3. Lead And Get Others Involved - Lead Your Project To Success

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Jennifer Corriero and Ping Ya-Lee, TakingITGlobal,   "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 13) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 13. Verbatim.

Identifying your skills and characteristics will help you LEAD your project to success. Start by understanding your own strengths and needs, and then consider how creating a team could help you better achieve your goals. Helping your team members identify and leverage their own strengths and talents for the project is an important part of leadership. It is also important to ensure that all those involved are able to share in the vision of what you are trying to achieve. 

Think of someone who shows strong leadership. What makes that person a good leader? Create a list of leadership qualities. Some examples are:

• Accountable
• Compassionate
• Dedicated
• Fair
• Honest
• Innovative
• Motivational
• Open-minded
•  Responsive
• Visionary 

Develop a team and get others involved. 

Once you have reflected on your personal leadership assets and goals, you are ready to develop a team and GET OTHERS INVOLVED. The box "Community Action To Improve Environment" describes how, through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), many girls and women have formed strong teams and have involved others. You can develop a team by starting with people you know and then expand the project to the wider community. Discuss the environmental issues in your community. How can you encourage members of the community to take part in your project to address the issues? 

4. Get Connected

You can also develop a team by networking and GETTING CONNECTED to people you have not yet met, but would like to work with. They can be associated with people who you already know, or you can try to connect with a network already working on the issues that matter to you. 

You can start by attending events and conferences on biodiversity  (see box: "Biodiversity Matters International Youth Symposium for Biodiversity").