YOUTH HAVE A PART IN TODAY’S LEADERSHIP YOUTH are a resource not a liability. This statement brings out perhaps all the reasons as to why youth have become the order of the day socially, politically and economically. When Africa moved into its period of independence, young people assumed many of the newly opened leadership positions. The former colonial powers believed that young people would be able to resolve problems ahead and consequently handed over power of the old colonies to its young indigenes. The old generation does not always have to take the lead, this is a new generation that constitutes the largest population in all developing countries including my beloved Uganda. THE TRAND HAS CHANGED, THEREFORE, STAKEHOLDERS SHOULD GIVE THE YOUTH AND OTHER ENTITIES AN EAR. However, this government should not take a pervasive direction. Let them learn from the Obama victory and the Romney of not making it to the white house, at the end of the day they all raised the American flag high though they belong to different parties. Young people should be taught the right values of nationalism, patriotism and socialism to be able to transform our country into a nation. But this can only happen after creating a clear environment. See what is happening today, corruption everywhere and failure to implement the rule of law. This has totally tortured the young mind. Therefore, the youth must prove that they too can ensure a brighter tomorrow and are responsible to carry on. UNDERSTANDING TRUE LEADERSHIP Many young Africans have the ability to lead in every domain in our society, but how many of them know what it means to be a true leader? Leadership demands that we discern when to use our heads and our hearts. Using the head is often correlated to the use of one’s intellect or mental power while using the heart is the manner in which the person’s character influences the way he or she leads people. An intelligent leader always seeks self improvement by reading or learning from those before and around them like how we have a lot learn from the past and current political party leaders in Uganda. Take a look at the DP my party I know very well and its leadership. We also have a lot to learn from the presidents so far who have ruled this country compared to other countries like South Africa, U.S.A. and many others trying to exercise democracy. With a broad base of knowledge, leaders can become innovative and stand ready to make sound and timely decisions. They know their strengths, weaknesses and limitations. This self-awareness better prepares them to maximize their skills and for those around them. Effective communication is not easy as it seems. When leaders like U.S Presidents Barrack Obama speak, people feel a sense of confidence, trust and sincerity in his words. This skills allows leaders to craft images and stories for their audiences, aiding them to identifying and speaking, listening is also a critical leadership skill. Finally, focused and courageous leaders never give up; they always have plan B to ensure they fulfil their objectives. Many leaders lack these characteristics, opting for unfocused and cowardly approaches. I implore these leaders to reflect on the life of the late Nelson Mandela. His legacy is the meaning of sacrifice. Humility is the crown of a true leader’s heart. The most beloved leaders of the world were humble and always ready to serve the people. These individuals listened to every idea, even from those below them, treating every one with respect and dignity. Most of all, they are always ready to move on and give way to others to grow and carry on from where they have ended their task-an attribute which sadly enough, many youth have no models to learn from. So with this knowledge, it is my hope we help craft and mould the leaders of tomorrow with the words of today to keep the posterity on the agenda to live happily and harmoniously. Let’s invest in the youth using holistic approaches which I am very much ready to share with the concerned entities. The writer is a youth leader in the Democratic party and Peer trainer
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:58:24 +0000
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