his edge. Struggling to regain his poise, he considers giving up on his dream. Although the incident nearly wrecks Maverick's career, he eventually reaches within to find the strength to return to the sky.
Like Maverick, many of us live with the memory of failure embedded in our psyche. Perhaps a business we started went broke, or we were fired from a position of leadership. Disappointment is the gap that exists between expectation and reality, and all of us have encountered that gap. Failure is a necessary and natural part of life, but if we're going to attain our dreams, then, like Maverick, we have to summon the courage deal with past hurts.
#3 We Fall into the Habit of Settling for Average
Average is the norm for a reason. Being exceptional demands extra effort, sustained inspiration, and uncommon discipline. When we attempt to give flight to our dreams, we have to overcome the weight of opposition. Like gravity, life's circumstances constantly pull on our dreams, tugging us down to mediocrity.
Most of us don't pay the price to overcome the opposition to our dreams. We may start out inspired, but through time we fatigue. Although never intending to abandon our dreams, we begin to make concessions here and there. Through time, our lives become mundane, and our dreams slip away.
#4 We Lack the Confidence Needed to Pursue Our Dreams
Dreams are fragile. They will be buffeted by assaults from all sides. As such, they must be supplied with the extra strength of self-confidence.
In Amelia Earhart's day, women were not supposed fly airplanes. If she had lacked self-assurance, she never would have even attempted to be a pilot. Instead, Earhart confidently chased after her dream, and she was rewarded with both fulfillment and fame.
#5 We Lack the Imagination to Dream
For thousands of years, mankind traveled along the ground: by foot, by horse-and-buggy, by locomotive, and eventually by automobile. Thanks to the dreams of Orville and Wilbur Wright, we now hop across oceans in a matter of hours. The imaginative brothers overcame ridicule and doubt to pioneer human flight, and the world has never been the same.
Many of us play small because we do not allow ourselves to dream. We trap ourselves in reality and never dare to go beyond what we can see with our eyes. Imagination lifts us beyond average by giving us a vision of life that surpasses what we are experiencing currently. Dreams infuse our spirit with energy and spur us on to greatness.

2009-03-30T02:36:00.000-07:00

5 Attributes of an Inspirational Leader
ATTITUDE OF SERVICE
To be an inspirational leader, you must adopt an attitude of service toward those you lead. This requires laying aside selfish interests to add value to another person. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." When you serve, you awaken something magnetic inside of you. People are drawn to follow you because they know you'll find ways to make them better.
AFFIRMATION
To inspire means to have a positive view of others. If we're not careful, we become fault-finders, magnifying the flaws in everyone around us. Instead, leaders should emulate gold prospectors - always on the lookout for potential gold mines. When they find traces of ore, prospectors assume there's a rich vein to unearth, and they start digging. In the same fashion, leaders ought to search for the best traits within a person and commit to uncovering them.
One of the best applications of this idea is expressed in what I call the 101 percent principle: Find the one thing that you believe is a person's greatest asset, and then give 100 percent encouragement in that area. Focusing on a person's strengths inspires them by promoting confidence, growth, and success.
ATTENTIVENESS
Great inspirers know the desires of those they lead. As much as people respect the knowledge and ability of their leaders, these are secondary concerns for them. They don't care how much their leaders know until they know how much their leaders care. When leaders attend to the deeply felt needs of their team, the determination and commitment of each team member skyrockets.
AVAILABILITY
Leaders inspire by intentionally investing time in the people they lead. They make themselves available. People cannot be nurtured from a distance or by infrequent spurts of attention. They need a leader to spend time with them - planned time, not just a conversation in passing.
In our fast-paced and demanding world, time is a leader's most precious commodity. While it feels costly to give up, nothing communicates that you value a person more than the gift of your time. In addition, investing time to develop others has a way of reaping dividends. As Ralph Waldo Emerson remarked, "It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
AUTHENTICITY
To inspire, leaders have to be genuine. More than anything else, followers want to believe in and trust their leaders. However, when leaders break promises or fail to honor commitments, they reveal themselves as being inauthentic, and they lose credibility. Trust rests upon a foundation of authenticity. To gain trust, a leader must consistently align words and deeds, while showing a degree of transparency.
Summary
Inspirational leadership can be confused with momentary charisma. I prefer to think about inspiring as more of a process than an event. More than a brilliant speech, it's cultivating habits of brilliance that manifest themselves daily. By modeling the five attributes of an inspiring leader, I trust that you'll win the respect of those you lead and earn the right to influence them.

LEADERS PERSPECTIVE ABOUT CONTINIOUS PROBLEM

2009-02-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Two Pointers to Keep Perspective When Problems Persist
1) Gratitude
Leaders enter dangerous territory when they neglect to be grateful for what they have, and instead begin to fear losing what they’ve accumulated. The blessings of life surround everyone, but the person is rare who allows its simple benefits of life to fill his or her soul. Yet, the choice presents itself to anyone: accentuate the positives or dwell on the negatives.
Choosing to be grateful earns the greatest return in times of trouble. It’s virtually impossible to be overtaken by worry when a person has a heart of gratitude. For this reason, it pays to log a gratitude journal - each day, list three things in life for which you’re thankful. Don’t just jot them down; roll them over in your mind. Let them sink into your spirit. Chances are, the exercise will dramatically improve your perspective.
2) Selective Hearing
For leaders, denial isn’t an option. Bad news is preferable to no news in that information conveys important knowledge about the current reality. The wise stay apprised of the economic outlook and make decisions based upon incoming data. At times those decisions can be painful such as instituting a spending freeze or terminating the employment of a devoted worker. Nonetheless, leaders shoulder the load and do what must be done to move forward.
While leaders refuse to put their heads in the sand, they do have the wherewithal to unplug from negativity. At a certain point, a glut of the same dreary news damages the psyche. Leaders confront reality, but they stop short of wallowing in worry and despondence. They avoid doomsdayers and naysayers, preferring to fill their minds with hope and opportunity.
The Final Words: Press On
Hiking up a mountain summit for sunrise can seem unreasonably hard in the beginning. The steep trail causes your legs to quiver, the altitude shortens your breath, and rocks and snares threaten to trip your step. For a time, you may be tempted to quit. However, if you persevere to the top, you’re greeted with the grandeur of the golden sky, and rewarded with a breathtaking perspective on the beauty of nature.
Like a mountaineer, you may be enduring a rocky, uphill stretch. If so, keep fighting to gain perspective. Hard work and persistence seldom go unrewarded, and they often carry you to a glorious destination.

