At times people are startled when I refer to them as a leader. “But I’m only an employee, a student, or a volunteer,” they say in protest. For they believe that leadership is defined by role, position, age or appointment. I don’t.
I believe leadership is about who you are and what you do. It is seeing a way to create a better future, stepping up to make that happen and engaging others in the pursuit of that goal.
To illustrate my point, let me tell you a story about Lilly. It is a story about a fourth grader in Missoula, Montana, who is making a difference to other girls her age around the world. It is a story of seeing a need, finding a way to make a difference, and engaging others to help.
Lily began making her birds in 2012 as part of a school project. The birds are sewn from scraps of fabric, stuffed and stitched together by hand. Then, two years later, Lily learned some facts that startled her as she read Malala Yousafzai’s memoir, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.
This 9 year old was startled to discover that:
- Not all girls get to go to school
- 2 out of 3 people across the globe that have not been taught to read are female
- Only $5 can send a Nepalese girl to school for a month
And so Lily and her sister Maizy decided to sell those colorful birds that they had learned to make, with the proceeds going to the Power of 5 Conscious Connections Foundation and the Malala Fund.
“Girls that go to school educate their children to go to school which makes the world a better and more peaceful place,” Lily explains. “I hope that one day I will see more girl presidents and great leaders in the world, but it all starts with going to school.”
To date, they have stuffed and shipped an amazing number of birds, raising serious money – which has resulted in many months of education for girls far away from Missoula. They also share their pattern for the birds to others, so the ripple effect is immeasurable.
That, my friends, is leadership. And it has nothing to do with age or role or position. It is within the grasp of all of us, if we choose to step up.
If Lily’s cause has inspired you, you can go to Lily’s Lovebirds to support her and her work.
If Lily’s leadership has inspired you, find something that needs to be done, created or righted. And just get started. Take small steps, over time, and you’ll be surprised about the big results that occur. Engage others, as many hands makes light work. But you must start!
(Many thanks to Linn Veen who shared Lily’s story with me.)
