Nurturing tomorrow’s leaders through a selfless service mindset
A few years ago I had the privilege of facilitating the Global Scholars’ Programme at the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg.
Our participants were teenagers from affluent backgrounds throughout Africa, Europe and the US.
Community service was an integral part of the programme.
Together, we ventured into townships around Johannesburg and Pretoria, engaging with children at an Early Childhood Development centre and elderly residents at a retirement home.
What struck me most was the sheer joy and empathy radiating from these young participants as they played with children, painted an entire ECD centre, tidied up the retirement home, and fed the elderly.
Back in my school days, where I grew up, there was something called “community service” during which our teachers would teach us about the importance of community service, and involve us in cleaning the streets.
We were often requested to donate our few cents to some charitable cause, and despite my humble background, these were some of my happiest moments.
Fast forward to my nine years of teaching in KZN and the Eastern Cape – community service barely made it into the classroom conversation.
The focus was only on education as the ticket to a better life. Even asking pupils to clean up their classroom was almost considered abusive, let alone asking them to clean up their community.
In my work as a non-profit leader, I have experienced several shocking situations where the same young people we invest in, demand payment for what should be a small act of selfless community service.
In the middle of our current leadership chaos, there might be a simple yet potent solution – community service, deeply rooted in ubuntu.
As we guide the youth into leadership roles, let’s ignite the fire of selfless service as it holds the power to change our communities and entire nation.
Children raised in a culture of selfless service have the potential to become civil servants with a genuine spirit of service, rather than individuals seeking self-interest.
The erosion of the culture of service in communities not only hinders the development of empathetic leaders but also perpetuates the prevalence of self-interest over collective wellbeing, contributing to ongoing issues of poor service delivery that affect our society.
Research shows that acts of selfless service develop traits such as empathy, compassion, and humility, qualities of great leaders:
Leadership skills: Selfless service lets the youth lead projects, make decisions, and organise. It’s a leadership bootcamp, with heart.
Understanding others: Selfless service teaches the youth to understand what others are going through. That makes our neighbourhoods more peaceful and more welcoming.
Problem solving: Through selfless service, pupils face reallife problems and learn to come up with clever ideas.
Foundation for a purposedriven life: Selfless service gives children a sense of purpose beyond personal success, inspiring them to change the world, one good deed at a time.
It’s crucial to reignite the flame of selfless service in our youth, inspiring them to lead with compassion, humility, and a deep understanding of ubuntu.
Through the revival of this spirit, we will not only shape the leaders of tomorrow but also pave the way for a society where kindness, empathy, and selfless service to others reign supreme.
Let’s keep teaching our children about selfless service.
Together, we can create a future where being a good leader is about helping others and looking out for everyone’s wellbeing, not just our own. And remember, when we give selflessly, life gives back to us.
— Dieudonne Allo is the director of NPO Global Leading Light Initiatives. Based at Stenden SA, GLLI works within disadvantaged communities to create opportunities to end poverty by promoting an inclusive tech economy. Allo is the author of ‘Breeze of Liberation, ’ which focuses on wellness and authentic empowerment. This column used to be called Stem Sense.
Through the revival of this spirit, we will not only shape the leaders of tomorrow but also pave the way for a society where kindness, empathy, and selfless service to others reign supreme. Let’s keep teaching our children about selfless service