FIVE TRUTHS LEADERS UNDERSTAND ABOUT PROBLEMS

2009-02-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Five Truths Leaders Understand about Problems
1. They're unavoidable.
For the aspiring leader, problems may be the most faithful companions of all. The road to success is seldom paved smoothly, and is oftentimes under construction. Potholes and barricades abound. At every bend in the journey, a leader's vision must peer around obstacles and through formidable walls to foresee a positive future. Leaders who sidestep problems stunt their growth - they end up shallow and debilitated. The successful leader stares down problems and resourcefully addresses them.
2. Perspective on the problem, rather than the problem itself, determines success or failure.
We see problems, not as they are, but as we are. That's why attitude plays such a crucial role in separating those who lead from those who follow. Alfred Armand Montapert said, "The majority see the obstacles; the few see the objectives; history records the successes of the latter, while oblivion is the reward of the former." Leaders look at problems from a healthy, self-confident vantage point.
A Wrong Perspective
Problems are unsolvableProblems are permanentProblems are not normalProblems make us bitterProblems control usProblems stop us
A Right Perspective
Problems are solvableProblems will passProblems are naturalProblems make us betterProblems challenge usProblems stretch us
3. There's a big difference between problem spotting and problem solving.
Anyone, even the fairly imperceptive, can identify problems, but few people have the initiative to tackle them. As novelist John Galsworthy observed, "Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem." As rule, don't voice complaint about a problem until you're 1) able to put forth a recommendation for solving it, and 2) willing to take an action to solve it.
4. The size of the person is more important than the size of the problem.
You can tell the caliber of a person by the amount of opposition it takes to discourage him or her. Joke writer Robert Orben says that he once saw an ad from an entertainer that read, "Lion tamer - wants tamer lion." Clearly, this performer wasn't looking for greatness but merely for something manageable. To lead at the highest level requires wrestling with problems seemingly beyond our ability to apprehend.
5. Problems, responded to correctly, can propel us forward.
Leaders are not discovered in the limelight; rather they are forged in the darkness under heat and pressure. Leaders gain respect on difficult terrain, after taking a few blows and being shaped by the problems they encounter. As a matter of fact, courage and valor go undetected until seen through the lens of adversity.

young leaders program

2009-02-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

Imagine what they can do!
This world-class leadership program, developed by Melbourne-based educator and identity Michael Grose is now in over 1,000 Australian schools as well as schools in the USA, UK and Singapore.
The Young Leaders Program is a school-based program that teaches the skills and attitudes needed for effective student and youth leadership. It is a program that teachers can easily conduct with their students. You don’t have to hire expensive consultants in or send your students away on excursions for them to learn the skills of leadership. The Young Leaders program lets you immerse them in a rich leadership program right in your own school.
Watch school tone liftWorld-wide trends show the positive impact that student leadership training can have on a school. Student behaviour improves, staff morale lifts and parent satisfaction ratings soar when schools conduct effective student programs.
The Young Leaders Program focuses on students in the vital years from 10-14 years of age.The program consists of class lessons, activities and units of work that teachers can conduct with their student leadership teams or on a whole class basis. The program is based around the five featured building blocks of:
Responsibility
Public speaking
Confidence
Organisation
Teamwork Building on the work of educators and researchers The Young Leaders Program shows teachers how to establish important leadership mindsets in children and students.

The program teaches the key mindsets or attitudes of:
stepping up
speaking up,
have a go,
think team
show the way
Here is what some of those teachers say:
“I use the Young Leaders Program because I can implement it straight away but more importantly, because it is really popular with the kids.” Yvonne Claypole, Year 6, Flinders
“Great resource for new leaders…..of any age. Easily laid out to use or to adapt.” Ken Stallard, Principal River Gum PS
“Michael Grose’s Young Leaders Program fills a gap in the educational scene. If your school is training student leaders then this is an essential resource.” John Cheetham, Director Student Achievement Centre

Program creator Michael Grose
“ I am proud that in the space of only five years the Young Leaders Program has become such an integral part of the educational landscape in this country. It is fantastic to see kids making such lasting contributions to their schools and their broader communities.”
Michael Grose

