Vol. 001 Issue 1- Activating Leadership

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The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential A IESE C EXPLOREAIESEC THE STUDENT SERIES PUBLICATION AN ACTIVATING LEADERSHIP ACTIVATING LEADERSHIP Credits: http://www.ipeacemeal.com/

description

Our first ever magazine release! See what AIESEC has to offer!

Transcript of Vol. 001 Issue 1- Activating Leadership

Page 1: Vol. 001 Issue 1- Activating Leadership

The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potentialAIESEC

EXPLOREAIESECTHE STUDENT SERIES

PUBLICATION

AN

ACTIVATING LEADERSHIPACTIVATING LEADERSHIP

Credits: http://www.ipeacemeal.com/

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The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential

“We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members.”

- AIESEC International

DEFINE:ACTIVATING

LEADERSHIP

https://www.facebook.com/AIESECLaurier

https://twitter.com/#!/AIESEC_Laurier

http://aiesec.ca/laurier/en

http://issuu.com/aieseclaurier

http://aieseclaurier.wordpress.com/

Volume I: Issue I

VP of Communications Design Consultant

Design ConsultantEditor-in-Chief

EXPLOREAIESECTHE STUDENT SERIES

ACTIVATING LEADERSHIPACTIVATING LEADERSHIP

Chungsoon Haw

Catherine Tong

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The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potentialAIESEC

“We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members.”

- AIESEC International

ACTIVATINGLEADERSHIP

See What’s Inside

3 About AIESEC What is AIESEC?

Message from Editor-in-Chief

5 Executive BoardFeaturing LC President

Carson Kolberg

7 Exchange ParticipantsVietnam: Thomas WaiteGreece: Anchal Dhingra

9 Why are you an AIESECer?

Testimonials from Membersof AIESEC Laurier

11 LeadershipSnapshot of Keynote Address Dr. Kevin Lynch: Vice-Chair

of BMO Financial Group

13 AIESEC’s Secret to Longevity

Testimonial from AIESEC AlumniFeaturing Neil Janin

14 Global Leadership Featuring an Excerpt from

“What Being Global Really Means?”

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Design Consultant

Design Consultant

Victoria Dam

Sandro Stojakovic

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Present in over 110 countries and territories and with over 60,000 members, AIESEC is the world's largest youth-run organization. Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers young people the op-portunity to participate in international internships, experience leadership and participate in a global learning environ-

ment. What makes AIESEC unique is the youth driven impactful experience that it offers to its members. AIESEC is run by young people for young people, enabling a strong experience to all its stakeholders.

We currently have 60,000 members and over 945,000 alumni. Learn more about AIESEC through their stories.

- AIESEC International

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Explore AIESEC. The underlying purpose of this publication is to help realize AIESEC’s vision for 2015, which is, “to engage and develop every young person in the world”—it’s a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) isn’t it? We know. But this is what motivates us to go from, “Good to Grand”—AIESEC Laurier’s motto—as an organization.

Explore AIESEC begins with the theme of, “Activating Leadership”, which is one of AIESEC’s six values. AIESEC defines Activat-ing Leadership as, “We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members”. Often times you are required to step up and take on a leadership role within a school or work environment, if neither, than it is more likely than not somewhere local. However, have you ever wondered what it takes to be a great leader? Have you ever wondered how globalization has impacted leadership? Still, have you ever imagined yourself becoming a global leader? You will come to learn that AIESEC is capable of this and much more.

With that being said, it is my expectation that you will gain a greater knowledge of AIESEC in its entirety, not only through this issue, but also in future issues. May you discover for yourself what it truly means to be an AIESECer. I can assure you the jour-ney is worth taking, and one that you will never forget.

Go on, Explore AIESEC for yourself!

Catherine Tong

A Message from the Editor-in-Chief

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Present in over 110 countries and territories and with over 60,000 members, AIESEC is the world's largest youth-run organization. Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers young people the op-portunity to participate in international internships, experience leadership and participate in a global learning environ-

ment. What makes AIESEC unique is the youth driven impactful experience that it offers to its members. AIESEC is run by young people for young people, enabling a strong experience to all its stakeholders.

