When I hear inspirational leaders I think of teen motivational speaker Sadie Robertson, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, or even pop singer Demi Lovato. These three are often seen in the news or on social media speaking and expressing their views about something they are very passionate about. They are famous so of course when they speak, whether it is through music or events, many people tune in to listen and hear what they have to say.
But, what about those who do not have the same resources to reach thousands of people and large audiences or the ability to network their ideas nationwide.
In Inspire to Actions, Simon Sinek speaks about that common day person and how they can start their movements and how to take action within a community and become a leader. His main point throughout it all is that a great leader is able to set aside the hate and violence just to show how people can accomplish getting from point A to point B, from within their movement. Which just means that in order to be an accomplished leader you need to be an expert on describing where we, as the people, are going in the future despite what is going on.
For example, the most inspirational leader I can think of was one of the twentieth century’s best advocates for nonviolent social change, he was so powerful that overtime laws were changed and the Civil Rights Act was put in place. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to thousands of people about what he believed was right and wrong, and he also lead thousands of people in non-violent protest. He was creative, he was voluntary, he acted and spoke with poise, and he expressed to the people how to get from where they were all the way to where they wanted to be.
So in order for an average person like you and myself to become a leader, we need to take action and not just sit back and watch. We cant be discouraged just by who we are but we must be encourage to see where we can go and what we can do.
As I sit here and type, I can’t think of any-one cause I would want to lay it all out on the line for and follow and lead. But, if I had that passion then I know that I could look within my school to help me follow it. Diane Wolk-Rogers, a high school teacher, talks about how her students lead and planned a movement within their school. One day at Margery Steelman Douglass High School, Diane and her students were some of the many that made it to safety after a mass shooting occurred within the halls of the school. They were scarred and scared after it happened, but they were also inspired, they wanted the laws to change so that this awful event would never happen to anyone else anywhere else. Diane watched her students lead protests and marches to try and change what they believe were senseless gun laws. She says that she saw the group develop in front of her from a core group of leaders who were eager to engage all about the same issue.
If CHS were to experience the same thing that Diane and her students experience, I know students would be eager and willing to take charge for a change. Not only would CHS unit and rally together, but from within the true leaders would sprout and we would have our own “Greta’s” and “Sadie’s” and even a few “Demi’s” just in one spot. And leadership and encouragement would be overflowing from one place. People wouldn’t be scared because they are comforted by their peers, and they would also be talking about the future and what was to come in a positive way.
So not only can a movement arise from anywhere but this movement can be life-changing and so can its leaders.
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