WORKING WITH YOUTH

2009-02-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Working With Youth
As a good youth program leader, you already know the basics of working effectively with youth. Like all young people, African-American and Latino/Latina youth and lesbian, gay and bisexual youth of all races and ethnicities respond well to leaders who:
spend time getting to know and interacting with them;
actively include them in program planning;
create program environments that allow for a great deal of exchange among participants and leaders;
foster mutual respect;
genuinely enjoy adolescents and like working with them; and
know how to establish and encourage positive and appropriate relationships with youth.
In General
Understand the developmental issues all youth face: their abilities to understand and apply information are changing as they mature. Each teen moves through the process at a different pace and in a group of teens of the same age, there will be great variation among their abilities.
Be aware that youth go through stages in identifying with their racial and ethnic cultures. Some young people will proudly claim their racial or ethnic identity, while others will be uncomfortable with it. Young people of mixed racial background face particular challenges in this regard.
Be sensitive to the fact that if you are dealing with sexuality issues, the young people in your program might feel some conflict between what they are taught at home and what you are discussing. Be aware of your own values and do not seek to impose them upon program participants unless they are in agreement with the values of the program.
Pay attention to gender. If you run a co-ed group, know that studies show that girls tend to talk less if boys are present and that even well-intentioned teachers pay more attention to boys and give them more praise than girls.
Know the rates of teenage sexuality and parenting behaviors in the community and choose prevention strategies at the appropriate level. Deal realistically with the young people's needs.
Keep in mind the importance of youth culture in general. For almost all teens, the customs, music, slang, clothing and even ideas popular among their peers are very important. Fitting in with the peer group is often more important than pleasing parents, teachers or other adults.
Working with Young Latinos and Latinas
Be aware that in most Latino/Latina families, discussions of sex are taboo. Latino/Latina teens may never have had the opportunity to talk about sexuality-related matters in public before. Give them time to open up.
Be aware that a participatory learning format may be new to Latino/Latina teens and that they may be uncomfortable in the beginning with a format in which the leader is not assuming a position of authority.
If possible, use leaders who can speak "Spanglish," that is, who can switch back and forth between English and Spanish, even within the same sentence. Not all Latino/Latina teens speak Spanish fluently, nor do they all speak English fluently; many benefit from having a mix of the languages used.
Use program materials, including videos, that feature Latinos and Latinas.
Understand the difficulties faced by young Latinos and Latinas who are gay, lesbian or bisexual and offer support.
Working With Young African-Americans
Sadly, several studies have demonstrated that teachers tend to demand less from African-American youth, praise them less frequently, give them less time to answer, call on them less frequently and seat them farther away from the front of the room.33 You should make every effort to check yourself for such behaviors.
Broaden the repertoire of program activities to include storytelling, music, role-playing, African-American literature, debate, group learning and games that build on cooperation.34 Use program materials, including videos, that feature African-Americans.
Working With Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Youth
Recognize and accept that gay, lesbian and bisexual youth are part of all youth populations, very likely including your group, whether or not they are open about their identity to themselves, to you or to others.
Each gay, lesbian or bisexual person goes through a process of understanding and accepting their sexual orientation. There is no one path to this understanding, and having complete self-acceptance can take years.
There will likely be young people in the group who have gay or lesbian family members or friends. Leaders should strive to make the group environment as safe as possible for both groups of young people by following the guidelines below. All young people in the group will benefit from the leader's example of acceptance. The guidelines are:
Use correct terminology when referring to a person attracted to the same gender—"lesbian or gay woman" for a female attracted to females and "gay" for a male attracted to males. "Homosexual" is an adjective referring to sexual behavior and should not be used as a noun to describe gay or lesbian people. This term limits the understanding of persons attracted to the same gender to their sexual behavior and has a clinical sound offensive to gay and lesbian people.
Challenge abusive or derogatory terms such as "faggot" or "lezzie" by not tolerating such language. Establish a standard of conduct related to sexual orientation in the same way that racist or sexist terms are not acceptable in the group. Gay and lesbian teenagers report that one of the hardest things to experience is groups leaders or teachers not confronting slurs against gay and lesbian people.
Use inclusive language like "partner" instead of "boyfriend" or "girlfriend." Do not make assumptions about the sexual orientation of anyone in the group. By using inclusive language you are signalling to gay, lesbian and bisexual teens that you might be a safe person to talk to.
Provide accurate information about homosexuality: correct myths as they arise in group discussions; know community resources and have copies of pamphlets or other information which list them.35

a leaders inner circle

2009-02-28T09:09:00.001-08:00

Months before President Obama took the oath of office he began assembling an inner circle of advisors. He and his transition team painstakingly pored over the qualifications of candidates to identify the strongest leaders for cabinet posts. In methodically vetting future leaders of his administration, President Obama demonstrated that he understands the law of the inner circle: A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him or her.
Past presidents have learned the hard way that failures of a leader's trusted advisors can bring disaster. During the Clinton administration, investigations into the conduct of five cabinet members eroded public perception of the President's judgment. The indictments and allegations gave ammunition to Clinton's foes and cast doubts on his character, especially after the Monica Lewinsky scandal came to light.
Likewise, President George W. Bush faced embarrassment when the man he appointed as head of FEMA, Michael D. Brown, failed to provide strong federal leadership in the aftermath Hurricane Katrina. Inexperienced in emergency management, Brown was overwhelmed by the crisis. During the height of the disaster, he fretted about finding a dogsitter and fussed about his attire. His unpreparedness and inaction left the Bush Administration vulnerable to scathing accusations of neglect and indifference.
Five questions to ask when forming your inner circle:
Do they display exemplary character in everything they do?
Deception eats away at a leadership team like cancer. Dishonesty on the part of one member of an inner circle can bring shame and disaster to all. Entire organizations have toppled from the misbehavior of one bad apple.
Do they bring complementary gifts to the table?
Imbalance within an inner circle can attune a leader's ear to only one side of an argument. When putting together an inner circle, prioritize diversity of personality and perspective. By doing so, you widen the range of your vision and the breadth of your influence.
Do they hold a strategic position and have influence within the organization?
Members of the inner circle must have the platform and influence to implement a leader's decisions. If they cannot be relied upon to execute a chosen strategy, then they shouldn't be entrusted with a spot on the leadership team. In addition, inviting uninfluential advisors into the inner circle disrupts the political balance of an organization. High performers suffer a motivational blow when they see a less deserving colleague granted special access to top leadership.
Do they add value to the organization and to the leader?
When considering someone for the inner circle, you should be able to articulate clearly the value they will bring. Ask yourself the following questions: What will they infuse into discussion? Where do they have expertise? What unique skills can they be counted on to bring to the table?
Do they positively impact other members of the inner circle?
If you've ever inhabited a house with a feuding husband and wife, then you can understand the need for leaders in close proximity to get along. Infighting saps energy and focus from a senior leader, forcing him or her to mediate conflicts with time that could be better spent elsewhere. Differences of opinion signal healthy debate, but personal animosities destroy a leadership team. Make sure members of your inner circle have the emotional intelligence to keep arguments from becoming too personal.
We've looked at the questions to consider when gathering a team of trusted advisors, I'd also like to offer thoughts on the two traps you can fall into when forming their inner circle.
Two common errors in constructing the inner circle:
Soliciting praise instead of candor.
Stacking an inner circle with flatters and "yes" men ranks among the lousiest decisions you can make as a leader. Doing so restricts your perspective, exposes you to blind spots, and leaves you on an island when do-or-die decisions must be made. When picking members of your inner circle, be sure they have the gumption to voice dissent. You'll rely on them to question your assumptions, to focus you on the mission, and to measure the integrity and worthiness of your ideas.
Driving away talent so that your power isn't threatened.
The wisdom of accumulating a talented inner circle may seem intuitive, but a rising star may threaten insecure leaders. Leaders should not be, and cannot be, the utmost authorities on all matters germane to the organization. Invariably, people have weaknesses. Wise leaders staff around their weaknesses, and welcome talent in areas where they lack strength.

