The African Leadership component of the Africa Matters Ambassador Programme (AMAP) looks closely at Leadership in the context of Africa, what makes for effective leadership and how young Africans can lead in complex situations.
This module also seeks to reflect on African leaders by unpacking the negative notions of African leaders and identifying effective African leaders whose African youth can look up to.
This piece was contributed by Abdelli Amira, an Africa Matters Ambassador from Tunisia, as part of her engagement with the African Leadership module.
Nowadays, leadership skills have become a trend that make a lot of money for many persons, but for me things are different.
My leadership manifesto is aligned with my vision “Amira is joyfully committed to using her creativity to create wealth in the African continent". This vision is based on my principal values which are: Responsibility, Integrity, Motivation, Passion, Help and Humility.
The leader in me is working to make change and impact humanity based on my vision and values. For example, when I take in charge the tutoring of some under-performing pupils, I take it as a challenge. For me, their success will reflect my success. Their good marks will make me sure that I did my job well. But some details are very important for me; doing things with joy and passion is key to success.
Moreover, I am trying to change some visions around me; I always speak with people about critical subjects, trying to give advice and sharing my knowledge.
The leader I want to be is a founder and CEO of a social enterprise called Education Services, starting from my country of Tunisia, to be the largest African education services enterprise which will provide educational services with the cheapest possible pricing, involving jobseekers from the region in which the agency will be implemented.
Why education? Because I believe that the best way to make change is to provide education and education services in the lowest0-income regions.
If I was asked which quote would you use to describe your leadership manifesto, I would say “You have never really lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you".
Leadership is about life-changing actions. Just think how you will feel when you have made people happier and made the world a better place.
Integrity is one of my important values. When I take action, I take it as a personal challenge. Sometimes I get tired from trying. Even through anxiety and depression, it is fine to take a step back to realise that I did some progress, that I am not definitely slacking, that something has changed and that my goal is nearer.
“Perseverance “is the key: develop goals and whatever you need to reach that goal. I want to reach a point where I don’t have to give an account to anyone expect me and my conscience. For this reason I plan to be the founder and CEO of an educational services enterprise, so that I can share my capacities in tutoring to pupils, to help student with their presentations and reports, and so, in a smart way, to insure a place where student can prepare for exams in a safe and calm space.
I will start with my town , a town where teenagers take drugs and drink alcohol and where the rate of leaving school in earlier age is too high.
Why my town? Because I believe that change starts from such towns, and if I succeed there I can succeed elsewhere. Making people love education and school is the aim!
If I was asked “What do you hope will happen in my community, my town, my country and the continent because of me, “my answer will be:
❖ In my community I want to see less judgment, less aggression, more happiness, more love and more care. Our streets lack love, art, musicians and smiling people, people who do not interfere in the affairs of others. Our streets are miserable, and I want to see more life and happiness in my community.
❖ In my town I want to see fewer children leaving schools, fewer parents suffering their children’s behaviors, more access to educational services, fewer parents struggling with the money needed for their children to access educational services.
❖ In my country I want to see a better education system that cares about pupils’ psychology and potential.
Those goals may be too far, unrealistic or difficult to reach, but I believe that “Big dreams have small beginnings.“
A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example. - Joe Dimaggio
