Leadership Archives

Learning, Unlearning and Relearning for Gen Z

Our natural tendency is to learn new things and adapt to unique circumstances as human beings. It is what helps us evolve and grow as human beings. Just as we constantly keep learning things, we must also note the importance of unlearning things. Letting go of old customs and habits while adapting to new ones is essential for your growth.

As they say, change is the only constant. We must reflect upon ourselves and try to improve upon our flaws. For example, let’s take a look at the current pandemic. We learned to make use of virtual platforms to communicate with each other. To stay relevant in any industry, you have to learn new skills toremain relevant. As rightly said by Henry Ford, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

Different people have different approaches to learning new things. Similarly, I think we all should take our own time and figure out what’s best for us and how we should go about it when learning something new.

Unlearning

Unlearning means letting go of old habits and mentalities. This happens as we mature. Usually, when we stop learning, we feel like there is some stagnation. But let us look at it differently. We can think of it as reflecting upon our actions and thoughts and bettering ourselves.

This is especially important for letting go of certain toxic behaviors that society has normalized. This process takes time and is necessary to bring about a change in people’s mindsets. In unlearning, we break down our thoughts and ask ourselves specific questions:

Why have I done this so far?

Does this align with my moral principles?

Is this what I truly aspire to be as a human being?

Is what I am doing helpful to the people around me? How does it affect them?

Asking oneself these questions will help one truly reflect upon their actions and realize which of them had a bad influence on others. For example, unlearning may mean getting rid of bad habits. For example, you are not eating healthy, not working out, smoking, and etc.

Unlearning should be seen as a way to pause and introspect. Unlearning may also mean leaving people who are a toxic influence on your life, who bring you and others down. After all, you are the average of the five people you surround yourself with. The whole process of unlearning is slow and comes gradually.

Relearning

Relearning means embracing the changes that come your way and accepting them. It means learning a new method or getting a fresh perspective, which one can only achieve outside their comfort zone.

For example, it may mean adapting to the virtual scenario as the pandemic struck us in our situation. A part of relearning is to get creative and find out new and better approaches to things you may or may not have done before. Relearning may also mean changing society’s beliefs and progressing towards more unbiased opinions.

For example, it could mean their way of looking at the LGBTQ community, their approach to helping eradicate racism, or maybe even changing the education system. Today’s youth are rebellious and will no longer tolerate any form of injustice. We are more proactive and want to take better control of the situation than before. Relearning may also mean catching up on your old hobbies, which you were too lazy to continue at one point in time. Maybe, it might be the right time for you to pick up that dusty old guitar lying in your room for a long time. Or, it could also mean learning to interact physically with people after bearing a pandemic for what seems to be the most extended period of our lives.

We want to portray that learning, unlearning, and relearning go hand in hand. These are all very important for our growth and shape us to be better individuals. One cannot do without the absence of even one of these factors. There is a quote by Deepak Chopra that says, “The past is history, the future is a mystery, and this moment is a gift. That is why this moment is called the present”. Similarly, we must learn to embrace our present and inculcate within ourselves the habits of learning, unlearning, and relearning in our day-to-day lives. This will lead to our holistic development and enable us to live life to its fullest.

3 Reasons Why Becoming a World Citizen is Crucial

For someone like me, who is yet to have their first international experience, it would be hard to even relate to the idea of being a world citizen.

I should rather first think about resolving the problems my own nation faces, right?

What role does the world have to play in my journey anyway? All these countries are so distant and I might not even end up visiting all of them, at least in this lifetime.

But well, interestingly, once I delved into knowing more about who a world citizen actually is, I could gain more perspective about the issues I face personally.

World citizens are people who believe in the idea of peace and wish to spread more of it by their actions.

The only difference is that they don’t restrict their community to a city, state or nation, but take it beyond- to the humankind.

World citizens are leaders since they don’t just serve their purpose, but also of those around them. They go global because they don’t believe in the segregating ideologies of casteism, colorism, racism, nationalism etc. They’ll treat the people with diverse global backgrounds with equal love as to their natives. Everyone across the world is a friend to them.

And it was then that I realized how much lack of knowledge and information can confine our mindsets and the way we look at people.