2009-02-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Chapter Two: Self-Assessment
The second step in building cultural competence is exploring your own beliefs.
We learn our own cultural ways while growing up. Often, they are so natural to us that we fail to realize that not everyone shares them. Or, we think that other people's beliefs and behaviors are wrong. These unexamined bias are major challenges to working effectively with young people who are different from yourself, particularly in HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.
Thinking about what you learned as a child and how your adult experience has shaped your beliefs is crucial. In doing so, you will begin to understand the impact of your own cultural background on your personal values and beliefs. That step will help you become aware of your own values and biases and how they may affect your perception of other cultures.
Refer to the Appendix, a list of the questions suggested in the preceding section reformulated so you can focus on your own cultural experiences. Reflect upon each question.
Try writing down your responses or discussing the questions and sharing answers with a friend or trusted colleague from a different ethnic or racial background.
Take time to focus particularly on issues raised by the questions related to health beliefs, sexuality and gender roles as those three areas are of prime importance in HIV/AIDS prevention. Have any of your beliefs and attitudes in these areas changed over the years? If they have, what experiences helped change them?
The questions in the Appendix are designed to help you build a foundation of self-awareness that can be used in examining the impact of our cultural backgrounds on our relations with others. Using these questions as well as those in the rest of this section as triggers for group discussion among other youth-serving professionals is highly recommended. While can individual can read, answer and think about these questions, the opportunity for the greatest growth and learning is probably in discussing these issues with colleagues.
Acknowledging Your Cultural Heritage 12
Thinking about your answers to the following set of questions will help you acknowledge your cultural heritage.
What ethnic group(s), socioeconomic class, religion, age group and communities do you identify with?
Identify two important experiences—one positive and one negative—that you have had with people from the groups you listed above.
Identify two important experiences—one positive and one negative—that you have had with people from outside the groups you listed above.
What were those experiences like? What did you learn about people who are different from you?
What is it about your ethnic group, socioeconomic class, religion, age, sexual orientation or community that you find embarrassing or wish you could change? Why?
What cultural factors in your background might contribute to being misunderstood or rejected by members of other cultures?
What personal qualities do you have that will help you establish personal relationships with people from other cultural groups? What personal qualities might make that difficult?
Questions to Ask Yourself About Sexual Orientation Issues
Answering these questions about sexual orientation will help you begin to identify issues needing additional learning and work on your part.
What messages did you receive about lesbian, gay and bisexual people when you were growing up? From family? From religion? From friends? From the media? What opinions did you form?
Have experiences in your adult life changed some of your opinions? If yes, which ones? How?
Are you knowledgeable about: How many people are gay, lesbian, or bisexual? Research on homosexuality? The history of the gay liberation movement in the U.S.?
Do you know any gay, lesbian or bisexual people who are open about their sexual orientation? Have they ever discussed their lives with you? If not, why do you think they haven't?
If you think that someone might be gay, lesbian or bisexual, do you try to signal to them that you are accepting? Why or why not? How?
Have you ever read a book or seen a movie with a gay theme? Been to a gay bookstore or bar? Read a gay newspaper or magazine? Seen a gay show on cable television? Seen an openly gay or lesbian musician or comedian perform?
How would you feel if a family member told you she or he was lesbian, gay or bisexual? Would you respond differently if it were your child? Cousin? Parent?
How would you feel if a colleague at work told you he or she was gay or lesbian?
An ever-present issue for lesbian, gay and bisexual people is whether or not it is safe to tell people the truth about their lives. If you are gay, lesbian or bisexual, you may wonder whether or not to "come out" to a non-gay youth group by being open about your sexual orientation.
Questions to Consider Before Coming Out to a Group: __________
Have you already established mutual trust and respect with the group?
What purpose would coming out it serve? Would it help you, the group or both?
What will be the effect on the group?
Is there another leader who can help the group process the information?
What sources of emotional support could you turn to?
Do you risk losing your job?
Checking Out Your Biases 13
This set of questions, if answered honestly, will help you begin to see where your biases are in working with young people. There can be a link between the treatment of and opinions about a few individuals and a more general attitude or bias.
List five young people you most like and feel comfortable with and five with whom the reverse is true.
Do these teens have anything in common with each other? Think of language, behavior, gender, cleanliness, manners, culture, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity.
Can you identify a bias that is indicated by their similarities?
How is your room arranged? Where do group members generally sit? Does the arrangement of the room result in the better-behaved or brighter teens being closer to you? Which young people, if any, are always in the back of the room? Why do you think this is so?
Do some young people, or groups of young people, take up more of your time than others? Which ones and why? How do you feel about spending more time with one group than another?
Do you tend to expect less from certain members of your group? Are these young people more likely to be poor or of one racial or ethnic group?
Do you tend to praise certain young people more than others? Do these students tend to be of one gender or sexual orientation or from any particular economic, ethnic or racial group?
Do certain teens show signs of withdrawal, self-deprecation or aggression towards you or others? Is this behavior more common to members of one group?
Answering all the questions in this section, discussing them honestly with others or writing down your responses, are good ways to focus on your own cultural background and biases. The process, of course, should be ongoing. Refer back to these questions on a regular basis and see what new insights you have. The paths to self-awareness are many; this resource is just one tool.

failing forward

2009-02-25T01:42:00.000-08:00

Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church after an ill-fated attempt at missionary work. In fact, during his life, he seldom experienced anything other than failure as an artist. Although a single painting by Van Gogh would fetch in excess of $100 million today, in his lifetime Van Gogh sold only one painting, four months prior to his death.
Before developing his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein encountered academic failure. One headmaster expelled Einstein from school and another teacher predicted that he would never amount to anything. Einstein even failed his entrance exam into college.
Prior to dazzling the world with his athletic skill, Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team. Even though he captured six championships, during his professional career, Jordan missed over 12,000 shots, lost nearly 400 games, and failed to make more than 25 would-be game-winning baskets.
Failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed countless leaders and prevented them from reaching their potential.
At some point, all great achievers are tempted to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they hold onto self-believe and refuse to see themselves as failures. Here are seven abilities of achievers that enable them to rebound from failure and keep moving forward.
Seven Principles for Failing Forward
Reject Rejection
Achievers who persevere do not base their self-worth on their performance. On the contrary, they have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by external events. When they fall short, rather than labeling themselves a failure, they learn from mistakes in their judgment or behavior.
Don't Point Fingers
When people fail, they're often tempted to blame others for their lack of success. By pointing fingers, they sink into a victim mentality and cede their fate to outsiders. When playing the blame game, people rob themselves of learning from their failures and alienate others by refusing to take responsibility for mistakes.
See Failure as Temporary
People who personalize failure see a problem as a hole they're permanently stuck in, whereas achievers see any predicament as temporary. One mindset wallows in failure, the other looks forward to success. By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic.
Set Realistic Expectations
Unrealistic goals doom people to failure. For instance, if a person hasn't exercised for five years, then making it to a gym twice a week may be a better goal than running in next month's marathon. Also, some people insensibly expect to be perfect. Everyone fails, so expect setbacks and emotionally prepare to deal with them.
Focus on Strengths
Don't invest time shoring up non-character flaws at the exclusion of investing in your strengths. People operating from a position of strength enjoy a far lower rate of failure than those laboring in areas of weakness. You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career.
Vary Approaches to Achievement
In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before they finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked.
Bounce Back
Rehashing missteps and blunders for too long sabotages concentration and eats away at self-confidence. When dealing with failure, achievers have short memories. They quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. While taking pause to learn from failures, achievers realize that the past cannot be altered.
Summary
I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future.

