Example of Good Speech

I want you to know how honoured I am to have you here. As leaders, you are a special gift to the world, and we look to you to help shape the future. You are here because you think of being a leader and part of our society’s essential teaching and learning system. You represent our investment in the future.

 

You have elders who will learn and grow with you and guide you. You have your commitment and passion for social or human rights and dedication to the world you will leave behind for those who follow you. In a book titled, Learning to Lead, Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith say that leaders must focus on the following:

The Reinvention of Self

Knowing Yourself

Creating and Communicating a Vision

Maintaining Trust through Integrity

Realising Intention through Action

To become leaders, we all go through an Individual Transformation; Quinn, in his book on Deep Change, says that

“The hero’s journey is a story of individual transformation and identity change. In embarking on the journey, we must leave the world of certainty. Instead, we must courageously journey to a strange place where there are lots of risks, and much is at stake, a place where there are new problems that require us to think in new ways.”

As you take this leadership journey, I want you to focus on yourself. Taking care of yourself, understanding yourself, challenging yourself. Enrich your spirit!

In Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, spirit means breath.

So what happens to the spirit if most of us are too busy to breathe?

If we are always practising the “Logic of Task Pursuit?” when will we listen, reflect, and grow?

Being a leader is a hard job – it may be the most challenging one. But once you’ve chosen it, you have a moral obligation to be your best self.

So, you are learning and growing; remember that an essential part of this process is to focus on the following:

Working Together in Collaborative Ways

Respecting Civil Discourse

Knowing the Rights of all People

Understanding of Tension

Having Free and Open Inquiry

Remember that LEADERS ARE

1. Both confident and modest.
2. Authentic.
3. Listeners. (Listen then speak)
4. Good at encouraging, and they are never satisfied.
5. Leaders provide direction.
6. Leaders make a change and stand for values that don’t change.
7. Leaders lead by example.
8. Leaders don’t blame. They learn. And,
9. Leaders look for and network with other leaders.
10. They make a plan, plan and plan.
11. They know if they are not making a plan, they are planning to fail

We need leaders today who

Communicate and Listen

Encourage and Support

Teach respect for others

Develop a sense of trust

Show a sense of shared responsibility

Teach a sense of right and wrong

Value service to others

Admit to and seek help with problems

What an exciting journey! Enjoy every minute of your time.

Always remember

For you, I receiver

For you, I give

Together we share

By this, we live

Source: UNESCO Chair of Human Rights conference 2005, USA

At last, we hope that you found some helpful info on A Path to Peace.