I needn’t necessarily be a traveler to be a world citizen, and with that in mind, I find it my responsibility to reach out and spread the info I could gain.

Becoming a citizen of the world is vital, here’s why:

1. Communicate the reality

For a moment, think about how do you find your country? Do you like it?

We all love it for the cultural diversity, the people, the places, the languages. We always have something new to discover, even if we stay at the same place for years. But at the same time, we despair when it comes to discussing politics, and how we might or not like how our current leaders are taking it ahead.

And this worry often overpowers what we like about our nation. The news is enough to create the resentments.

But guess what? What we think is what we communicate to the world.

Basically, someone from the other country might think of us differently until they know us. Likewise for us to know them. They might have unrealistic perceptions about us.

World citizens break this barrier by becoming aware of global issues, empathising or even by lending a helping hand if they can.

2. Bringing global learning to the nation

Once we cross the cultural barriers and get to know natives of different countries and their way of living, we know if certain aspects can be adapted in our own nation.

For example, a friend I made who came for her exchange to India taught me the table manners followed in her country. The purpose was beyond learning the etiquette, it was to adopt discipline, patience, and gratitude – something I needed to grasp.

Also, the more international friends you make, the more languages you might get to unleash! If not perfectly, certain nuances of the dialect or tone they speak make you understand how they think and imbibe their culture.

3. Challenge ignorance and embrace sustainability

The more information we carry, the easier it is for us to form opinions.

Being opinionated is crucial since they define our individuality and give us the strength to voice ourselves.

Just like, once you know about a disease is when you attempt to know their symptoms and solutions, similar is the relevance of global knowledge for worldly issues. If we’re aware, responsible and willing to care, we become less ignorant about things that matter and become likely to adopt a sustainable life.

United Nations has laid down 17 Sustainable Development Goals as the universal call-to-action to global issues. These are thoughtfully decided to give us a direction on how as true citizens, we can change the map of the global concerns that are increasing rapidly.

Being a world citizen is a serious responsibility, especially of the youth, to unleash our potential to collectively serve the world.

If this interested you, you can take up volunteer opportunities to become a global citizen.

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Vanyashree Chaudhary is a light-hearted Journalism student from Delhi. She’s crazy about her love for graphic designing, Oreo shakes and Daft Punk. Find her the happiest while she’s travelling!

The power of emotional fitness, and why you should try it.

To me, it’s always been intriguing and exciting to wonder about how emotional fitness works.

Emotions influence our thoughts, actions and even the decisions we make. Be it trying to understand people, dealing with the daily hustle of life or even motivation to do things.

What makes them even more interesting is their complexity.

I can feel joyful and stressed at the same time. Or if I’ve taken a challenging task, I can feel scared yet brave altogether.

It’s so strange, and hence, it builds my curiosity.

I often think about how do successful people deal with these emotions.

How did Barack Obama always manage to smile whenever in the eyes of media, while carrying the responsibility of the entire nation on his shoulders? Like, are you sure Obama was doing good in life?

What keeps Ellen DeGeneres’ sarcasm and humor alive, despite the challenges she has experienced being lesbian? Could I have lead life the same way as hers if I were in her shoes?

Damn.

After multiple conversations with the youth around me, I’ve observed that most of us are trying to ‘keep up’ with life events, all cheerful on the outside but not the same on the inside.

This, at times, is worrisome; for not only our mental and emotional well being, but also for our future to come.

Emotional fitness relates to how we as individuals can focus on important tasks by not letting the negative emotions affect us.

If you’re trying to understand and learn the art of emotional fitness, go ahead:

Expressing yourself makes you emotionally aware.

I don’t know about you, but I usually struggle to speak up my mind to people. I keep thinking I might not be wanted to be heard, or I might bother people who’re already facing issues.

But we’re humans after all.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory mentions ‘sense of connection’ as a social need. That’s something we require to feel ‘love and belonging’, not just another wish or desire.

Talking is considered to be one of the powerful tools to relieve pain as well.

The more expressive the mind is, the more it acknowledges reality and the lesser it accumulates negative psychic impressions.

Our mind becomes more peaceful, aware and healthier.

Hence, we should listen to our mind, heart and body more often, to understand what they’re trying to communicate to us. Be it about us, or about the situation we’re in.

