Becoming A Next Generation Leader

Few months ago, I was Guest speaker at two  events, one with the theme “Becoming The Next Generation Leader”; whilst the other was “Becoming an Equipped Lady”. And some of the key points I shared include:

1. A leader is someone who is able to IDENTIFY AND KEY INTO OPPORTUNITIES. And in order to do this as a young person, you should first : (a) know who you are,  and 

(b) Know what do you want. And knowing what you want involves the second point, which is :

2. MAKING SMALL CONSISTENT STEPS . I shared a story of a Nigerian artist - Omah Lay - who recently became popular after one of his songs became a hit track. After researching about him I found out that he has been consistent in his music career, and didn’t only just start. Also, making small consistent steps involves being consistent in your craft, whether as a writer, a baker a graphic designer, photographer, etc, focus on just DOING; regardless of whether or not you are being noticed, or whether you are making so much money from it. Your focus should be PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

3. The third point I shared is: “PUTTING YOUR HAND UP FOR EVERYTHING”! And one of the ways of doing this is through volunteering. This is because asides exposing you to opportunities volunteering offers you the opportunity to SERVE! And one of the qualities of a good leader is his/her ability to serve others. Another way to put your hand up for everything is by applying for various opportunities and also attending various networking events.

4. Fourthly, HAVING A SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION. I shared the story of how during my Master’s degree application I applied to over 20 universities in the UK, and got rejected by many because I had an HND, but eventually got admission into one of the best Universities in the world, in which I’m currently studying. As a next generation leader you want to keep knocking on doors, because persistence pays off!

5. The fifth point I shared is about being INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR USE OF SOCAIL MEDIA. I gave an example of how in an interview an interviewee was asked if her social media pages can be scrutinized; which is part of interview processes lately. Social media has become the new CV, and as a young person it is highly recommended that you are intentional about what you do with your social media, beginning with your profile name. Personally, social media has made a significant life changing impact in my life. In London, I’ve met close to 5 of my LinkedIn contacts. Great personalities, who have impacted me positively. Most importantly, I encourage people to ensure that they use their real names on their social media platforms and not their nicknames.

6. DON’T LET YOUR DEGREE HOLD YOU BACK IN ANYWAY! DARE TO GIVE YOUR PASSION A GO! 

I shared the story of how I switched from a Business Administration background in my undergrad to a Media and Development background for my Master’s. I will always encourage undergrads to ensure that they give themselves some time to discover what their passion is, in case they develop an interest in a field different from what they had studied in their undergrad, before they go ahead to take a Masters degree. I encourage young people to go after their passion. it might seem weird and unconventional, just like I didn’t realize I had a passion for writing until later. Dare to give yourself a chance, do not let your degree hold you back, 

7. REMEMBER YOUR “WHY” AND YOUR “WHAT”. What’s the reason you started in the first place? Keep reminding yourself of that!

And in conclusion, I said to them: “if you want to be a changemaker you have to start by changing yourself. In other words “DIG WHERE YOU STAND“!

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