BUILDING TRUST IN TEAM

2009-02-18T01:32:00.000-08:00

Building Trust in Teams
Building Trust in Teams
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A teacher of applied improvisation since 1998, Greg Hohn is an award-winning business communication faculty member at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. In addition to his business school experience, Hohn has an extensive background in theater. A professional improviser, he joined Transactors Improv, a Chapel Hill-based theater company, in 1989, has served as its director since 1996 and joined the Duke Theater Studies faculty in 2008. He has also taught artistic entrepreneurship at UNC and in the school's MFA acting program and has delivered improv programs in academic and corporate settings throughout the United States and in Europe.
Theological discussion leaders: “Improvisation and team-building”
Christi O. Brown
Christi O. Brown is a managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity and a candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Brown worked as a management consultant prior to attending seminary. She has extensive experience in strategic planning and program development, and her work with Leadership Education focuses on constituent development and thematic programs, including training for adaptive leadership and judicatory networking. An industrial engineer, Brown is a graduate of Wofford College, Clemson University and Princeton Theological Seminary.
Nathan Kirkpatrick
Nathan Kirkpatrick is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and a managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity. He served the Asbury-Longtown charge in Hamptonville, N.C., before joining the staff at Duke Divinity School. Among his duties at Leadership Education, Kirkpatrick directs the Duke Course of Study in partnership with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, and leads Courage to Serve, the Institute of Preaching and other learning events for pastoral leaders. Kirkpatrick is a graduate of Wake Forest University and Duke Divinity School.

THE CHALLENGE OF DEVELOPING YOURSELF

2009-02-18T01:10:00.001-08:00

The Challenge of Developing Yourself
One of the challenges all leaders face is developing their skills as leaders and managers. But for nonprofit leaders, finding the ways—and time—to do this can be particularly challenging for several reasons, not least the disparity between their organizations’ resources and the scope of the work that demands to be done. As a 2001 Compass Point Report, “Daring to Lead: Nonprofit Executive Directors and their Work Experience” highlighted, nonprofit leaders need to “recognize [their] management skills and leadership as important assets for [their] organization: assets that must be strengthened and sustained.” To begin to explore this topic, Bridgestar spoke with Darell Hammond, Earl Martin Phalen, and Liz Maw. All three parachuted into leadership roles very early in their careers: Hammond and Phalen as founder/executive directors of emerging organizations, Maw as executive director at a point of organizational inflection. Here, they share their thoughts about developing their own leadership and management capabilities while building and running KaBOOM!, BELL, and Net Impact, respectively. At age 23, Darell Hammond was asked by his boss at City Year to organize a large scale community service project for the organization’s National Conference. The project focused on building a playground in Columbus, Ohio; and its success led Hammond to devote his energies to creating a new nonprofit organization – KaBOOM! – whose mission is to create great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. Although the idea for KaBOOM! formally took shape while Hammond was at City Year, the philosophy behind it was firmly grounded in his own experience living in a children’s home in Illinois, where he benefited from the support of community members who joined together to make the world a better place for themselves and those around them. Three years out of the MBA program at Columbia Business School, Liz Maw left The Bridgespan Group to become the new executive director of Net Impact, a network of more than 12,000 new-generation leaders committed to using the power of business to improve the world. Though Net Impact had been in existence for many years, Maw’s primary challenges in her first year as ED were focused on restructuring the team and building infrastructure and support for the organization overall. While studying at Harvard Law School, Earl Martin Phalen and a group of peers from the School’s Black Law Students’ Association started volunteering at a community center in Roxbury, mentoring 15 young children. Phalen and his classmates were shocked by how poorly these children were performing academically, and decided that mentoring alone was not enough to really change these kids’ lives. Encouraged by the motivation of a group of parents at the Agassiz Elementary School, they launched Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL), a nonprofit designed to increase the educational achievements and life opportunities of children living in low-income communities. Each of these leaders faced many challenges early on. Phalen moved very rapidly from law student to executive director, running the organization in the early days with a very small team and an even smaller budget: he and colleague Arlene Hudson split a $12,500 grant from Echoing Green to pay their combined salaries. The BELL tutors all worked on a fully volunteer basis, motivated by their shared passion and commitment to the cause. Hammond faced the challenge of extremely rapid growth in KaBOOM!’s early years, thanks to the enthusiasm of core partners such as the Home Depot, Nike, CNA Insurance, and Kimberly Clark. For example, in the first year of KaBOOM!’s operation, Kimberly Clark executives read an article about the organization and decided to celebrate the company’s upcoming 125th anniversary by working with KaBOOM! to build a playspace in each of its 37 mill town communities. Fueled by responses like this, within two years Hammond went from managing a staff of four and a budget of $100,000 to managing a staff of 15 and a budget of $3 million. Unlike Hammond and Phalen, Maw did not found an organization; nonetheless she was brought in at a significant transition point for Net Impact. Maw joined the organization just before the organization began the process to split from its parent organization to become a standalone 501(c)3 organization, and Maw was charged with the task of building its strategy, infrastructure, and brand, as well as restructuring the Net Impact team. Developing their own capabilities “Learning on the job,” was a common theme for all of these young leaders. Hammond recalled, “I fumbled along for a while in the early days, my skills and management abilities growing over time, learning both by ‘doing’ and by emulating others whose leadership I respected.” Phalen added, “I learned a lot simply by running the organization, making mistakes, and reflecting on them.” In terms of more formal training and development, Phalen was sponsored to attend an executive education program at Harvard Business School called Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management, which he found helpful in terms of both the direct knowledge and learning about the experiences of others. However, finding the time and money to attend such programs is never easy. As Maw noted, “I keep looking at various classes and conferences, but I haven’t managed to set aside the time yet to go to any of them.” Instead, what each of the three emphasized repeatedly was that mentoring was their strongest source of support, whether through formal or informal relationships, and each found that guidance and support in slightly different ways. Phalen commented, “My greatest growth has probably come from mentors and advisors on the board, two in particular who are both brilliant and very generous with their time and guidance,” and who take the time to meet with him several times a month. Like Phalen, Maw received significant support from her board. She also found a complementary way of gaining objective expertise and counsel. “I received a great in-kind donation – the guidance of a life coach who meets with me once a week. She helped me navigate several complex, human resources-related issues over the course of my first year,” Maw told us, which she found tremendously helpful in building both her management skills and her overall confidence. Hammond reflected, “I have always been blessed to have people let me into their lives and make me and the KaBOOM! mission a priority.” In addition to substantial support and mentoring from board members (such as KaBOOM!’s second board chair, Peter D’Amelio, President and COO of the Cheesecake Factory), Hammond has received invaluable guidance and advice from senior leaders at the KaBOOM!’s corporate partners. For example, “the CEO of the Home Depot, Bob Nardelli, and the former Chairman and CEO of CNA, Dennis Chookaszian, both took me under their wing. If I called them up, I knew they would take my call. They opened themselves up to coach me, to help me develop as if I was part of their own management team, and for that I am truly grateful.”