This makes us take conscious about not only our actions but also about ourselves!

Emotional awareness helps in self-control.

Instead of becoming defensive about emotions that are hard to accept, rather, label these emotions.

At times, we fail to face criticisms, because they make us vulnerable and threaten our reputation.

But you know what, not all criticisms are bad, some are even constructive.

The concept of Johari Window Model of Communication made me realise that there are attributes about us which others can easily observe, but we might never discover them on our own.

While there are parts of us which only we know but others don’t (Hidden Area), there are some traits we have that are unknown to us but known to others (Blind Spot).

It varies on how people notice us and make us aware about those traits.

Once we welcome our emotions, understand them and label them correctly, we become more capable to control the irrelevant or negative thoughts and impressions.

We begin to care more about our mental health.

Keeping my mind alert and actively analysing my actions have helped me gain self-control.

Emotional Fitness is not as complex as we think, but it needs efforts and practice. A healthy mind keeps a body healthy, not the other way around.

Liked the article? Share with us your tips and tricks to stay emotionally healthy.

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The Lion King And His Road To Leadership

For most of us, The Lion King was an important part of our young lives. It is a moving story about the circle of life, that portrays a lion cub’s journey to adulthood and the royal throne.

If for some reason you don’t know the story, here’s a brief summary.

Simba is the son of the powerful and beloved King Mufasa. He is an honored prince who is far from danger, as he grows up in a very caring family and a protected environment. But his happy days turn into tragedy when his cunning and evil uncle, Scar, murders his father and influences Simba to think that the tragedy was a fault.

Scared and guilty, Simba runs from the kingdom and lands in a jungle. There he learns to live a carefree life with his new friends Pumbaa, the warthog, and Timon, the meerkat.

The story rolls on for some time and takes a turn the day his father’s spirit visits him and asks him to go back and defeat the wicked Scar to repossess his Rightful Throne.

After rewatching The Lion King for the umpteenth time after growing up, it becomes clear that the movie was full of life lessons and that it shapes our own lives.

With The Lion King we learned about right and wrong, the importance of following your heart, and some other things that we’re about to list for you now:

1. Respect others, regardless of who they are or where they stand

“Mufasa: Simba, everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As a king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.

Simba: But dad, don’t we eat the antelope?

Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.”

From a young age, Mufasa taught Simba that even though lions are the most powerful animals in the kingdom, they would be nothing without the other species existing in their ecosystem.

Life is all about respecting and treating others the way you wish to be treated.

There are leaders and then there are those who lead. Every individual is an important part of your life and you must respect that person. That is what makes you a good leader.

Actions, not position matters.

2. Lead by Example

“Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe in you.”

– Mufasa

Scar was under the impression that all of the animals would become his loyal followers once he became the next king. However, this was not the case.

He learned it the hard way that demanding respect is not the same as earning respect.

Simba, on the other hand, became a leader in his own right, by treating outsiders Timon and Pumbaa with respect. The same applies to us – leadership is not just about having a glamorous title, but rather it is earned by gaining the respect of your co-members.

If you are a leader of a team, your responsibility is to lead and make sure that your members are growing with you along the way.

3. Believe in the Power of Hakuna Matata

“It means no worries for the rest of your days!”

– Timon and Pumbaa

Is there a better life motto than this?

No, we reply. Because we’ve all been there, thinking about how much time we waste worrying about what needs to be done, instead of focusing on the task at hand.

While some worrying is healthy, chronic worrying actually makes you far less productive at work.

Living by Timon and Pumbaa’s “problem-free philosophy” will help to keep you focused on one project at a time, motivating you to get those tasks checked off your to-do list.

4. Leadership is not about position

“There’s more to being king than just getting your way all the time.”

-Mufasa

Right in the beginning, Simba famously sings about how he “just can’t wait to be King.” But seeing his father Mufasa meet his untimely fate due to his position showed Simba that being King isn’t a role to take lightly.

Mufasa taught Simba some great lessons about life and leadership and made some big decisions as a ruler to keep everyone safe and content.

A leader must know what he’s in for and be willing to accept the full responsibilities of the role – for better or for worse. Deep inside we all are very powerful to accomplish great things. All we need is the realization that ‘I Can Do It’.

