Pictures from Nikiyah Clark and Destinee Kerr via Instagram
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. –Lao Tzu
When 17-year-old Nikiyah Clark learned she had been unenrolled from Howard University because she missed a tuition payment deadline, she was devastated. She saw her dream of following in her grandmother’s footsteps who had attended Howard University in Washington, DC vanishing before her eyes. Right then she knew she had a choice to make:
1. Accept the decision and hope someone would respond to her email; or
2. Take immediate action and steps to fulfill her dreams.
At 2:40 am, she boarded a Greyhound bus leaving her hometown in Ohio en route to Washington, DC. She chose to advocate for herself in person. She didn't know whether she would be successful, but her dream was too important to simply give up.
Her story isn't simply about getting into college. It's about leadership.
Lesson 1: Leadership Begins with a Decision
I've learned that successful people don't wait until all uncertainty disappears before acting, and their efforts are not based on a guarantee of winning every game or everything they attempt. As organizational psychologist Adam Grant observed, "Uncertainty is more stressful than difficulty."
So don't let stress defeat you as you are thinking about what to do next. Uncertainty is the part of the decision-making process that can cause overthinking and stress. One lesson that I have recently had to personally put into action is this: get up and take steps in the direction you want to go.
Earlier this year, I wrote a message of encouragement to a friend who was going through a hard time. It was based on a passage from the Bible about the four starving lepers in II Kings 7:3-8. The lepers had been posted up at the city gate waiting for something to happen. Their decision to act taught me that I have to start moving in the direction I want to go. Nikiyah’s example also illustrates this.
Leaders don't always know the outcome. They make the best decision available and keep moving forward.
Lesson 2: Confidence, Courage and Faith
Confidence isn't believing you'll always succeed. It is believing you'll be able to handle whatever happens. My therapist says it this way: "You’ll be okay either way."
The next step is the courage to take action despite uncertainty. Faith is believing that your effort has purpose even when you cannot yet see the outcome. That type of faith cannot always be explained. It simply says, “I’m going to try anyway." Faith is what motivated Nikiyah to take immediate steps to get to Washington, DC. If you need some additional faith right now, check out this quote by the civil rights leader Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Faith Will Not Disappoint, The Morning Comes.
Lesson 3: Persistence Changes Outcomes
Many people quit after the first "no." Leaders understand that today's answer isn't always the final answer. Grammy Award-winning, platinum record selling singer and actress Cher said that “It’s just learning not to take the first no.” Persistence isn't stubbornness. It’s remaining committed to a worthwhile goal even if you have to adapt your approach.
Lesson 4: Learn to Advocate for Yourself
This may be the hardest lesson of all. No one cares about your future more than you do.
Teachers can encourage you. Parents can support you. Friends can cheer for you.
But eventually, you have to find your own voice. You must learn how to respectfully advocate for yourself, especially in emotionally-charged or difficult situations.
In closing, whether you're a high school student preparing for college, an incoming college freshman, or a parent encouraging your child, remember this:
Leadership doesn't begin when someone elects you president of a club or appoints you captain of a team. Leadership begins the moment you make a difficult decision, trust your abilities, keep moving when the future is uncertain, and refuse to give up on something that really matters to you.
Sometimes, the most important part of the journey is taking the first step and then the next step, and the next step, and so on. And oh, by the way, Nikiyah Clark was reinstated to the Class of 2030 at Howard University. Go Bison!🦬
Nona Ogunsula is a leadership workshop leader, marketing strategist, and founder of Liberty Ink. She combines more than 20 years of experience in corporate, government, and nonprofit leadership with a passion for preparing high school students to lead and resolve conflict. She is the creator of the Leadership In Action workshop and the African American U.S. Senators educational poster series, which connects students to the history and impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Nona holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business and a B.B.A. in Marketing from Howard University.
Continue the Leadership Journey with the following resources:
🎓 Leadership In Action Workshop
Help your high school student understand what it means to be a leader, resolve
conflict, and strengthen decision-making skills. Contact nona@libertyinkpro.com
to learn more about workshops.
📚 Educational Resource: African
American U.S. Senators in U.S. History Since 1870 Poster Series (More info: Liberty Ink Leadership and Learning)
Bring history to life with an interactive U.S. History and civic education
resource featuring QR codes linked to primary-source biographies of every
African American U.S. Senator. Perfect for students, families, classrooms, and
libraries.
👕 Women Making History T-Shirt
Gift your teen or incoming college freshman with a Women Making History T-shirt
that reminds them of their destiny. Order here!
On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. For more information, click here.
