Toneisha Colson # 0365905 Essays - , Term Papers

Toneisha Colson # 0365905 Youth Leadership Today's youth still face many attitudinal challenges to self-empowerment. Both the problem and the solution begin at home with their parents. Leadership training must start from an early childhood, as these young adults learn to take gradual responsibility for their own decisions. Only through self-determination, can these youth eventually achieve leadership in their respective communities. In addition to parental guidance, society has responsibility to create opportunities for these young adults to exercise good leadership. We must focus on the practice of leadership rather than the theory. Young adults should be given the opportunity to practice what they learn, such as being responsible for designing, organizing, and implementing their own conferences. Yet for many youth leadership implies a broader involvement. We need to encourage youth to pursue their own interests, and help them integrate into their local communities. Ultimately, the establishment of leaders in all aspect s of society will eventually improve the lives of all youth and people. As great leaders it is time for young adults to carry on the torch. Are the youth of America ready to assume the responsibilities? Have they been properly prepared to become the new leaders of tomorrow? As a leader, I have met face-to-face with the best talent that our country has to offer, I have as a leader had the privilege of demonstrating exactly what leadership is. There is no doubt in my mind that they as youth possess the potential to be great leaders. Just look at many personal accomplishments of some youth, and it is clear that we have far exceeded the prior generation. However, my pride and optimism are tempered by the inconsistency in leadership development among youth. The development of leadership potential is a slow and gradual process that must begin from early childhood. Our own perception of self-worth is heavily influenced by the expectations of our parents. I have always understood fr om my parents' attitudes that they expected me to complete at the highest level of education. This in turn has given me the drive and determination to excel academically and professionally. I understand that my parents, and the parents of other youths, want to protect us from failure due to unrealistic expectations. However, we cannot achieve emotional maturity without overcoming hurts and disappointments. Rather than predetermining which objectives are realistic, it is more empowering for our parents to encourage us to explore our own limitations. As I began to make more of my own decisions, my parents constantly reminded me that they would be there to back me up. Nevertheless, they often stood back and allowed me to take the wrong turns and bang my head against the wall. I now Toneisha Colson # 036905 realize how very difficult this must have been for them. But it was far better for me to learn from my mistakes within the safe confines of childhood than in the less forgiving word of adulthood. As we mature and become more empowered by making our own decisions, it is time to look beyond ourselves into community leadership. Like any other skill, leadership is best achieved through a combination of desire and experience. You can teach leadership skills by conducting training seminars, but little will be learned unless there are also opportunities to gain leadership experience. Our primary objective should be to help these young leaders achieve prominence in all aspects of society. Some of the young leaders may choose to get involved but others will have more diverse aspirations. We need to encourage young persons to get involved with their local communities and eventually obtain positions of leadership. While working on this paper, I asked many of the great leaders if they f eel that the young adults of today are ready to carry on the struggle. The answer that continues to resonate with me was, when we look at you the younger generation, we often wonder if it has the necessary experiences to take on challenge. What we tend to forget, however, is that at the height of the civil rights movement in the 60's, it was the eighteen to twenty year-olds who led the marches and organized the bus rallies and boycotts. Perhaps then, the