22 Oct Khalid’s Corner: Be a Leader!

Words of wisdom from community leader, Khalid Elahi

Be a Leader!

I understand why some people might hesitate to use the term “leader.” A leader is expected to be brave, intentional, on point and real. You see leaders go off on their own with confidence and make things happen.

But leaders start off as intelligent followers. They gather knowledge in life and school in order to come back to their community and help raise leaders in training. We need a multitude of proactive individuals who pass on positive information so that younger generations can mass produce a community of thinkers and doers.

The single biggest problem that we face as African Americans and people of color in inner-city communities today is lack of true leadership.  We must eliminate that defeatist attitude about what you cannot achieve before you’ve even tried. We must stop living in fear about stepping out into the world. We must attempt to do something that has never been done before.