Genius or Outlier: Inspiring the leaders of tomorrow

Looking to the leaders of today to inspire the leaders of tomorrow

As part of a mentorship program, I had a few folks ask a million-dollar question: “How do you trust your leader?”

What gives someone the confidence to take that leap of faith?

I set out to find some answers.

Reflecting on leaders who have inspired me, I asked myself the following:

• What makes these leaders inspiring?
• How can we trust these leaders?
• How do these leaders instill hope and faith (even if we have never met them in person)?

Trust and credibility are interconnected when you are charting your own path, and I believe an inspiring leader is often someone who will support you no matter what lies ahead. It’s a leap of faith on both sides.

The book Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, opened my eyes to questions I had never considered before:

• Who decides a cutoff date for schools or programs? Why?
• Are we giving equal opportunity to all students, irrespective of age?
• Are we giving equal education to all, irrespective of background?