Following the Lead of Young People: Lessons in Leadership

In this inspiring talk, Mohan Sivaloganathan shares his journey from a failed leadership attempt at Procter & Gamble to becoming the CEO of Our Turn, a youth-driven organization for educational reform. He humorously recounts his early struggles, revealing how conventional leadership models didn’t work for him, and how embracing the leadership of young people transformed his approach. Through examples of youth advocacy, like combating book bans, Mohan outlines four lessons learned from young leaders: emotional intelligence, boundless ingenuity, the power of storytelling, and rejecting false choices. He emphasizes the need for leaders to engage with youth, change their language, and hold themselves accountable to foster inclusive and impactful leadership.