We currently have 60,000 members and over 945,000 alumni. Learn more about AIESEC through their stories.

- AIESEC International

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Explore AIESEC. The underlying purpose of this publication is to help realize AIESEC’s vision for 2015, which is, “to engage and develop every young person in the world”—it’s a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) isn’t it? We know. But this is what motivates us to go from, “Good to Grand”—AIESEC Laurier’s motto—as an organization.

Explore AIESEC begins with the theme of, “Activating Leadership”, which is one of AIESEC’s six values. AIESEC defines Activat-ing Leadership as, “We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members”. Often times you are required to step up and take on a leadership role within a school or work environment, if neither, than it is more likely than not somewhere local. However, have you ever wondered what it takes to be a great leader? Have you ever wondered how globalization has impacted leadership? Still, have you ever imagined yourself becoming a global leader? You will come to learn that AIESEC is capable of this and much more.

With that being said, it is my expectation that you will gain a greater knowledge of AIESEC in its entirety, not only through this issue, but also in future issues. May you discover for yourself what it truly means to be an AIESECer. I can assure you the jour-ney is worth taking, and one that you will never forget.

Go on, Explore AIESEC for yourself!

Catherine Tong

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Ever Considered 3 Months in India?

To be honest, about 2 years ago I had decided I wouldn't travel to Asia because it was too far out of my comfort zone. Even if you had asked me 12 months ago where I would be now, I don’t think I would have described the following: I was an intern at an 850 student public school in a town adjacent to Chandigarh, India in the Punjab/Haryana state. My daily routine included arriving to St. Soldier’s Divine Public School around 7:55 am, where I was given my schedule for the day. Each day I started out with 1 hour of an interest activity. This included coaching Basketball and Field Hockey. From 10 am to 2:30 pm, I rotated around classes from 2nd Grade to 11th grade,

Carson Kolberg Local Committee President

of AIESEC Laurier

I joined AIESEC to go on an exchange. Two weeks after joining I became president, and started lead-ing a team of �ve incredible people. I have learned that AIESEC Laurier is full of opportunities, some that �nd you and some that you have to �nd your-self. As President, I manage the performance of the Executives, the Board of Advisors and our relation-ship with AIESEC Canada. I divide my time between strategic planning, coaching, meeting partners or externals, and managing projects across the Local Committee. You may also �nd me hosting dinner parties for members, dancing, talk-ing about AIESEC to strangers or travelling the world.

Excerpt from Carson’s Blog:

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Ever Considered 3 Months in India?

To be honest, about 2 years ago I had decided I wouldn't travel to Asia because it was too far out of my comfort zone. Even if you had asked me 12 months ago where I would be now, I don’t think I would have described the following: I was an intern at an 850 student public school in a town adjacent to Chandigarh, India in the Punjab/Haryana state. My daily routine included arriving to St. Soldier’s Divine Public School around 7:55 am, where I was given my schedule for the day. Each day I started out with 1 hour of an interest activity. This included coaching Basketball and Field Hockey. From 10 am to 2:30 pm, I rotated around classes from 2nd Grade to 11th grade,

and memories to take home.

So, when I stated at the end of August last year that I would “get a summer’s experience working in India”, I may not have envisioned the descrip-tion above, but I am proud to have done exactly that.

If you have a few months free and no plan this year, I know a school that might be of interest to you.

Carson Kolberg

where I shared

global perspectives, taught e�ective public speaking skills, and strived to learn univer-

sal similarities of youth (and some Hindi too).

School ran from Monday to Saturday, but allowed me the �exibility to travel on my weekends. In 10 weeks, I travelled to Jaipur, Shimla, Amritsar, Kau-sali, Agra and Rishikesh. I hiked through the Hima-layas, did yoga with Gurus, visited ancient forts, and saw the Taj Mahal. A monthly stipend covered my accommodation (a short 5 minute walk from the school), along with basic food costs. I lived with 15 interns from 9 other countries who worked at a

variety of schools and NGOs.