5. Become a Lifelong Learner

“Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.”

– Rafiki

One of the major plot points throughout The Lion King is watching Simba grow from a rambunctious cub to a fierce lion.

Along this journey, Simba learned valuable lessons from Mufasa, Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa. All of them shaped him into an effective leader once it was time to take his rightful place as King.

A good leader should strive to be like Simba by taking a lifelong learner mindset.

Realize who you are and unlock your true potential, by tapping into the power of your deepest motives and values. True leaders commit to perpetual growth, discovery, and learning.

Another sub-life-lesson, just because everyone tells you that you’re a lion, doesn’t mean you can’t do non-lion-y stuff. You should be whoever you want to be, and eat whatever you want to eat.

As you can see, just because it’s tagged as “childhood movie” doesn’t mean it’s just for children!

There are many lessons we can – and should- take from our childhood. So next time you are wondering what to do on a Saturday night when it’s raining, just think to yourself “Hakuna-Matata!”

Which other movies have inspired you to be a better person? Let us know in the comments section below!

If you liked this blog, you may also like: 6 Life Lessons That FRIENDS Taught Us

Written by

Studying bachelor’s in biotechnology, Aayushi is a really passionate person, who loves to read and travel. She believes people, places, and stories have the power to change anyone and help them understand the purpose of life.

5 Ways You Can Make A Difference

“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”

– Michelle Obama

As humans, we long to make a difference, to leave our mark. The vast majority of us knows that helping better others’ lives affects our own — it makes us more joyful, balanced, and imparting a more noteworthy feeling of purpose every day.

But, it tends to become difficult when we get hindered by our daily routine and miss the advantages, to ourselves and our community.

Most of us don’t know where to start from, but it’s easier than you think.

Have a look at these 5 suggestions and start making a difference today:

1. Become a Mentor

Turn into a coach to somebody who might profit by your abilities, information, and experience. Perhaps there’s somebody in your groups of friends or profession you might want to help along the way.

You might also help to educate kids that come from a poor family. It can make a huge difference or their future.

2. Donate Blood

With one gift of donation, you can save numerous lives. Every drop counts, as a single patient can require multiple donors.

For heart surgery procedure it’s required the blood from up to five donators. Leukemia treatments require a maximum of eight contributors every week. Emergency care for an automobile accident can utilize something like 50.

Each donation makes some kind of effect on somebody’s life. What more noteworthy blessing would you be able to give? Find the nearest donation station, and help save somebody’s life. It won’t take you even 1h.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering energy and abilities to any association is an extraordinary method to offer back to our planet and community.

Regardless of whether it’s a medical facility, food bank, youth group, senior’s home, or an animal shelter. There are huge amounts of organizations that would benefit by your time.

A speedy search online will help to discover local and global opportunities. Or on the other hand, contact organizations you’re keen on assisting to help you contact with their nearby group.

4. Organize a Clean Up

All you have to hold for a fruitful clean up is a major box of garbage bags, a greater box of recycling sacks, a significant amount of elastic gloves, a gathering of friends or volunteers, and an area that needs some love.

What’s more?

Nowadays most public parks, beaches, and neighborhood avenues need a little TLC (tender, love & care). Sometimes people simply require a little motivation to urge them to assist.

Lead the way, and see what follows!

5. Plant a Tree

We all know the importance of trees on this planet. The process is as similar as of organizing a cleanup. All you have to do is to carry a plant, a spade and an expert in the plantation, for instance, a gardener.

Look for an area where the plant could be placed, for example, in the boundaries of the public parks and you are good to go!

If you wish to plant in a specific area or a society, then just talk to the president of the society. I’m sure they won’t deny it, even if they do, they’ll tell you another place to do so. 🙂

See who follows you!

It’s about time that we start considering the fact, that we, as the future of the planet, should start making a difference.

We at AIESEC work on delivering various opportunities to contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals that we need to achieve by 2030. If you want to contribute, check our opportunities at www.aiesec.org.

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Written by

Anisha Bhawanani is graduated in Marketing and Finance and loves writing. She is a happy go lucky girl with a head full of dreams, very passionate about traveling and exploring different cultures. One day she wants to win a man booker prize.