the interview of young leaders inc.

2009-02-18T01:10:00.000-08:00

CYP Interviews founder of Young Leaders Inc
6 May 2008
We must plant the seed of peace in the minds of the youth, if we are to create a peaceful Commonwealth community
Abubakarr Messeh–Kamara, currently a student at the University of London is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Young Leaders (Sierra Leone) Inc. CYP’s Diane Mensah-Bonsu caught up with him at the recently held stakeholders meeting on youth mainstreaming to find out about his views on the causes of conflict and how young people can become agents of peace.
Diane: What are you currently doing in London?
Abubakarr: Currently studying Law at the University of London, and also involved in youth activism; promoting issues of young people in the UK through the British Youth Council; as well as engaging the Africa diaspora to support the Africa agenda.
In addition, I run an international Sierra Leone’s youth group known as the Young Leaders (Sierra Leone) Inc through which I initiate a collective contribution of ideas, skills, and talents towards the development of Sierra Leone, and to create a global network in which Sierra Leonean's young and old can provide successful solutions towards the development of Sierra Leone’s community.
Diane: What motivated you to attend the CYP stakeholders meeting? Were those expectations met?
Abubakarr: Born in Sierra Leone, at the young age of 10 years, I came face to face with civil war, human suffering, youth exploitation and death. My experience from the war is nothing good to talk about, and I do not wish for other young people to endure similar experiences. It is for this reason that I have always made myself available to participate in peace building and youth development matters.
I felt passionate about the problems and issues affecting young people. I am interested in young people’s participation in all issues concerning them. I was motivated to attend, because I consider myself as a Peace Ambassador and also a youth advocate. It is in this spirit of ambition; willingness and optimism that I decided to attend and share my experiences of peace building programmes and youth issues at the Commonwealth stakeholders meeting.
I have great trust in the work of the Commonwealth to promote young people’s agenda, and so I wanted to seize that opportunity to urge the Commonwealth to do more for young people. It was also the notion of participating in order to have the opportunity of meeting friends and associates who share the same interests, expanding my knowledge and also attaining helpful information in this shared cause for peace building and youth mainstreaming.
Frankly, I must confess that only 50 percent of my expectations were met, and 50 percent still remain unmet until when I see the outcome of the stakeholders meeting turned into productive actions by the Commonwealth Youth Ministers. I am keen to see that all the youth ministers of the Commonwealth take action now!
Diane: What do you believe are some of the causes of conflict?
Abubakarr: I believe causes of conflict reflect an extraordinary failure of leadership on the part of all those involved in government, public life and civil society. In most cases, the central cause of conflicts is endemic greed, corruption and nepotism that deprive the nation of its dignity and reduce most people to a state of poverty.
People feel bad when they see successive political elites plundering the nation’s assets, including its mineral riches, at the expense of the national good. Government accountability is non-existent. Institutions meant to uphold human rights, such as the courts and civil society, are thoroughly co-opted by those in power.
It is obvious that as the group that constitutes a majority of every nation’s population, children and youth are the most affected by political and economic issues affecting the country. Thus the last straw to most conflict outbreak is when the youth, feel marginalised and lose all sense of hope in the future. Youths become easy prey for unscrupulous forces who exploit their disenchantment to wreak vengeance against the ruling elite. Mostly young people resort to violence as a form of political expression.
However, some conflicts are caused for no valid reasons, as people just feel selfish or evil to create societal unrest. They do so either because they control the forces of suppression or just feel hearted in themselves for religious or cultural differences.
Diane: How can young people become agents of peace?
Abubakarr: Young people being a dynamic group with idealism are in a best position in creating an atmosphere that shall lay the foundation for peace building. Young people can become agents of peace, if they: receive the message of peace; are empowered and engaged; mobilised and organised and allowed to take the lead in nation building.
With this, the youth shall unite with society in finding solutions and alternatives and work towards peace building in their communities. Young people have to be educated with a peace culture; young people should socialize in order to influence adults; young people could be mediators so we would not be involved in actual fighting; we have to be change-agents, be people who can build peace process and teach others to work with peace.
Young people should be involved in peace building initiatives. Acknowledge that children and young people have valuable and concrete proposals such as; doing voluntary work in communities to promote peaceful co-existence and to serve as role models for adults as well as other children; produce and publish material on peace initiatives and convey messages to relevant parties; organise peace-marches and exhibitions to show the impact of war on children; and declare schools, playground and religious places as war-free zones and children as agents of peace.
Diane: If you were able to attend the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting, what message would you convey to them?
Abubakarr: To change the way they think, and the way they act for young people and letting them understand that young people are not expenses but income to the Commonwealth. We are tired of all the violence; let us live in peace, for our generation and all future generations.
I will call upon all the Commonwealth Youth Ministers to engage the youth in nation building, as the future prosperity of our children and indeed future generations depend on how the Commonwealth take responsibility for its youth today.
I will encourage them to regard this meeting as an opportunity in a life time. They should never wait for the next meetings to come, but to use resolutions of this meeting to represent the hopes of young people as well as the yet unspoken hopes of future generations. They have a real opportunity to unlock the potential and talents of young people. They must seize this opportunity to save the many suffering young people; promote peace in young people; create jobs for young people; and making young people come first!
I urge the Commonwealth Youth Ministers to put the issue of youth and peace building and youth mainstreaming first on the agenda. Let the youth ministers´ acknowledge the fact that they have no other option but to involve young people.
Let them think of young people as not only future leaders but as leaders of today. Youth have to be identified and engaged in peace building. Indeed youth can be manipulated easily and misused. The youth should be provided with a special space for peace. We must plant the seed of peace in the minds of the youth, if we are to create a peaceful Commonwealth community.