Sure, it may not revolve around the professional development or money making endeavours you would expect from a summer job, but I now have 10 weeks of developing as an open minded, global minded youth with a wallet full of photos, business

cards (AIESEC helps with the professional side...) 6

“ Its a mistake not to give people a chance to learn to depend on themselves while they are young.” - Walt Disney

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So, what’s the skinny?

If you haven’t heard, I am travel-ing to Vietnam for six weeks! I am not going to write that much now, because I haven’t done anything yet.

I will tell you that I am working with the Hope for Children Project, an orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, through an AIESEC internship

Ho Chi Min City (Saigon), VietnamCredits: Victoria Dam

Follow Thomas Waite’s adventure in the largest city of Vietnam in our next issue!

International AIESEC Stories

What’s Happening?Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam April 28, 2012

offer.

My motivation was to explore—I wanted to try something new, and experience a different taste of life. It just so happened that this job popped up during a finance lecture that I was all too willing to not pay attention to (don’t worry, I passed).

I intend to get everything that I can out of this opportunity. It is thanks to many people that this is even possible, and I hope the experience I am about to have will allow me to bring back some-

Vietnam: The Land of Opportunity

thing positive. If it doesn’t, then I am sure it will at least be fun!

That’s all for now! I’ll let you know when I actually start doing stuff, but as of now I am packed and waiting to fly out at 10:00 tomorrow.

I’ll talk to you again, but from Vietnam — the and of opportunity.

Cheers,

Thomas!

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They don’t think “I.” They think “we”; they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” - Peter Drucker

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Before the Journey...Thessalonike, Greece May 1, 2012

Credits: Anchal Dhingra Thessalonike, Greece

My mom woke me up this morn-ing with a smile on her face yell-ing, “THREE MORE DAYS”! It took me a few seconds to process what she was referring to. Then I remembered. I was heading to Europe for the first time in my life in three days.

It’s funny how things happen for a reason. Had I not been looking

at the walls in the Concourse while walking to class earlier this year, I would have never come across a poster that caught my eye. It said, “Do you want to go to India, China, Brazil or Czech Republic this summer?” I could see myself going to either Brazil or Czech Republic, as I had no other plans for the summer yet. So I decided to check out the infor-mation session. Two informa-tion sessions, two interviews and a whole bunch of emails later, I was approved, and began applying to AIESEC’s

Global Community Develop-ment Projects (GCDP). Just a few days ago, I accepted one of the internship offers, and I am now headed to Thessa-loniki, Greece for 6 weeks.

The post-internship plans are unknown as of now, but I am sure I will be travelling around Europe and hopefully find a job somewhere. The goal is to stay as long as possible before getting kicked out of the conti-nent for not having a visa! I love the spontaneity I adopted this summer, and I am excited to challenge myself and make the best out of this trip.

Everything is happening so fast, and there is so much to be done with so little time! I just booked my flight TODAY, and have not even started packing yet. All I know is that I am super stoked and about to experience one of the best summers of my life!

Big shout out to Michael Fragiskatos (AIESEC Laurier VP of Outgoing Exchange) and the amazing AIESEC Laurier team for being a great help with the whole AIESEC process!

More from Europe!Till then, take care!

- Anchal

International AIESEC Stories

Follow Anchal Dhingra on her amazing internship in Thessalonike, Greece in our next issue!

Greece: The Solution to a Spontaneous Summer

“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They don’t think “I.” They think “we”; they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.” - Peter Drucker

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Why are youWhy are youan AIESECer?an AIESECer?“I am an AIESECer because I found activities outside of the classroom that challenged me. To say that I have been to conferences on every continent except Australia and Antarctica in the last 12 months is a personal inspiration. To say I have a personal network in 70 countries makes me think about how amazing my travelling future will be. To know that something now exists that did not exist before because of a team of dedicated individuals gave me the privilege to lead them. I used to wonder how my predecessor could be so pas-sionate about AIESEC. Now I wake up in the morning to volunteer, to lead, to create and to live a crazy year as an AIESECer.”

