This Wednesday, 7^th June, my mum, Naila Mehrabova, came into school to do a compelling and intriguing talk entitled ‘Leadership and You’.

I have always been inspired by my mum’s hard work and dedication to her career – an Oxford and Stanford graduate, she went on to work at the multinational corporation ConocoPhillips, and later, took up the role of Head of the Transportation Corridor for oil, across two countries and a sea. These positions required commitment, diligence and determination; undoubtedly, they also proved the significance of managing leadership in order to reach exceptional heights.

So how is this achievable? For us to manage leadership, we must learn to step into the roles of manager and leader. To use an analogy, ‘a manager ensures that a train arrives on time. A leader ensures the train arrives at the right destination’. A manager is responsible for execution; a leader for strategy and change. The leader’s vision must align with those around them, and it is the strength of this connection which makes the leader so successful, confident and assertive.

While becoming leaders ourselves, we should not look at our peers as competitors, but look to them as a treasure. One needs understanding of oneself and others, empathy, emotional intelligence, confidence and warmth. Therefore, it is pivotal for us to not shy away from warmth, and be kind, compassionate and cooperative with those around us.

My mum also presented a slide with the photos of many motivational women who had done incredible things, however, what motivated us the most of all was the blank space on that same slide. One day, this blank space will be filled up with your photo, my photo, our photos. We felt motivated to imagine the leaders concealed within us.

Elizabeth, Year 5