so what makes a leader in today’s world many of us carry the image of Steve Jobs
many of us carry the image of Steve Jobs
many of us carry the image of Steve Jobs and Angelina Jolie who are two
and Angelina Jolie who are two
and Angelina Jolie who are two individuals well known internationally
individuals well known internationally
individuals well known internationally they’re pictured as these confident
they’re pictured as these confident
they’re pictured as these confident brave and outspoken individuals that are
brave and outspoken individuals that are
brave and outspoken individuals that are known as leaders yes they are leaders
known as leaders yes they are leaders
known as leaders yes they are leaders but why is it that we have one general
but why is it that we have one general
but why is it that we have one general definition of the word leadership we’ve
definition of the word leadership we’ve
definition of the word leadership we’ve created this idea of leadership only
created this idea of leadership only
created this idea of leadership only belonging to a specific group of people
belonging to a specific group of people
belonging to a specific group of people now how many of you are comfortable with
now how many of you are comfortable with
now how many of you are comfortable with the idea of truly calling yourself a
the idea of truly calling yourself a
the idea of truly calling yourself a leader just raise your hand and it’s
leader just raise your hand and it’s
leader just raise your hand and it’s totally fun if you’re not comfortable
totally fun if you’re not comfortable
totally fun if you’re not comfortable with that idea see not all of us truly
with that idea see not all of us truly
with that idea see not all of us truly believe we are later and maybe that’s
believe we are later and maybe that’s
believe we are later and maybe that’s because of a number of reasons such as
because of a number of reasons such as
because of a number of reasons such as why is it that society tends to view
why is it that society tends to view
why is it that society tends to view leadership as someone that is popular
leadership as someone that is popular
leadership as someone that is popular and fighting for a well known reason
and fighting for a well known reason
and fighting for a well known reason what if we thought that leaders aren’t
what if we thought that leaders aren’t
what if we thought that leaders aren’t just confident brave and outspoken but
just confident brave and outspoken but
just confident brave and outspoken but leaders are quiet and sensitive as well
leaders are quiet and sensitive as well
leaders are quiet and sensitive as well I’ve been to many leadership training
I’ve been to many leadership training
I’ve been to many leadership training conferences and what I was taught was to
conferences and what I was taught was to
conferences and what I was taught was to be like one of those famous figures
be like one of those famous figures
be like one of those famous figures bravery and confidence are important
bravery and confidence are important
bravery and confidence are important qualities to have but not everyone has
qualities to have but not everyone has
qualities to have but not everyone has them don’t get me wrong the leadership
them don’t get me wrong the leadership
them don’t get me wrong the leadership training conferences were amazing but I
training conferences were amazing but I
training conferences were amazing but I started to continuously think about why
started to continuously think about why
started to continuously think about why topics such as body language and
topics such as body language and
topics such as body language and effective communication were taught at
effective communication were taught at
effective communication were taught at every event it seemed as if all of these
every event it seemed as if all of these
every event it seemed as if all of these leadership programs were based off of
leadership programs were based off of
leadership programs were based off of the successful ones and not people like
the successful ones and not people like
the successful ones and not people like us people that just want to strive to do
us people that just want to strive to do
us people that just want to strive to do great things in their everyday ordinary
great things in their everyday ordinary
great things in their everyday ordinary lives everyone seemed to be focused on
lives everyone seemed to be focused on
lives everyone seemed to be focused on the one prevalent definition of
the one prevalent definition of
the one prevalent definition of leadership but nobody seemed to be
leadership but nobody seemed to be
leadership but nobody seemed to be talking about the other types of leaders
talking about the other types of leaders
talking about the other types of leaders and by other types I mean too quiet
and by other types I mean too quiet
and by other types I mean too quiet leaders the ones that want to be leaders
leaders the ones that want to be leaders
leaders the ones that want to be leaders but are held back by society’s
but are held back by society’s
but are held back by society’s conception of leadership the confused
conception of leadership the confused
conception of leadership the confused ones that try to break out of the trend
ones that try to break out of the trend
ones that try to break out of the trend of being a follower what was being
of being a follower what was being
of being a follower what was being implied upon during all these
implied upon during all these
implied upon during all these conferences
conferences
conferences or how to become a leader and Gainey’s
or how to become a leader and Gainey’s
or how to become a leader and Gainey’s leadership qualities but the question
leadership qualities but the question
leadership qualities but the question that I seem to focus on was why is
that I seem to focus on was why is
that I seem to focus on was why is leadership being kept underneath one
leadership being kept underneath one
leadership being kept underneath one universal definition why not talk about
universal definition why not talk about
universal definition why not talk about the other types of leaders as I thought
the other types of leaders as I thought
the other types of leaders as I thought about this I realized that everyone was
about this I realized that everyone was
about this I realized that everyone was a leader in their very own special way