- Carson Kolberg

“I am a person who constantly looks for self improvement and ways to better the lives of others. AIESEC is the perfect outlet where I gain practical experi-ence in leading a team, coordinating projects, speaking publicly and sharing ideas with others around the globe. It is the perfect way I can express my passion and build my character.”

- Robert Cekan

“AIESEC gives me the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and network with students around the world while also devel-oping my leadership skills by working within a team.”

- Ena Petrovich

“I am an AIESECer so I can develop leader-ship abilities, gain an international perspec-tive, and to network with other AIESECers and companies.”

- Cindy Dong

“I am an AIESECer because I believe what AIESEC does for others, as well as for myself, is something so amazing that I can't believe many people do not know about it. Sending students on a Global Community Development Project and Global Internship in another country is a huge deal. It has always been something that I have wanted to do- this was the main reason why I joined AIESEC in the first place. But now that I have made it onto AIESEC as a member who aids those going abroad, I have also gained a lot of what I would not have if it wasn't for AIESEC: leadership and interper-sonal skills. I have met all sorts of youth from across Canada, who are all great leaders, and I am glad to say that I have been inspired to be part of a change that connects youth from around the world.”

- Cinyi Haw

“I’m not the best public speaker, my leadership skills need to be perfected, I don’t know much about international relations, heck I don’t know much about myself. This is why I’m an AIESECer.”

- Alex Lee

“I am an AIESECer because I want to grow as a leader. The reason I first joined AIESEC to begin with stemmed from the idea of travelling abroad. But little did I know, AIESEC has provided me with much more than just that. At first, I wasn't aware of how big and the sheer impact this organization was capable of. It wasn't until I attended the National Leadership Development Conference in May that I felt my whole AIESEC experience had broadened. I can now honestly say, by being apart of this organization, I have developed as an individual who is willing to step outside of my comfort zone. So the real ques-tion should be, why aren't you an AIESECer? ”

- Kelly Su

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Why are you an AIESECer?an AIESECer?“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

“I am an AIESECer so I can develop leader-ship abilities, gain an international perspec-tive, and to network with other AIESECers and companies.”

- Cindy Dong

“I am an AIESECer because I believe what AIESEC does for others, as well as for myself, is something so amazing that I can't believe many people do not know about it. Sending students on a Global Community Development Project and Global Internship in another country is a huge deal. It has always been something that I have wanted to do- this was the main reason why I joined AIESEC in the first place. But now that I have made it onto AIESEC as a member who aids those going abroad, I have also gained a lot of what I would not have if it wasn't for AIESEC: leadership and interper-sonal skills. I have met all sorts of youth from across Canada, who are all great leaders, and I am glad to say that I have been inspired to be part of a change that connects youth from around the world.”

- Cinyi Haw

“I’m not the best public speaker, my leadership skills need to be perfected, I don’t know much about international relations, heck I don’t know much about myself. This is why I’m an AIESECer.”

- Alex Lee

“I am an AIESECer because it stands for everything I believe in: fostering leadership to others while develop-ing your own leadership and other personal skills, having a global mindset, using your skills on an interna-tional level, and of course to simply have a lot of fun. There is so much passion and pride within this organi-zation and these are traits I have no shame in showing when it comes to AIESEC. I have met the most incredible and inspiring people thanks to AIESEC and the best part is that once my time at AIESEC is over, we will all still remain the best of friends.”

- Michael Fragiskatos

I'm an AIESECer because... I get to travel, make a positive impact on the world, and meet people that turn into my AIESEC family.

- Victoria Lam

“I am an AIESECer because being part of this great organization has allowed me to step out of my com-fort zone, and discover things I never knew about myself and the many opportunities that are avail-able for us. AIESEC has allowed me to have a clearer vision of my life, as well as allow me to help others make their visions happen. Being an AIESECer has opened my mind to the many differences we have between people, cities, countries, etc. I have truly been inspired by AIESECers from all over the world and the leaders that AIESEC has created and developed.”