building young leaders in the moment and in the future

2009-02-18T01:05:00.000-08:00

Building Young Leaders In the Moment and For the Future
Even if your company has no immediate plans for workforce reductions, newspaper headlines alone will be prompting many employees to ask questions. Savvy employees can ask very tough questions – ones that young leaders need to be prepared to answer honestly but wisely. A Career Builder article provides some great insight into what employees might be thinking and asking. Knowing what questions to expect and what answers are appropriate is half the battle.

In a tough economy, leadership training programs are more important than ever. Relatively new managers face new short-term challenges. And many of them may be called upon to step up to middle-management responsibilities sooner than once anticipated. While many new managers may have strong operational proficiency, they may find themselves lacking in areas of technical innovation, global economic awareness, and strategic personnel planning. How do you plan to help them develop those crucial skills?
Your local Career Partners International firm can help you develop, extend, and deliver a leadership training program that will more fully develop young leaders in your specific industry. Programs can be devised to cope with immediate challenges and to develop the bench strength that will sustain your business as it emerges from the current economic downturn.

building young leaders at international aid conference

2009-02-18T01:03:00.000-08:00

Kelly Anderson was at the International Aids conferencein Mexico last week and reports here
On Wednesday, many had the privilege of hearing Frika Chia Iskandar from Indonesia speak on the issue of AIDS advocacy and what it will take to build the young leaders of tomorrow.
Many pay lip service to engaging youth and building young leadership in the global health movement, but few approach it with Frika’s depth and sincerity. Her message was simple and clear. Are the current leaders in HIV and AIDS ready to work with youth? Are they individually considering the process of letting go, and ways to sharing and mentor young people? How will they begin to unpack their boxes of knowledge to pass along to the upcoming generation of leaders?
‘Global health’ is an area seemingly dominated by an older generation - some interested in building up new global health workers, but most focused on political agendas and connection within their own generational arenas.
The AIDS Conference itself is a perfect location to observe a rift between the old and young, and the political and grassroots. At the Global Village, performances, rallies, and speeches relay a community-based feel to addressing the AIDS pandemic at an intimate level. It is humming with youth activity. In the session rooms, the politically-sensitive, high-level speeches often pale in comparison to the vibrancy and honesty of youth just minutes walk away.
In the Exhibition Hall, just before Frika’s speech, I had been canvassing NGOs to participate in a Mentorship Project that matches global health experts and students for the sake of knowledge sharing. Although this project has been successful in the past at recruiting global health leaders as mentors, it was shockingly hard at the conference to convince people to dedicate time to mentoring. But why is it so hard to engage more experts in this pursuit? Are people hesitant to share knowledge, or are they just too busy to prioritize youth?
There is action to take on both sides: youth must actively seek mentorship to become leaders, and seasoned leaders must help us to do so. I hope, as young people, we will not repeat mistakes as we come into the limelight of leadership, potentially ill-prepared by our current leaders for the challenges we will face. Moreover, I hope that current leaders are not making mistakes themselves by ignoring the voices of youth who are so connected at the grassroots level.
Thanks to Frika and those like her, I await the day when more leaders consider how they might better listen, and pass along the knowledge we will all need to better the health in our world

2009-02-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

united nation development programme

2009-02-16T12:12:00.001-08:00

Young Leaders Unite for Capacity Building in Child Rights, Participation and Leadership

leke akindipe,(lekelymomechochopiro)
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (July 24, 2008) – Forty young leaders from vocational lyceums and university students participated in the Youth Conference in Issyk-Kul.UNDP Vocational Education for Street Children in the Kyrgyz Republic Project aimed to ensure the right of a child to participate in the decision making process that impacts their lives organized the conference. This event provided knowledge and skills to 40 young leaders in critical thinking, leadership and participation. The young leaders represented children from the vulnerable families, orphans, street children obtaining vocational education in the lyceums of Bishkek.The partner organizations invited to the conference to present their work included UNV-UNDP Youth Programme, which provided information about the volunteer clubs and its activities, and the Center for Protection of Children, which conducted trainings on child participation, team building and leadership using interactive methods.
Intensive trainings were conducted indoors and outdoors that gave children pleasure to work and enjoy at the same time. “I liked the conference very much and would like to thank you, I liked games, coffee-breaks, teams, respect, solidarity, new friends, and role plays,” said Violetta Samohina, Professional Lyceum # 43. Another participant, Slava Korsikov, Professional Lyceum # 43, emphasized that he “got a lot of information for himself and his future life.”
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.