a leader in their very own special way
a leader in their very own special way one leader may be outspoken and the
one leader may be outspoken and the
one leader may be outspoken and the other quiet and both of them may be
other quiet and both of them may be
other quiet and both of them may be striving for different goals but what
striving for different goals but what
striving for different goals but what links old leaders together is passion
links old leaders together is passion
links old leaders together is passion passion to achieve their goals so where
passion to achieve their goals so where
passion to achieve their goals so where exactly do we all fit in as leaders are
exactly do we all fit in as leaders are
exactly do we all fit in as leaders are we too loud ones or the quiet ones are
we too loud ones or the quiet ones are
we too loud ones or the quiet ones are we a confident once or the not so
we a confident once or the not so
we a confident once or the not so confident ones are we the ones fighting
confident ones are we the ones fighting
confident ones are we the ones fighting for goals that sound familiar or goals
for goals that sound familiar or goals
for goals that sound familiar or goals that sound not so familiar let’s see it
that sound not so familiar let’s see it
that sound not so familiar let’s see it seemed as if all of these leadership
seemed as if all of these leadership
seemed as if all of these leadership training events wanted to morph us all
training events wanted to morph us all
training events wanted to morph us all into the same leader but that wasn’t me
into the same leader but that wasn’t me
into the same leader but that wasn’t me I wanted to be my own leader I wanted to
I wanted to be my own leader I wanted to
I wanted to be my own leader I wanted to achieve different goals I wanted to be
achieve different goals I wanted to be
achieve different goals I wanted to be unique for example I’m speaking the same
unique for example I’m speaking the same
unique for example I’m speaking the same room where I gave a speech last year I
room where I gave a speech last year I
room where I gave a speech last year I hosted a Middle Eastern and South Asian
hosted a Middle Eastern and South Asian
hosted a Middle Eastern and South Asian cultural night through the help of my
cultural night through the help of my
cultural night through the help of my teachers and the principal I remember
teachers and the principal I remember
teachers and the principal I remember being a bit nervous talking front of
being a bit nervous talking front of
being a bit nervous talking front of everyone about my personal story I
everyone about my personal story I
everyone about my personal story I wonder that they would have liked it or
wonder that they would have liked it or
wonder that they would have liked it or not understand my point of view or just
not understand my point of view or just
not understand my point of view or just totally reject everything that would
totally reject everything that would
totally reject everything that would come out of my mouth yet I still went on
come out of my mouth yet I still went on
come out of my mouth yet I still went on and talked anyways my speech was about
and talked anyways my speech was about
and talked anyways my speech was about my parents and I’m moving here to
my parents and I’m moving here to
my parents and I’m moving here to America as immigrants our is born and
America as immigrants our is born and
America as immigrants our is born and raised in Pakistan and when we came here
raised in Pakistan and when we came here
raised in Pakistan and when we came here everything was going great until the
everything was going great until the
everything was going great until the devastating event of 911 I immediately
devastating event of 911 I immediately
devastating event of 911 I immediately became insecure of my faith my skin
became insecure of my faith my skin
became insecure of my faith my skin color how I spoke English and how I and
color how I spoke English and how I and
color how I spoke English and how I and how I have had to dealt with and still
how I have had to dealt with and still
how I have had to dealt with and still continue to have a battle with
continue to have a battle with
continue to have a battle with Islamophobia but what I learned was to
Islamophobia but what I learned was to
Islamophobia but what I learned was to be a unique one I learned to fight back
be a unique one I learned to fight back
be a unique one I learned to fight back with positivity I started to view life
with positivity I started to view life
with positivity I started to view life as an open book where opportunities come
as an open book where opportunities come
as an open book where opportunities come and go I started to take risks and
and go I started to take risks and
and go I started to take risks and became a stronger better leader a unique
became a stronger better leader a unique
became a stronger better leader a unique leader a leader that reflected off of my
leader a leader that reflected off of my
leader a leader that reflected off of my true character
true character
true character now let me tell you about a leader in
now let me tell you about a leader in
now let me tell you about a leader in this room that only two of you know
this room that only two of you know
this room that only two of you know about and that leader is my grandmother
about and that leader is my grandmother
about and that leader is my grandmother my grandmother was a very special person
my grandmother was a very special person
my grandmother was a very special person she was a wonderful person she recently
she was a wonderful person she recently
she was a wonderful person she recently passed away on sep tember 30th she was
passed away on sep tember 30th she was
passed away on sep tember 30th she was and still continues to be my role model
and still continues to be my role model
and still continues to be my role model see my grandmother knew had a spread
see my grandmother knew had a spread
see my grandmother knew had a spread love anywhere she went she was
love anywhere she went she was
love anywhere she went she was immediately embraced with the positive
immediately embraced with the positive
immediately embraced with the positive aura around her and so with other people
aura around her and so with other people
aura around her and so with other people she taught us how to spread love and
