Our youth require exposure and education, but what they really need in today’s time are relevant experience and an effective mentorship that helps nurture and provide them with opportunities to showcase their abilities. The only way of doing this is by providing an environment where young talent is recognized through early-identification and assessment methods that will allow us to match the present opportunities with their strengths and assign them relevant tasks that will hone their skills better future. Providing this kind of environment & the opportunities, are undoubtedly some of the necessary contributions we need to make as educators.
Talent Is Where You Find It | Role of Primary & Higher Education
Finding and nurturing future leadership talent is a primary concern for us in today’s scenario. Our teachers play a crucial role in this entire process which usually starts early. From pointing out strengths and identifying students who are good in leadership roles & social interaction, the educators have a key role in searching for the right talent.
Talent needs to be nurtured. In many cases that I have witnessed, it takes someone else who can recognize an individual’s capacity to think bigger or have the potential to make a bigger impact. It's a unique blend of the environment, talent seekers, and untapped talent to identify the right people. One of the major requirements of talent-oriented education is that the students deserve guidance and learning opportunities at a pace appropriate for their development and skillsets. Teachers and counselors from all domains and at all grades and levels can definitely do a better job of identifying the talent of students with average and low potential and those with very high potential.
Honing the leadership qualities in the youth & Mentoring them to be the leaders
"Leaders are made; they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."--Vince Lombardi
Nurturing talent and honing the skills is a process that has to be started early and goes on for a lifetime. Catch Them Young! Yes, you will be surprised to know that developing leadership skills is a slow yet gradual process, and it usually begins very early. Leadership is a quality that does not develop overnight or within a few days. It takes years to develop the knowledge and skills to become an effective leader. The entire process requires mentorship, role models, hands-on learning, making mistakes and learning again from your own mistakes.
These days, most of the leadership development programs focus on teaching new skills and applying the same in the professional world. However, I always feel the need for real-time application and guidance through experienced mentors who can help these young talents in polishing their existing skillsets for their future growth & development.
Great mentors are an important part of any leadership program. A mentor not only has the relevant knowledge & expertise but is also capable of sharing the same effectively. A good mentor always recognizes the specific talent a student has and helps them to excel in it. Mentoring completely focuses on the growth and development of a student and can be successfully used as a strategic tool to shape the future and bring out the best in our students!
Dr. P. Shyama Raju
Chancellor
