BY SAHIL DEWAN, PRESIDENT, AISEC INDIA
usual lecture, a college event, a choice of clubs and societies to pick from, and be a part of, an apprehension to sit for placements, all become a part of our journey while in college. The one guiding feeling while all this is happening is the willingness to do what you really want. You could be inspired either by your peers or by yourself, it doesn’t matter. All in all, it is a discovery of your own or someone else’s leadership that gives you the calling to stand up for something you believe in.
I prefer to choose the important guiding words in youth leadership – ‘YOU LEAD.’ It is subtly becoming the most buzzing set of words used these days by politicians, principals, and leaders. Since a major chunk of India’s population is in the youth bracket, leadership is becoming synonymous with the future of the country. We see it seeding in young people through all the activities in college, when the choices they make completely depend on their beliefs, their ideologies, whether it is contesting for the Class Representative elections, or leading a college club, all of these contribute to their leadership journeys. Ambition is one thing that gets today’s youth closer to leadership. If it is coupled with a passion to get what they desire, it makes them stand stronger.
It is interesting how youth leaders equip themselves to handle the ever so varying relationships with different categories of people. It is one of the most challenging and exciting roles one has to play. We are living in an age where being an ordinary leader is not an option. One has to be part of the generation which is fast, strong, smart, aware, and more importantly, has a mind – a person whom people can look up to and get inspired.
As for AIESEC, a global youth organisation with a focus on empowering youth to develop their leadership potential, it is crucial to float these ideas. This is because we believe that for leadership, being young does play a role. Today’s youth is dynamic, aware, intellectual, competitive, and passionate; and it’s important to capitalise on these qualities rather than to leave it up to experience and maturity.
