Published on July 27, 2022

The young are not just the leaders of tomorrow, they are fast reshaping today too! They are the catalysts of change and are making a difference in the world. Through social media events/posts, online blog posts, or taking part or creating a social change event, the teens are not just discovering their wings – they are already bridging the gap between today and tomorrow!   

Social change activities are great at uncovering and nurturing future leaders. They offer a real world experience about how a change movement is conceptualised, how the idea is disseminated, how a team is built around a common shared goal, how the intricacies of the event are planned, how the responsibilities are shared and finally how success is achieved. They provide the right platform to nurture and forge better leaders. There are many ways in which teens can become better leaders by carrying out social change.    

Through Volunteering

Volunteering can be a great learning experience. The task might be anything – a teaching activity, an eco-club event, conservation work, awareness campaigns, volunteering at the local hospital, vaccination drives etc. By being a part of an event, a teen can gain deeper insights into how an organisational structure functions. It helps the teen to understand how the giant machinery of an event is built and set into motion! 

Also, being an agent of social change requires self-awareness. It requires a teen to evaluate strengths and shortcomings – plan action better and lead the team to success. Through the activity, a teen can strive to make a real difference – and, conversely, the activity can make a real difference in the teen! Volunteering for activities helps a teen become a better leader.

Through Writing

‘Pen is mightier than sword’ is an oft overused and abused cliche, but one that still rings true. Through writing, a teen has access to a powerful medium that can reach and influence many. The benefits of connectivity that technology offers means that you can reach out to and influence millions of people around the world. 

The writing can be of any form – from social media posts, to hashtags, to blog posts, to articles for the print media, or even books – there is no limit. Writing about a cause or a movement helps you be the change and make a difference. It draws attention to the cause. Better the writing, the better it can connect to others. 

Writing cultivates the capacity to think, augments knowledge about various subjects, broadens perspectives and improves effective communication skills – in short, it helps you become a better leader.

Participating in group events

‘Social’ change – it cannot happen in isolation, can it? Bringing about a social change requires motivated and committed teams – and people ready to lead them. By stepping up and taking up the responsibility, you can gain invaluable hands-on experience in communicating effectively by improving your listening and expressive communication skills, managing people and tasks, assigning responsibilities and delegating, planning the course of action, developing problem solving skills and negotiating and overcoming differences – to sum up, everything necessary to become a better leader!

Thinking out of the box

An out of the box idea gains traction. Creativity helps generate new ideas that will form the basis for a change initiative. Teens can make a difference by finding ways to be completely unique. By thinking out of the box, you develop the power to think about alternate models – what is and what could have been. If you want to change the current system, you must look outside for fresh ideas. Greta Thunberg’s campaign that made the world pay attention to climate change, Malala Yousafzai’s change initiative that advocates for the rights of girls around the world to receive education, Tilak Mehta’s inspired startup Papers N Parcels that gave hundreds of Mumbai dabbawalas an additional source of income all started out as ideas that broke the mould.      

The ability to think out of the box and see the idea to fruition is what sets great leaders apart.

The importance of a good Leadership Development programme

A leadership development programme provides you with opportunities and equips you with the necessary skills and confidence to participate in activities and workshops. It helps you to learn from challenges – by teaching you evaluation, planning, strategies, work allocation and analysing results. The training is not just restricted to learning, a good leadership development program encourages you to participate in real world events and make a difference.