- Victoria Chan

“I initially joined AIESEC to improve my professional skills. However, I ended up embracing the community more strongly than any other organization. I believe in AIESEC's mission and the values it bestows on those who take part in it. It is both a privilege and an honour to call my fellow AIESECers friends, and belonging to a network that goes beyond race, religion and culture is an amazing opportunity! Most importantly, it is inspiring to watch students from all across the world dedicated to promote understanding and cooperation for a better future.”

- Muhammad Talal Farrukh Irfan Khan

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Leadership

More often than not, individuals are constantly bombarded with change. Whether it is an extrinsic or intrinsic change is irrelevant. What matters the most is that we accept the change and adjust to it accordingly. Leadership, for instance, has evolved over the years. However, some of the factors that make a great leader haven’t really changed— there’s just more to it now. Today’s successful leader is more than just a reflection of the conven-tional leadership styles you and I may have associated ourselves with. A new leadership style is emerging, with skills uniquely tailored for success in today’s environment, says Carol Tice, author of Building the 21st Cen-tury Leader for the Entrepreneur.

At AIESEC Canada’s annual

National Leadership Development Conference (NLDC), which was hosted in Toronto this year, delegates were pleased to have the honourable Dr. Kevin G. Lynch, Vice-Chair of BMOFinancial Group, speak to them about Leadership during the Youth to Business Forum on May 4, 2012.

Lynch stresses that there is a fine line between leadership and man-agement. The former is crucial during times of change, when there is uncertainty and risk, while the latter is of focus during stable times. Evidently, we are nearing, if not, have already entered this period of change. Environmental and technological issues, coupled with the impend-ing demographical shift caused by the baby boom are slowly, but

surely reshaping the world. As such, leadership is of essence. Because leaders provide a vision, and when there is no vision; the people perish, Lynch says.

Lynch follows up his address with some top characteristics of a leader, which he believes are common to even those who come from a different background. Below are some of the qualities he discusses, which was partly paraphrased and transcribed from AIESEC Canada’s live stream channel.

Creativity. Leaders have to be creative. People want to follow leaders who have ideas, who think differently, who creates a purpose, a sense of energy. You have to be able to answer the “why”, to “why do people want to

follow you”?

Awareness. Leaders need to have superb situational aware-ness. They need to know what is happening around them, and being able to think ahead, not back. It is the ability to think horzontally, not vertically.

Really great leaders can connect the unconnected dots, unlike their counterpart who only connects dots in a linear fashion. Leader-ship is about doing something that is different than what we do now.

Knowledge. Whether you are coming from outside or inside the organization, if you want to change the organization, you have to understand it. You have to know its history, its structure, its dynamics. You have to know the

aspects to the organization before any changes can be implemented.

Ethics. Ethics is really simple. It means you have to know the difference between right and wrong, issue by issue, day by day. It is not complicated. And in lead-ers, this is crucial, because some-one needs to make and setup the moral compass within any organi-zation.

Communication. Communica-tion is about repetition. You have to repeat and repeat and repeat messages overall in order to con-vince people—so it comes inher-ently in their memory.

Decision Making. How do you make decisions as a leader? Argu-ably, you can be a poor leader because you listen too much, and

you can be a poor leader because you don’t listen enough. Leadership again is about having that innate sense of balance to know that at the end of the day a decision has to be made, and you have to be accountable for it. So again, don’t go for either or models of decision making.

Enthusiasm, Energy and Con-fidence. Every single leader that you will ever see has enthu-siasm, energy and confidence. They radiate it. They exude it. People don’t want to follow somebody who is falling asleep, who can barely stand up and move forward. They like energy. People respond to energy.

