With the aim of developing intentional leaders by giving them the right tools and techniques, AFS Intercultural Programs India facilitated the AFS India Leadership Development Program from 30th June to 2nd July 2018 in New Delhi. The pilot batch comprises of 20 participants who will be working closely with 5 mentors.
The three-day program focused on providing an understanding and importance of Incomplete Leader. The base of the program was more on the learning they have had during the online course module before the live-event where the reflected on the concept of incomplete leader and its 4 attributes.
During the program, participants were further asked to reflect in detail of the four attributes of the incomplete leader: Sensemaking, Relating, Visioning and Inventing. They were also told about the significance of communication and how it helps them to relate to 4 attributes.
The program helped the participants understand that no leader is perfect; a leader doesn’t have to know each and everything; or should be able to resolve each and every query or challenges on its own; or have to come up with ideas alone to make a new plan of actions. A leader should be one who is continuously learning, asking help from others and keep reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses, and in that process, finding others who can help them overcome their weaknesses or the skills they lack.
The AFS Leadership Development Program was facilitated by 4 trainers: Lucas Welter, Chief Organization Development & Strategy Officer from AFS International; Divya Arora, National Director, AFS India; Aadil Fahim, Manager – Communications, Branding and Volunteer Development, AFS India; and Mayura Pande, Volunteer, AFS India.
With the end of live-event, participants will now be working closely with the mentors and National Office to create their own projects to increase volunteer engagement. They will also be working on special assignments given by the National Office where they’d be playing a leadership role in different sections. Participants have also made a promise to themselves to share the key-learning of Leadership Program with other chapter volunteers when they go back They will be having a closing ceremony next year during January or February 2019.
We’re thankful to all our volunteers for taking out time and being part of the program. Special thanks to AFS International for motivating us to organize the event.
Quotes from participants:
“Leadership Development Program was so enriching! It was so great to connect with a bunch of like-minded people and work in collaboration to build each other. The support and friendships I earnt were amazing! The content of the training program is very comprehensive and the trainers indeed did an amazing job of delivering their best. I feel I can make better sense of AFS as an organization as well as my local realities through the program. So grateful for putting it together.”
“Accepting your weaknesses make you a good leader. What I learned is that we need to involve everyone in everything. We need to hear all the ideas and together we can do better to overcome any challenges or finding solutions”
“I learned that being a leader doesn’t mean that your ideas and opinions are better than anyone else’s. Being a leader means taking into consideration all opinions and creating them into one. I also learned how other people living under different circumstances think and it quite helped me to broaden my perspective.”
“The Leadership Program was a platform where the tri-pronged lesson of reflection, evaluation and acceptance of the self was imparted in the best ways possible. This camp has made an ineffable contribution to my taking a step forward in the mantle of a leader.”
“I learned that leadership is more about collaborating everyone in the task rather than dictating your thoughts and visions on others.”