About the Grit Black Leadership Programme
"The programme is a unique breakthrough workshop designed to help students of Black heritage physically and mentally develop themselves. It builds on the leadership skills and qualities you already possess, allowing you to break interpersonal barriers and transform your way of thinking, as well as your way of living. It allows you to step into your personal power and use the tools that you already have, to create a new sense of empowerment within yourself."
My experience...
"Having had the opportunity to complete the programme twice, I learnt more about myself, and the opportunities that are available to me if I open myself up to them. I made new connections with others and found a new connection with myself. I learnt who it is I want to be and the type of change I want to be in the world.
Whilst the focus in our society is always on who we deem to be the most influential and inspiring person, through this programme I learned that the most
influential person in my life is me.
You have all the tools you need to discover who you are and to feel like you belong, and this is what Grit reminds you of.
The programme reminds you of all the things we were told as children
and how integral we are to this world. Not just because of the legacy of our
ancestors, but because of the legacy we will leave behind in this world.
Some advice I would give is to prepare yourself; it is not easy to uncover how your mindset and past experiences have shaped you and your beliefs. How easy it is for us to use these experiences to negatively impact our lives instead of looking at how they made us stronger. How they have allowed us to be the leader in our lives and how our positive and negative experiences have helped to shape who we are today.
Be open to the experience and to the process. By no means is it easy to undo learned behaviours and decide that you want to be and do better.
It is not easy to adapt the way that you think and to look at the bigger picture and so with that in mind you must be open. Open to change and to learning that there is not always a right or wrong answer, but that everyone has a different perspective that shapes how they perceive the world and their experiences.
Finally, it encourages you to learn how to take responsibility. You will learn that you control how you act and respond, that is a power no one can take away from you. It is what you do with that power that is important, how you use it to your advantage and use it to better yourself."
The confidence and sense of belonging you feel within this space is a feeling that will stay with you for a lifetime. I do hope you learn to embrace it and carry it with you in all walks of life.
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