- Catherine Tong

A Snapshot of Kevin Lynch, Vice-Chair of BMO Financial Group’s Keynote Address at the National Leadership Development Conference 2012 in Toronto

Credits: AIESEC UBC from Twitter

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Leadership

More often than not, individuals are constantly bombarded with change. Whether it is an extrinsic or intrinsic change is irrelevant. What matters the most is that we accept the change and adjust to it accordingly. Leadership, for instance, has evolved over the years. However, some of the factors that make a great leader haven’t really changed— there’s just more to it now. Today’s successful leader is more than just a reflection of the conven-tional leadership styles you and I may have associated ourselves with. A new leadership style is emerging, with skills uniquely tailored for success in today’s environment, says Carol Tice, author of Building the 21st Cen-tury Leader for the Entrepreneur.

At AIESEC Canada’s annual

National Leadership Development Conference (NLDC), which was hosted in Toronto this year, delegates were pleased to have the honourable Dr. Kevin G. Lynch, Vice-Chair of BMOFinancial Group, speak to them about Leadership during the Youth to Business Forum on May 4, 2012.

Lynch stresses that there is a fine line between leadership and man-agement. The former is crucial during times of change, when there is uncertainty and risk, while the latter is of focus during stable times. Evidently, we are nearing, if not, have already entered this period of change. Environmental and technological issues, coupled with the impend-ing demographical shift caused by the baby boom are slowly, but

surely reshaping the world. As such, leadership is of essence. Because leaders provide a vision, and when there is no vision; the people perish, Lynch says.

Lynch follows up his address with some top characteristics of a leader, which he believes are common to even those who come from a different background. Below are some of the qualities he discusses, which was partly paraphrased and transcribed from AIESEC Canada’s live stream channel.

Creativity. Leaders have to be creative. People want to follow leaders who have ideas, who think differently, who creates a purpose, a sense of energy. You have to be able to answer the “why”, to “why do people want to

follow you”?

Awareness. Leaders need to have superb situational aware-ness. They need to know what is happening around them, and being able to think ahead, not back. It is the ability to think horzontally, not vertically.

Really great leaders can connect the unconnected dots, unlike their counterpart who only connects dots in a linear fashion. Leader-ship is about doing something that is different than what we do now.

Knowledge. Whether you are coming from outside or inside the organization, if you want to change the organization, you have to understand it. You have to know its history, its structure, its dynamics. You have to know the

aspects to the organization before any changes can be implemented.

Ethics. Ethics is really simple. It means you have to know the difference between right and wrong, issue by issue, day by day. It is not complicated. And in lead-ers, this is crucial, because some-one needs to make and setup the moral compass within any organi-zation.

Communication. Communica-tion is about repetition. You have to repeat and repeat and repeat messages overall in order to con-vince people—so it comes inher-ently in their memory.

Decision Making. How do you make decisions as a leader? Argu-ably, you can be a poor leader because you listen too much, and

you can be a poor leader because you don’t listen enough. Leadership again is about having that innate sense of balance to know that at the end of the day a decision has to be made, and you have to be accountable for it. So again, don’t go for either or models of decision making.

Enthusiasm, Energy and Con-fidence. Every single leader that you will ever see has enthu-siasm, energy and confidence. They radiate it. They exude it. People don’t want to follow somebody who is falling asleep, who can barely stand up and move forward. They like energy. People respond to energy.

- Catherine Tong

A Snapshot of Kevin Lynch, Vice-Chair of BMO Financial Group’s Keynote Address at the National Leadership Development Conference 2012 in Toronto

NLDC 2012 in Toronto

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”

- John F. Kennedy

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It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Explore AIESEC. The underlying purpose of this publication is to help realize AIESEC’s vision for 2015, which is, “to engage and develop every young person in the world”—it’s a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) isn’t it? We know. But this is what motivates us to go from, “Good to Grand”—AIESEC Laurier’s motto—as an organization.

Explore AIESEC begins with the theme of, “Activating Leadership”, which is one of AIESEC’s six values. AIESEC defines Activat-ing Leadership as, “We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members”. Often times you are required to step up and take on a leadership role within a school or work environment, if neither, than it is more likely than not somewhere local. However, have you ever wondered what it takes to be a great leader? Have you ever wondered how globalization has impacted leadership? Still, have you ever imagined yourself becoming a global leader? You will come to learn that AIESEC is capable of this and much more.

