We asked young people from five countries this question: Is it time for young people to take charge? The answer is yes. They showed us different ways do it.
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Journalism and activism can be powerful tools for change. Each week in our News Decoder Top Tips, we share advice from reporters, editors, writers and master storytellers on ways to better engage audiences and spur change. In this Top Tip, a panel of young people explore the attributes of effective leadership and suggest ways any young person can lead.
Top Tips are part of our open access learning resources. You can find more of our learning resources here. And learn how you can incorporate our resources and services into your classroom or educational program or by forming a News Decoder Club in your school.
It isn’t too early to step up to leadership. That was the advice of News Decoder correspondent Jeremy Solomons in a Top Tip in July. But that got us thinking: Are young people ready to take charge? And how can they do that?
We decided to convene a panel of experts, this time teens from our partner schools — who come from Colombia, India, Nigeria and the United States — to compare their experiences as youth leaders. The Decoder Dialogue, held 25 September 2024 via a live webinar, also brought in Solomons in Rwanda, correspondent Enock Wanderema from Uganda and leadership coach Nadine Binder from Germany.
More important than age, they agreed, was the attributes someone has: They should be passionate, both confident and humble, flexible and have the ability to listen and inspire others.
But in the beginning, perhaps, the most important attribute is the willingness to get out of your comfort zone.
That’s what Ama Okigbo said she had to do. Okigbo is from Nigeria and attends The Thacher School in California. She is on her city’s youth council and several years ago founded an organization called Girls Without Borders that connects teen girls from across the world over a live video platform.
Step beyond your comfort zone.
Okigbo said she started the NGO because she felt that in today’s society, girls’ voices and young people’s voices taken seriously or heard.
“I think it took me stepping out of my comfort zone and asking questions and reaching out for help,” Okigbo said. “I think stepping out of your comfort zone, asking for help is often the most difficult thing to do, but it’s actually, I think, quite a great sign of leadership.”
The experience of stepping out of your comfort zone can be rewarding. Maria Alejandra Pinedo, a student at Gimnasio Los Caobos in Bogotá, Colombia, was one of 85,000 people who went to the COP28 UN Climate Change conference in Dubai last year.
“It was amazing, because I had the opportunity to talk to people about what I was thinking, and convince them what was right, you know,” Pinedo said. “We did a manifesto, which included people of almost every country, and we showed it to the to the people that were at top. So it was like a way to say, ‘Hey, we’re here. Hear us.'”
There are all kinds of ways to get leadership experience, the teens said.
Teddy Davey, a student at The Tatnall School in the U.S. state of Delaware, joined student government back in middle school. It gave him a chance to contribute and have a voice in the community.
Seek out opportunities.
Davey and his classmate Ben Smolko are both on student government now at their high school.
“It’s interesting to be able to help make decisions and be able to be a voice for the people in our class who don’t necessarily get to make decisions or have a say in what goes on at the school,” Smolko said.
Davey said there are all kinds of ways to step up to leadership in school. Their school has a peer mentorship program that pairs older students with newer, younger students and provides them training to do that.
There are all sorts of clubs where students in them can take on leadership roles. Students can volunteer to be “student ambassadors” whose job it is to guide prospective students around the school. And finally, the school allows any student to give a presentation to the entire upper school once a week, giving them a low stakes opportunity to get out of their comfort zones.
“So there are all these opportunities that might not even be branded as leadership, but are baked in to the school experience,” Davey said.
Leadership can come in many forms.
Mahee Mantri, a student at VIBGYOR High, Kolhapur, India, said there aren’t as many opportunities where she is from as the older generation tends to think young people aren’t capable. She has found opportunities to hone leadership skills through sports.
“I play basketball and where I see my captainship, I try to play with a cool mind,” she said. “I look forward to making cool decisions, listening to people and having that integrity and empathy towards the people and my team.”
Pinedo said that it helps to learn from people you respect who are already leaders. “In a leader you want to search for someone that is capable and who has experience, and sometimes time gives you experience.”
Okigbo said that whoever is in charge should include in the decision-making process those affected by the problems at hand, regardless of age. In a city, for example, youth in particular are affected by problems like housing and unemployment.
“Having those college students be part of the town council coming up with solutions to those problems that affect them specifically will be a better way to solve the problem than having older people who think they know what the solution is,” Okigbo said.
Find the most effect way to lead.
As a real world example, Okigbo and Smolko spoke about student organizations at their school that are empowered to decide punishments for students who have committed offences.
“It’s not just the students specifically who are just doling out punishments,” Okigbo said. “It’s more that they get to talk with their leaders, and they have a real say in what goes on and making sure that the leaders of the school are listening to the students.”
At the end of the webinar the students were each asked if they would consider running for local office.
Some spoke about the barriers — costs of waging a campaign and reluctance of older voters to consider someone who is young. But some noted that you can be as effective in leading change outside of government, through an NGO, for example.
What’s more important, they concluded, is to decide what kind of change you want to make and how best to go about doing that. And finally ask this question of yourself: Can you inspire others to follow your lead?
Three questions to consider:
- Why might a young person want to get into leadership?
- What are two ways the teens in the article took on leadership roles?
- What skills, abilities or attributes do you have that might make you a good leader?
Why might a young person want to get into leadership?
Because he feels part of the place where he is. There is some kind of connection with the comunity your are part of.
What are two ways the teens in the article took on leadership roles?
Speaking up to the upper school. And be part of the government school. Also créate an NGO.
What skills, abilities or attributes do you have that might make you a good leader?
I tend to care what the others have to say very much.
As a good leader, some of my key attributes are the ability to actively listen, provide clear and thoughtful communication, and adapt to the needs of others. Since you care deeply about what others have to say, you’d likely excel at fostering open dialogue and collaboration. Similarly, I focus on understanding various perspectives, facilitating problem-solving, and offering balanced insights, which aligns well with creating an inclusive and supportive environment. Being empathetic and open to input are both essential qualities for strong leadership.