Exchangers' Opinios About Leader

Guys, these great thoughts are some of ours. I think it would be great to be seen around :D

There are many outstanding examples of strong leaders across the world: Presidents, Prime Ministers, community activists, teachers, engaged citizens, etc. Rather than simply giving you examples of such leaders, we prefered to solicit your opinions concerning the specific characteristics that you think constitute a good leader, as well as who in your home countries and host communities exemplify these characteristics. Here is what you had to say!


1. What qualities does a good leader possess?

Aida Zhurgenbayeva, FLEX Kazakhstan to Batavia, IL (Northern Illinois Area Team)
I think that effective leader has to have these abilities: getting along with people (effective listening, follow up with others, giving encouragement and praise for work well done, etc), participating (organizing meetings, group discussions, debating, etc) and respect for others. Also people who are stubborn, nice, cheerful, always active, social are good to be leaders.

Ayun Erwina Arifianti, YES Indonesia to Cave Creek, AZ (Grand Canyon Area Team)
For me, a good leader is a good follower. He/she doesn’t only give order to his member but also understand what their want. He can unite different interests and skills of his members into reaching one goal together. He helps others to become stronger and more independent. He is empathy, compassionate, persuasive, active listener and has a vision. He is professional who can divide personal and group issues in his mind.

Dayu Dara Permata, YES Indonesia to Elizabeth, IL (Northern Illinois Area Team)
In my opinion, a good leader is someone who his or her followers count on and give their admiration to. He or she must have a charismatic personality, compelling character, and influential quality. A person not only has to have an ability to inform and guide his or her followers, but also gives them motivation and moral support against the opposition they encounter.

Ferry Samadhi, YES Indonesia to Abbotsford, WI (North Central Wisconsin Area Team)
The good leader always has a spirit to do a salvation to everybody even to his enemy. If he can do salvation to his enemy I’m sure he could make his followers happy and no one will be his enemy anymore. Just salvation isn’t enough yet, he should know what his follower’s needs, the good leader doesn’t has to follow what his followers want, but what they need, also fulfill what they need. Those things should be done on the right track too, because the leader has to be wise enough to lead them not into the chaos but into glory.

Muhammad Fadhun, YES Indonesia to Brawley, CA (Desert Valleys Area Team)
A good leader has an exemplary character. A good leader is enthusiastic about their work or cause and also about their role as a leader. A good leader is confident. A good leader as well as keeping the main goal in focus is able to think analytically. Also a good leader is committed to excellence and should have an idea than they would to make change in their community.

Patrick Sephira Taum, YES Indonesia to Watertown, WI (Waukesha and West Area Team)
In my opinion, a good leader is a person who can make people unified and lead them toward a better condition or whatever their goal is.




2. Describe someone from your home country who is a great leader. They can be a family member, community member, or even at the national level etc. In your own words, could you share with us why you feel that person is a leader?


Aida Zhurgenbayeva, FLEX Kazakhstan to Batavia, IL (Northern Illinois Area Team)
I had a friend in my speech class, her name is Rashawn, and she is a great leader. She has most of leader characteristics and she inspired me a lot all the time we’ve been together in the same class. Sometimes I admired her and her actions, her potential, her leadership character made me feel better at my speech class. She became my good friend and she helped me a lot with my first speeches. She is really nice and easy going, I think that’s one of the main characteristics of leaders.


Ayun Erwina Arifianti, YES Indonesia to Cave Creek, AZ (Grand Canyon Area Team)
My great leader in Indonesia is my mother. She is caring to me. She understands what I want without spoiling me. She teaches me to be independent and responsible. She wants me to be a good person. She supports me to join many activities that will be good for me in the future like joining AFS. Being an exchange student, it has broadened my horizon and perspective about the world.

Dayu Dara Permata, YES Indonesia to Elizabeth, IL (Northern Illinois Area Team)
As I try to think about a person who is qualified to be a great leader from my country, Indonesia, the first figure that comes to my mind is the former president of my country, Ir. Soekarno. For me he was not only the first President of the Indonesian Republic but also the greatest one. He was an intelligent, courteous, and charismatic leader for his nation. He was the person that gave an initiative and courage to proclaim independence to our nation. He had what it took to be a great leader; the audacity, the charisma, and the personality.

Ferry Samadhi, YES Indonesia to Abbotsford, WI (North Central Wisconsin Area Team)
A great leader from my country is Gajah Mada, he was a great war chief of the Majapahit emperor. He is a great guy. He united many island in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, and Singapore. He took an oath to unite Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago) called “Sumpah Palapa” or Palapa oath, he said he won’t eat a spiced food until he unite the nusantara, can you imagine this is like you eat Hotdogs without ketchup or mustard or chili. That was a hard oath, but finally he made it, that’s awesome. He made it even more than he expected. He made his dream, a huge dream, unite the big nation which divided by many seas. I imagine he must be doing a lot of strategy, leadership and campaign to achieve that. His leadership must be his major factor.

Muhammad Fadhun, YES Indonesia to Brawley, CA (Desert Valleys Area Team)
My friend Julia Novrita. She is a founder of Aceh Youth Council (AYC) Initiative, because of it she get scholarship of Ford Foundation. With AYC she tries to help Aceh and to build Aceh in the future. And AYC also Focus for youth and education in Aceh.

Patrick Sephira Taum, YES Indonesia to Watertown, WI (Waukesha and West Area Team)
The 1st president of Indonesia Ir. Soekarno. I respect him a lot, he is the 1st person who unified Indonesia, which at first as you know Indonesia is not one but lots of kingdoms, and can lead Indonesia to reach our independence - he's the man!




3. Give an example of an outstanding leader in your local US community. Describe the reasons behind your choice.

Ayun Erwina Arifianti, YES Indonesia to Cave Creek, AZ (Grand Canyon Area Team)
I think Bud Bennet, my Student Council’s Leader and my school’s President, is an outstanding leader in my community. He is good in making people comfortable around him although you don’t know him. He is very good speaker and very persuasive. He can manage his members. He is also funny.

Dayu Dara Permata, YES Indonesia to Elizabeth, IL (Northern Illinois Area Team)
In my view, a person that portrays a trait of an outstanding leader in my local US Community is the Senator of Illinois State, Mr. Barrack Obama. I adore him because of his eligible leadership ability along with his honest and down-to-earth personality. I love how he can magnetize everybody’s attention when he comes into the crowd without being bold. He is a type of person every people can put their hopes to on account of his courage to make a difference.

Ferry Samadhi, YES Indonesia to Abbotsford, WI (North Central Wisconsin Area Team)
An outstanding leader from my US community is Mrs. Mary Kusiak, she is a chapter coordinator in North Central Wisconsin area. She lead the chapter, AFS students, volunteers, host parents and many more. She always does a great job, managing her time with family and AFS. She always makes an AFS event enjoyable, fun and warm. She is a great leader, she has been proving it.

Muhammad Fadhun, YES Indonesia to Brawley, CA (Desert Valleys Area Team)
My host family. They are kids doctor in my city so, almost all people know them, when someone asking me, with who I am staying, I said Dr. Baig, then they said, “oh that my doctor when I was kid” or “that my son’s doctor”. For me is so interesting, my host mom who work in hospital and also she active in organization for health care or even for community, especially here in the border.

Patrick Sephira Taum, YES Indonesia to Watertown, WI (Waukesha and West Area Team)
Coach Harms (my wrestling coach). He makes wrestling sweet. And when that time there's issues in the team he can take it wisely and the team somehow respects him, and he is not really a dictator, he's a funny guy too.