3 Steps to Becoming a Leader

"I want to be a leader." We're always hearing this phrase from youth all over the world. But how can we, as young people, become strong leaders in our community? What are the steps we should take towards being active citizens?

Sometimes, a great program may come along, like YALLA, and youth are given the training, tools and support to succeed and become change-makers in their community. But not everyone has the chance to participate in such a program. So if you're finding yourself at a loss. And you know you want to be a leader and you're ready to help your community, but you're not sure how to get there, here are 3 easy steps to help you become a better leader:

1) Gain experience: This is the first step. You need to take action, try new things and get involved. Do things you never imagined you'd do. Being a leader requires steps towards self-discovery. The more you get out in the world and try, travel and understand, the stronger leader you can become. By creating new experiences, you can better discover who you are.

2) Find what makes you truly happy: You've been trying all of these new things. Now what makes you the happiest? Was it painting? Photography? Spending time with children? What makes you joyful at the end of each day? This is the key to becoming a leader - discovering your passion. It may seem obvious - to find what you love to do and to do it. But when you love something and you're invested in it, you can be a strong leader.

3) Be enthusiastic: It's easy to be enthusiastic about something you're passionate about. The more challenging step is encouraging enthusiasm from those surrounding you. Fortunately, enthusiasm is contagious if it's genuine - and encouraging enthusiasm from young people, gives them a sense of belonging in their community and can help you in gaining support.

Motivate yourself and then motivate others - this is the basic path to becoming a leader. And once you become a leader - someone your peers can look up to - you will be able to make real change in your society. So get out there and try new things. Yalla! What are you waiting for? Your community's calling you!

-Roula and Mohammad

Roula and Mohammad are the YALLA Communication Officers and members of the YLC.