2009-02-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Building Youth Leaders
By leke akindipe
Contrary to popular opinion, leaders are made, not born. What sets them apart is their struggle to become one.
Qualities of a leader: integrity, knowledge, courage, decisiveness, dependability, initiative, tact, justice, enthusiasm, bearing, endurance, unselfishness, loyalty and judgment
Leadership: a quality deemed worthy of the highest esteem, always elusive, but when done right, seems so easy to achieve. What makes a leader? Are the qualities innate, nurtured, or culturally socialized? The ink has dried on many books prepping us on the traits of effective leadership, yet we are at a time devoid of true leadership. One behooves the lost memories of leaders, stories once told. One contemplates at the very fact what this word “leadership” entails. Does it describe the qualities of a president of a multinational corporation, providing jobs for many (also misusing its corporate weight lands far, far away)? Or does it entail the qualities one needs to climb up the corporate ladder, pushing anyone and anything out of harms way—more like out of my way? One asks the age-old question: what creates effective leadership? How can I possess the qualities that make a leader?
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad epitomized leadership, may Allah’s mercy befall him. As his wife ’Aisha narrated, “His character was the Qur’an.” As the seal of Prophethood, and for the mercy of all humanity, one must scrupulously study—and implement—his life and character. Upon understanding his blessed life, we can only then begin to understand the true qualities of leadership, qualities that not only carry weight on our minute-long stay on earth but qualities that become divine. Muhammad (saws) was the quintessential leader. One can remember numerous stories from the seerah (history) of the Prophet of his exemplary leadership, but one stands out among them...
As the tribes of Quraysh were attempting to rebuild the wall of the Ka’aba in which to place the Black Stone, violent disagreement broke out between the clans regarding who should have the honor of placing the Black Stone back into its corner (the Ka’aba has been a place of prostration there since the time of Abraham and Ishmael). As the quarreling increased and construction halted, one of the elders suggested that the tribes take an arbiter; it was decided that the first man to pass through the gates of the masjid would determine the fate of the Black Stone. Upon agreement of the wise counsel, the Prophet, known as “Al-Amin” (“The Truthful”), walked through the gates. Upon hearing the clansmen’s predicament, he asked to be brought a cloak, and he laid the Black Stone on the middle; then he simply suggested that each clan seize a corner of the cloak, and raise it to the corner where the Black Stone had to be placed. He then placed the stone in himself, the construction of the building continued peacefully, and everyone was content. Immediately, the leaders of all these tribes accepted his judgment. The Prophet’s ability to arbitrate a heated situation, create coexistence within a situation that had gone awry, treat everyone with equanimity—and still please everyone—is something from which we must all learn.
The Prophet (saws) was one who stood firm in his leadership style. His ability to lead the masses, the downtrodden, the wealthy, women, and youth shows that a leader must have the ability to lead not just some, but all people. He was able to patiently persevere, maintaining taqwa (God-consciousness), staying just, effectively communicating, and “talking to the people on the level of their understanding.” He stood firmly for the sake of this deen (religion) and never wavered in his principles because of his firm spiritual connection with his Lord. “Oh you who believe! Stand firmly for Allah, bearing witness in equity; and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well acquainted with all that you do” (Qur’an 5:8). One must remember that being a leader is not for one’s self, and that ultimately when one is a leader, it is all for Allah. Someone once said that when everybody looks up to one, it is difficult to remember to look up at Allah. The constant reminder that leadership is for each and every one of us, since we are all “vicegerents” on this land makes it an awesome burden that one must graciously bear.
Taking heed that our youth is where leadership sprouts, we must understand that, whether we like it or not, we are all leaders in our own way. Positive efforts must be made on our parts to learn the divine qualities that were possessed by our most beloved leader, his companions and his wives (as). We tend to forget that leadership qualities are, more often that not, possessed by great women, as the saying “Behind every great man, there is a great women” is clichéd for a reason! We must lead with the compassion and mercy that our Prophet led with; only with this style will we be able to implement the true teachings of our faith. Teachings that allowed a “king” to enter a city that had violently kicked him and his followers out—without spilling a drop of blood. This is real leadership, leadership that has not one drop of arrogance but is humble and divine. Humility in leadership is a must, as one cannot expect people to follow or heed advice if it comes from arrogance. As “actions speak louder than words,” we are not required to command the good but we are commanded to explain the good, and behave in a way that exudes humility. The commands are Allah’s alone, leaders are required to act upon them and, God-willing, explain them. We cannot let others reactions affect or taint our leadership style; we must constantly remember that our actions have a greater purpose. We don’t always have to win the argument; we just have to give the explanation. Once we understand the concept that with effective leadership comes struggle, we will begin to understand that this jihad (struggle) is only the means to the end.
Jihad is much greater than what has been so deceitfully illustrated in mainstream media as “holy war.” The “holy-war” definition of jihad is only one component of a concept of much greater complexity. Leaders have to partake in jihad on their life long course of being a leader. It is an internal struggle, a fight within one’s self to overcome arrogance and pride, weakness and cowardice, in order to become a leader who serves others, and has his followers best interests at heart. Malcolm X gave up his life for the sake of being a powerful leader, so did Mahatma Gandhi, so did Dr. King, and so have many more. Leadership does not come easily. It is something that has to be worked at, a quality that requires persistence, perseverance, resolution and sacrifice.
One wishes there were a concrete set of guidelines or a manual on “how to become an effective leader.” There isn’t, that would be too easy. The best manual we have to effective leadership is the Qur’an, and after that the seerah of the Prophet (saws). If we understand the concepts that the Qur’an outlines, we cannot go wrong. We must constantly remember that leading is not always done through words, for our actions often speak louder than anything we can ever scream. Leading by example means a leader must be the best person he or she can ever be. If you want guidelines on how to be a leader, look in the mirror; chances are, you already are one. ̹

youth leadership and team building program

2009-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Youth Leadership and Team Building ProgramSee a Sample of the Youth Leadership Assessment
The Leadership and Team Building Program is a unique and powerful experience. The program consists of a half day of team exercises and the use of the Values-Based Leadership Assessment. This integrated combination of academic models and skills is a well tested formula for bringing groups together and for creating growth with each individual.
The Youth Leadership Assessment is a 35 question instrument designed to give each individual a fresh perspective on their personal leadership behavior set. Statistically driven questions are quantified in 5 categories including Supports Others, Self Management, Awareness, Excellence and Motivates Others. Each participant reviews their own strengths and weaknesses as Leaders for a heightened awareness and application during the program.
Supports Others
Self Management
Awareness
Excellence
Motivates Others
Team Exercises are conducted to demonstrate the dynamics of the team, and may involve having the group achieve a goal under simulated time pressure or work out the dynamics of a complex multi-phased project with varying roles and responsibilities. Relational issues quickly emerge as each group demonstrates their natural way of working together. Professional program trainers help the group explore new skills and techniques for working together and practice in the experiential environment created. The group proves to themselves that they can become more efficient and effective by applying the skills and characteristics of effective leaders and high performing teams- emphasized throughout the program.
Facilitation of the program by experienced Quality Values professionals provides the process and structure by which the team participates in a healthy examination of themselves, explores new skills and makes commitments to more effective easy of operating. The environment created fosters the development of a strong team identity and positive experience, breaking down and letting go of old issues and barriers, and the acceptance and appreciation of all team members.
Program Summary and Celebration takes the time at the end of the program to capture what has been learned and what the team is willing to commit to applying to increase teamwork effectiveness as well as the individual insights and commitments to increasing personal effectiveness.

buildind up

2009-02-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

as a youth there is a need to know why you are not the leader of tomorrow but a leader of today

2009-02-16T07:14:00.001-08:00