The leadership toolbox 

The value of the YGL community lies in the quality and character of the YGLs. Although they’re all high achievers, they are also at a stage in their lives when they’re really comfortable in their own skin. So there’s an overriding humility that permeates the community – there’s no grandstanding and nobody goes around telling each other how great they are. There’s tremendous mutual respect and an unspoken trust. I’ve never properly done business with a YGL, but if I did, we would trust one another.

The other half of the story is really the spirit that underpins the community: the desire and commitment to improve the state of the world. Much of that flows from how YGLs are selected in the first place. They’re people who have been successful in their careers, but invariably this is matched by an abiding interest in a greater cause, a social good or a community of interest. There is always something more than just the day job, and I think it’s this that binds the community together and makes it truly special.  

When I decided to run for public office in Australia, the YGL community helped me in many ways. There are a number of current political leaders among us and we frequently have discussions about standing for office and the importance of public service. Fellow YGL François-Philippe Champagne and I often talked about his political aspirations in Canada and mine in Australia. We joked we should both aim to be Prime Minister at the same time. There is also a YGL public leadership boot camp led by Lisa Witter to prepare YGLs to make that leap to public office.  

During my campaign, I always knew YGLs were only a phone call away with advice, encouragement and support. Just recently, we organized an innovation forum in my electorate. The Australian YGL community generously reached out and we had an almost exclusively YGL panel discussion on innovation with Jeremy Howard, who flew all the way from Silicon Valley, Tony Abrahams and James Moody. I don’t think the local audience of small business owners had experienced anything quite like the amount of innovative brain power in the room that day.  

Some years ago, I was part of the campaign to make Australia a republic; we came close but in the end were not successful. I realized something when I spoke to a group of young political activists and aspirants at the 2013 YGL Annual Summit in Myanmar – real social change is a long-term process and you may not be successful every time. The most important thing is resilience and the ability to learn and stay passionate. Resilience and personal strength are qualities that YGLs are encouraged to develop as part of their leadership toolbox. YGL sessions often involve discussions about facing adversity, about integrity and the importance of having values that guide you.  

Being a YGL has made me feel a lot less alone in the universe, aware that there is a group of people out there with whom I have a unique bond, to whom I can reach out and who will instinctively understand where I’m coming from. I am constantly having my horizons expanded by a group of extraordinary friends. Each time I meet YGLs, I come away energized and inspired to focus again on the things that are genuinely important to me. And more than anything, I find myself reminded of just how large the world is and of the things that are truly worthy of our energy and intelligence.