The breakthrough power of young leaders | Mohan Sivaloganathan
3Digest
Mohan Siva Loganathan, CEO of Our Return, shares his journey from aspiring CEO to embracing youth leadership. He emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, boundless ingenuity, storytelling, and rejecting false choices in leadership. He encourages listeners to get proximate to young people, change their language about leadership, and hold themselves accountable for fostering inclusive environments. The host reflects on Mohan's message and their own experience working with students post-pandemic. They highlight the importance of listening to young people and acknowledging the challenges they face. They emphasize the need to create spaces for intergenerational dialogue and learning.
Outlines
The Power of Youth Leadership and Intergenerational Dialogue
Mohan Siva Loganathan, CEO of Our Return, shares his journey from aspiring CEO to embracing youth leadership. He emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, boundless ingenuity, storytelling, and rejecting false choices in leadership. He encourages listeners to get proximate to young people, change their language about leadership, and hold themselves accountable for fostering inclusive environments. The host reflects on Mohan's message and their own experience working with students post-pandemic. They highlight the importance of listening to young people and acknowledging the challenges they face. They emphasize the need to create spaces for intergenerational dialogue and learning.
Keywords
Youth Empowerment
The process of equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and resources to make informed decisions, advocate for themselves, and contribute to their communities. It involves fostering their agency, self-belief, and leadership potential.
Emotional Intelligence
The ability to understand and manage one's own emotions and those of others. It involves self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills, crucial for effective leadership.
Boundless Ingenuity
The limitless capacity for creativity, innovation, and problem-solving that young people possess. It often manifests in unconventional approaches and solutions that challenge traditional frameworks.
Storytelling
The art of sharing personal experiences, narratives, and perspectives to connect with others, build empathy, and inspire action. It is a powerful tool for leadership, particularly in fostering understanding and collaboration.
False Choices
Limiting options or presenting a binary choice that restricts possibilities. Young people often reject these false choices, advocating for a more inclusive and nuanced approach to decision-making.
Intergenerational Dialogue
Meaningful conversations and exchanges between people of different generations, fostering understanding, respect, and collaboration. It involves active listening, empathy, and a willingness to learn from each other's experiences.
Q&A
How can leaders effectively incorporate the voices and perspectives of young people?
Leaders can get proximate to young people by hiring them, attending their events, and learning from their insights. They can also change their language about leadership, moving away from traditional frameworks and embracing emotional intelligence and storytelling.
What are some of the challenges young people face today, and how can we support them?
Young people face a range of challenges, including economic instability, climate change, and social injustice. We can support them by creating spaces for dialogue, listening to their concerns, and empowering them to be agents of change.
Show Notes
Leadership isn’t a title; it’s a verb that requires action, says youth empowerment advocate Mohan Sivaloganathan. Drawing on his experience as the CEO of a nonprofit, he shares surprising lessons on adaptability and accountability, showing why truly effective leaders listen to the voice of younger generations. After the talk, Modupe reflects on how her classroom leadership style changed after the pandemic.
Table of contents
United States