With that being said, it is my expectation that you will gain a greater knowledge of AIESEC in its entirety, not only through this issue, but also in future issues. May you discover for yourself what it truly means to be an AIESECer. I can assure you the jour-ney is worth taking, and one that you will never forget.

Go on, Explore AIESEC for yourself!

Catherine Tong

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AIESEC’s Secret to LongevityNeil Janin

Director McKinsey & Company

AIESEC was not like other student organizations that I became involved with as a busi-ness student at McGill University in the 1970s. I belonged to a few associations concerned with investment and entrepreneur-ship, but their focus was local. Having lived in a foreign country for the first twelve years of my life, I was drawn to AIESEC’s global operations and outlook. My family and I had immigrated to Canada from Lebanon, so I was comfortable with diversity and the idea that the world was a big place. What I didn’t realize, is that AIESEC and its powerful reach is much larger than I first thought.

It was in AIESEC that I discov-ered for the first time my leader-ship style and it hasn’t changed since. After gaining some solid experience in the business com-munity by soliciting and raising internships for the McGill local committee, I became Eastern Regional Director for AIESEC Canada. I was responsible for reviving and growing the local committees of Quebec and the Maritimes. This role pushed me to be decisive and make execu-tive decisions while coaching, motivating and guiding members to strengthen their local teams. I was making a contribution by helping others reach their goals, and today as a seasoned

member of an international consulting firm, I am happy to be doing the same.

On a personal front, AIESEC has made me realize how precious human relationships are. I made some wonderful, life-long friends such as Bob Crockett and Jim Miller who asked me to join AIESEC Canada’s Board of Advisors. I was fortunate to have gone on two summer internships, one to Neuchatel, Switzerland and the other to Stockholm, Sweden, where I met like-minded people from halfway across the world. There were about 25 foreign interns in Stockholm with me that summer and not only did we feel connected but welcome in a place other than our own home. To this day, Stockholm feels like a familiar place to me and one that is close to my heart.

I have lived in Paris now for over 25 years and continue to meet people all over Europe who, at one point in their life, have been in AIESEC. I find it extraordinary that the organi-zation has survived for five decades and has such far-reaching exposure around the world. I know that for me, AIESEC provided me with a personal richness that will stay with me forever – maybe that’s the secret to its longevity!

- Neil Janin

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” - Harold R. McAlindon

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It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Explore AIESEC. The underlying purpose of this publication is to help realize AIESEC’s vision for 2015, which is, “to engage and develop every young person in the world”—it’s a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) isn’t it? We know. But this is what motivates us to go from, “Good to Grand”—AIESEC Laurier’s motto—as an organization.

Explore AIESEC begins with the theme of, “Activating Leadership”, which is one of AIESEC’s six values. AIESEC defines Activat-ing Leadership as, “We lead by example and inspire leadership through our activities. We take full responsibility for developing the youth leadership potential of our members”. Often times you are required to step up and take on a leadership role within a school or work environment, if neither, than it is more likely than not somewhere local. However, have you ever wondered what it takes to be a great leader? Have you ever wondered how globalization has impacted leadership? Still, have you ever imagined yourself becoming a global leader? You will come to learn that AIESEC is capable of this and much more.

With that being said, it is my expectation that you will gain a greater knowledge of AIESEC in its entirety, not only through this issue, but also in future issues. May you discover for yourself what it truly means to be an AIESECer. I can assure you the jour-ney is worth taking, and one that you will never forget.

Go on, Explore AIESEC for yourself!

