By Marian Stas / Bucharest
Almost five decades of communism stripped many East European countries, Romania included, of basic social attributes – a phenomenon sharply visible in smaller, more traditional and conservative, communities, particularly rural and small urban areas. When it came to “leadership”, several generations matured without any appreciation of the responsibility entailed in making a civil, democratic society, or a business oriented attitude – hence, an acute “leadership deficit” at all levels of the society.
Today in Romania, there is an urgent need to nurture true leaders. The current educational system fails to teach the students necessary skills to help them become better employees and involved citizens. For decades, Romanian education has discouraged the students to question, to judge, and to challenge - qualities which are fundamental aspect to leadership and taken for granted in many countries around the world. Little was learnt about “doing the right thing” or experiencing the power of “networks of trust” as means of influencing others or learning the meaning of “envisioning” and “teaming” through participation in civic groups, voluntary clubs, or sports. Unfortunately, current high school curricula still do not provide students with such skills or learning experiences. Young people soon learned that “me” was more important than “us”; the system bred abuse, too, which infects all of society.
Leadership education is such a critical missing piece in the formal educational system that there is an opportunity for high impact intervention that has a potential for enormous return to the society at large. A new educational paradigm must attempt to move the next generation from me to we and from them to us. It must cultivate people’s ability to build trust, to listen, to communicate, and to be a leader of competence and character. This process is also about learning to cope effectively with change, as well as to implement and manage change, i.e. exercise effective leadership.
“Leaders for the Third Millennium”®, probably the first relevant leadership program for high school students offered in Romania – with the initial support of The British Council, benefitting also from the support provided by Romanian-American Foundation, and with a long-lasting partnership with Tenaris Silcotub corporation –, contributes to fill the gap between school and the real life. Counting more than 10,000 graduates since its start in 2002, the program became a model of best practices, and a brand in the rich marketplace of non-formal educational programs.
MORE about the program and the need for the paradigm shift in the Romanian education.
A personal note: US-RO relationship
In 1999 I graduated from a Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program offered by then John F. Kennedy School of Government (currently, Harvard Kennedy School). And since 2000, this year counting my 12th professional experience of the kind, I have been invited to teach Quantitative Methods in HKS Mid-Career Summer Program. Harvard University and The Greater Boston Area are my pillars of reference when it comes to what I feel as a very special, personal connection to the United States of America.
I would also add wonderful family memories from the year that our son Vlad spent in Harbor Springs, Michigan, as an exchange high school student. We treasure the friendship with his “American parents”, as well as Vlad’s transformation as a young man of character and deep values, blended into his human and professional growth following his American experience.
This is, to me, America at its best.
