Youth Talk: Leadership

By Karyn Chan

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

- John Quincy

 

Being a successful leader is not about telling others what to do, but about being able to make others believe in what you believe, and being able to inspire them to work together with you to make something even better than what you imagine it to be. This is something that is very important in a leadership position, and is something that I have relied on in leading the Secondary Student Council at YCIS.

I have been Co-President for two years now, and I have noticed a big difference in myself between the way I approached my role last year and this year. Last year was my first year, and I was just delving into the concept of leadership and learning more about what it takes to be a good leader.

Being a leader is very rewarding but it also has its challenges. One of the biggest challenges I have had is in trying to please the entire school community. When organising school events, we have to make sure that the students are happy so that we will get a good turnout, but also we need to take into consideration what is appropriate for the school. This year, the Student Council has been planning more than ever because of the recent addition of a monthly event, the ‘Friday Fun Night’, which is a fun social gathering, held at the school.

The greatest joy I get in being a leader is the experience; I learn new things everyday, and every time I overcome a difficulty, I shape my character even more. Building upon my experience of organising the ‘Friday Fun Night’, I am trying to take more risks, because I believe that challenging myself is the only way that I will be able to improve. This mindset has done me a lot of good as the Student Council, we have not only gotten better turnout to events but have also been able to raise more money for the two charities that our school supports: Heart to Heart and Seeds of Hope.

For students that aspire to be a leader, the best advice I have for them is to challenge themselves, to never give up, and to always be a good listener. As with life, leadership comes with its difficulties, but it is all worth it in the end. Through serving your community, you are able to gain many skills that will benefit you in so many ways in the future. My experience as Student Council Co-President has been valuable and I have truly enjoyed it.