Catherine Tong

Page 15: Vol. 001 Issue 1- Activating Leadership

AIESEC’s Secret to Longevity Global Leadership

Globalization. According to the Merriam-Webster 2012 online dictionary, the first known use of this word was in 1951. However, by no means does this imply globalization is a recent phenom-enon. In fact, globalization has sown its seeds more than a thou-sand years go—the “Silk Road” is a classic example. Fueled by the rise and expansion of multina-tional corporations in several countries, the erosion of trade barriers through treaties (e.g. NAFTA), and etc.; globalization has become a hot topic as of late. And its implications from a busi-ness perspective are often associ-ated with challenges leaders need to face in this continually global-ized society. As Ángel Cabrera, the president of Thunderbird School of Global Management and the coau-thor of Being Global: How to Think, Act, and Lead in a Trans-formed World, puts it, the old mantra “think global, act local” is woefully inadequate to describe the complex realities global lead-ers face [today].

Below is an excerpt from Cabrera’s article, What Being Global Really Means?1, featured on April 19, 2012 in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network2. Cabrera discusses the qualities of a global leader, thereby stressing the importance and need for global minded individuals in today’s day and age.

The global mindset allows leaders

to connect with individuals and organizations across boundaries. Their entrepreneurial spirit equips them to create value through those connections. And their citizenship drives them to make a positive contribution to the communities they engage with. Connecting, creating, and contributing are the three core tasks that make or break a global leader.

Leaders who possess a global mindset are able to interpret and decode situations from multiple, even competing, points of view3. They have an insatiable interest to learn about other cultures. They care to understand other people's perspectives and suspend their judgment to do so. They are knowledgeable about economic and political issues around the world and can grasp the inherent complexity of inter-national affairs from multiple national perspectives. Finally, they nurture relationships with associates and friends around the world and have a unique ability to transcend cultural barriers and cultivate trust.

Global leaders utilize their under-standing of cultural and institu-tional nuances and their global connections to create new forms of value by bridging people and resources across boundaries in novel ways, whether to create a better or cheaper product, improve the efficiency of a key

process, access a new pool of resources, or serve a new market. Sometimes they do that by leveraging differences across boundaries, sometimes by leveraging similarities, and sometimes by building and exploiting networks or by adding reciproal value add.

But true global leaders are defined not only by their worldly knowledge and connec-tions, nor by the global oppor-tunities they seize, but by how they contribute to the improve-ment of the multiple contexts in which they operate. True global leaders don't exploit one com-munity to benefit another. They find solutions that create multi-directional value4. They don't see business as a zero-sum game, but as a mechanism to bring about prosperity to more.

Globalization has brought unprecedented benefits to many, but not all. Hundreds of millions have escaped the dehumanizing effects of hunger and poverty. But hundreds of millions remain trapped in them. Our ability to build a truly sustainable and inclusive world economy will depend on how well we help new generations of leaders to become global.

With that being said… are you ready to become a global leader?

- Complied by Catherine Tong

Excerpt from Ángel Cabrera: What Being Global Really Means?

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1http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/what_being_global_really_means.html2http://hbr.org/3http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/04/how_to_manage_confrontation_in.html4http://blogs.hbr.org/hbsfaculty/2012/02/a-new-era-for-global-leadershi.html

Page 16: Vol. 001 Issue 1- Activating Leadership

The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potentialAIESEC

AIESEC Laurier © Copyright 2012

Ready for the AIESEC adventure?

We’d love to hear back from you!

http://bitly.com/joinAIESECLaurier

where I shared

global perspectives, taught e�ective public speaking skills, and strived to learn univer-

sal similarities of youth (and some Hindi too).

School ran from Monday to Saturday, but allowed me the �exibility to travel on my weekends. In 10 weeks, I travelled to Jaipur, Shimla, Amritsar, Kau-sali, Agra and Rishikesh. I hiked through the Hima-layas, did yoga with Gurus, visited ancient forts, and saw the Taj Mahal. A monthly stipend covered my accommodation (a short 5 minute walk from the school), along with basic food costs. I lived with 15 interns from 9 other countries who worked at a

variety of schools and NGOs.

Sure, it may not revolve around the professional development or money making endeavours you would expect from a summer job, but I now have 10 weeks of developing as an open minded, global minded youth with a wallet full of photos, business

cards (AIESEC helps with the professional side...)

http://j.mp/ExploreAIESECFeedback

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