Much like my two fellow journalists, and the 300 participants present there, this was the first time I was attending Young Leaders Conference (YLC).
COVER STORY
Much like my two fellow journalists, and the 300 participants present there, this was the first time I was attending Young Leaders Conference (YLC). A week later, I am still in that mode; I am still celebrating, I am overcoming self-inflicted obstacles, but more than that I am feeling patriotic. Let’s get this straight: I love my country - have always loved it - but, to be honest, there were times when I used to think I was being too optimistic; when my expectations were not being fulfilled, and when I saw my country lagging behind in any way. I was of the opinion that maybe it was wrong to hope that a single person like me could bring about any positive change in the society. YLC changed that. When speakers from different industries give insights and talk about their experiences, it’s not just another motivational session one is attending; it changes your life because your perspective on life changes. An impeccable word choice and persona of strong, determined leaders can easily instil in our youth Jinnah’s creed: unity, faith, discipline.
Sacred dreams
The one question we are asked - and often - since our childhood is baray ho k kya banogay (what will you be when you grow up)? And, in our innocence and honesty, we spill our hearts’ desires: doctor, engineer, businessman, singer, dancer, artist, writer; you name it. But as years go by, all we want is to get a job in a company (multinational, preferably); we term it ‘growing up’. Somebody comes along, offering us precisely Rs. 5000 a month, and we are ready to conform to society’s expectations. Doesn’t matter if it’s not a job that makes us happy. We are afraid to take the risk and do something we really wanted.
But we can’t deny there are alternative career paths. If nothing else, we can launch our own startups. Not settling for less or disagreeing with something when it doesn’t align with one’s aims is not a bad thing. Short of money? Convince people to co-found it. Need a lot of planning and other work? Forget the 9-5 routine and be willing to work really, really, really hard. And, most importantly, have the courage and self-confidence to pull it off. Despite failures and disappointments, we come out learning something from these ventures. But, for a second, can we think: what if we succeed? Just like Jinnah did 70 years ago? We are young, and we still have time; if only we’d try doing it.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve
Am I preaching over here? Maybe. But quoting from one of the most important moments in the history of our religion - and mankind - was that no one is superior to another being. No white is superior to black, or vice versa, right? Similarly, I believe, no job is superior to another. Sure, there’s an hierarchy and we must respect our seniors, no-matter-what but we must do the same with our juniors as well. Everyone and every job is there for a purpose. A “blue collar worker” could be there by choice as was the case with Raza Pirbhai, CEO KFC Pakistan, who started off as a dishwasher in Pizza Hut, Pakistan. Humble beginnings. Trying to please his folks; ended up doing what he really wanted and, thereby, excelling. So basically you’ve got to discover yourself and match it with the profession. Have some goals in your life; get out of the possible-impossible confusions in your mind, which are there only because you haven’t tried them - yet.
A talk about “nothing”
“You know nothing, Jon Snow”. Let’s tell ourselves that we know nothing. Does that feel scary - UNEXPECTED things can happen - or liberating - unexpected CAN happen? On the one hand, we’re treading unknown waters and everything we know, we learn by experience only. On the other hand, knowing nothing means we can learn anything and everything we want. In our quest, we may come across things or events that change everything else. Like the 9/11 did. Or the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The launch of 4G. Black swan events. Typically random to an observer, but to the thinker or innovator or masterminds, these were the result of deliberate creations, And we can create our own lives like that: from having a very crystallized desire (the more crystallized it is, the more chances that it will be successful) to believing it will happen to leaving no stone unturned in dealing with problems. Muhammad Ali didn’t let doubts cloud his vision of becoming The Greatest. Surely, these champions must have felt it, imagined these moments, first? By 2020, Junaid Iqbal, Careem MD, wants to create a million job opportunities. How are they going to get there? How are they going to solve problems (fare rates, etc.)? He doesn’t know that but he is okay with the idea, ready to embrace the uncertainty. He believes that they will figure everything and do it, even if it entails challenging outdated rules for the greater good, for grabbing this opportunity to create everything out of nothing.
Small actions creating big impact
These are not just “kitaabi baatein” (bookish language). Now entering its seventh decade, the country is still pretty young. Is that because around 65 percent of its population comprises youth? What if these young people - we - are the ones unemployed, baffled, frustrated? Must we continue with cursing our government or can we bring the desired change ourselves and make conditions better than they already are? Going this way, the first question we must ask then is: where are we right now? And then set our goals and draft our journey respectively. We have to be courageous for our nation to prosper. We have to take responsibility for our future. We can’t sit idle, waiting for resources to magically appear; we’ve to use whatever is at hand.
A group of us can be saving water; a second group can spread goodwill in their communities, with a third group supporting child education. Now imagine what all of us can create together, while working in our individual capacities. Yes, taking initiatives is not easy - people laugh, especially at your “idealism”, you think you can’t do it - but it doesn’t matter what you do as long as you follow your instincts.