she taught us how to spread love and
she taught us how to spread love and that was her mission she was what held
that was her mission she was what held
that was her mission she was what held her huge family together since my
her huge family together since my
her huge family together since my cousins and I were all living in other
cousins and I were all living in other
cousins and I were all living in other countries and she was in Pakistan she
countries and she was in Pakistan she
countries and she was in Pakistan she always called us and loved to talk to us
always called us and loved to talk to us
always called us and loved to talk to us she never got tired of listening to us
she never got tired of listening to us
she never got tired of listening to us she showed us that love is the way to
she showed us that love is the way to
she showed us that love is the way to start off anything regardless of the
start off anything regardless of the
start off anything regardless of the situation hatred is heavy to hold on to
situation hatred is heavy to hold on to
situation hatred is heavy to hold on to and that with love we will see the
and that with love we will see the
and that with love we will see the things that we could have never ever
things that we could have never ever
things that we could have never ever seen the beautiful things that we could
seen the beautiful things that we could
seen the beautiful things that we could have missed with love we can be greater
have missed with love we can be greater
have missed with love we can be greater human beings and greater leaders now why
human beings and greater leaders now why
human beings and greater leaders now why is it that we focus on famous leaders
is it that we focus on famous leaders
is it that we focus on famous leaders what about the leaders that come from
what about the leaders that come from
what about the leaders that come from places that are foreign to us the ones
places that are foreign to us the ones
places that are foreign to us the ones whose tongues utter a language unknown
whose tongues utter a language unknown
whose tongues utter a language unknown to us the ones who fight for goals that
to us the ones who fight for goals that
to us the ones who fight for goals that are unfamiliar to us let’s talk about a
are unfamiliar to us let’s talk about a
are unfamiliar to us let’s talk about a woman named charmagne obey ginori
woman named charmagne obey ginori
woman named charmagne obey ginori Sherman is a pakistani journalist
Sherman is a pakistani journalist
Sherman is a pakistani journalist filmmaker and activist she has won two
filmmaker and activist she has won two
filmmaker and activist she has won two Oscars for her documentaries saving face
Oscars for her documentaries saving face
Oscars for her documentaries saving face and a girl in the river the price of
and a girl in the river the price of
and a girl in the river the price of forgiveness Sherman raised awareness to
forgiveness Sherman raised awareness to
forgiveness Sherman raised awareness to two critical issues her documentary
two critical issues her documentary
two critical issues her documentary saving face was about acid attacks in
saving face was about acid attacks in
saving face was about acid attacks in Pakistan and her other documentary a
Pakistan and her other documentary a
Pakistan and her other documentary a girl in the river the price of
girl in the river the price of
girl in the river the price of forgiveness was about honor killings and
forgiveness was about honor killings and
forgiveness was about honor killings and Pakistan Sherman decided to take the
Pakistan Sherman decided to take the
Pakistan Sherman decided to take the position of going in charge she shows us
position of going in charge she shows us
position of going in charge she shows us that if we fight for what we believe in
that if we fight for what we believe in
that if we fight for what we believe in is and we work hard enough we can show
is and we work hard enough we can show
is and we work hard enough we can show the world what needs to be learned
leadership is fighting terrorism it’s
leadership is fighting terrorism it’s fighting for the right for education and
fighting for the right for education and
fighting for the right for education and the fight against poverty but leadership
the fight against poverty but leadership
the fight against poverty but leadership also hits close to home for us it’s
also hits close to home for us it’s
also hits close to home for us it’s gaining points in a scoreboard by
gaining points in a scoreboard by
gaining points in a scoreboard by passing a test are simply just standing
passing a test are simply just standing
passing a test are simply just standing up for what you truly believe is right
up for what you truly believe is right
up for what you truly believe is right leadership is diversity as well it’s a
leadership is diversity as well it’s a
leadership is diversity as well it’s a beautiful mix of cultures religions
beautiful mix of cultures religions
beautiful mix of cultures religions languages etc it is not just confined to
languages etc it is not just confined to
languages etc it is not just confined to the English language it also contains
the English language it also contains
the English language it also contains the majestic accents of various
the majestic accents of various
the majestic accents of various languages too so as being a leader
languages too so as being a leader
languages too so as being a leader really being this person that everyone
really being this person that everyone
really being this person that everyone needs to recognize or is it just being
needs to recognize or is it just being
needs to recognize or is it just being yourself on letting your qualities
yourself on letting your qualities
yourself on letting your qualities create you into the leader you’re
create you into the leader you’re
create you into the leader you’re supposed to be well be who you are stand
supposed to be well be who you are stand
supposed to be well be who you are stand up speak loud or silently make your way
up speak loud or silently make your way
up speak loud or silently make your way through actions be a unique one after
through actions be a unique one after
through actions be a unique one after all you are a leader to
all you are a leader to
all you are a leader to [Applause]
”
Be First to Comment