Mohammed Al-Arifi added potential leaders should not accept half-solutions and follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions in terms of leadership qualities.
He made this observation on the third day of the 2nd Gulf Young Leaders Forum (2nd GYLF). Al-Arifi's comments came during his presentation late in the evening on leadership character building and self-leadership held within the framework of the 2nd GYLF organized by Riyadh Schools at its headquarters under the auspices of Prince Salman, minister of defense. More than 300 participants representing GCC countries were present.
Al-Arifi unveiled his plans for serious dialogue with a number of preachers and scholars to train and rehabilitate 1,000 leaders and youth after his part in the formation of the World Association for Preachers. He added that a preacher can be a doctor or an engineer or a teacher and work through his website.
With regard to the role of the community in supporting leaders, Al-Arifi said the qualities of the leader can be summed up by three things: boldness, initiative and willingness to continue calling on young people not to wait for the support of the community, but trust and rely on God. At the same time, he blamed the failure of the community to provide necessary support in this regard, with the exception of a few members.
Speaking of his personal experience in preaching and specialization, he explained he has plans to obtain a doctorate degree and specialization in dawa (guidance). He started giving sermons at mosques while he was at high school despite difficulties and discouragement from some members of society.
He urged students to be cautious and patient when choosing a friend. “A man is influenced by friends, so you must choose a friend who will help you and guide you to the right path,” he said, adding those who want to be a leader should be ready to seek advice in order to avoid making mistakes.
Another speaker, Undersecretary for Planning at the Ministry of Culture and Information Abdul Aziz Al-Melhem, spoke about the qualities of the leader that include persistence, determination, vigor, consistency, humility, patience and desire.
He added that producing a leader is intertwined with a number of factors and effects and that there are many talented young people who need care and support, stressing that failure should not be a reason to stop anyone’s quest for success, but must be a motivation for success. He cited the example of the great scientist Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb despite failing several times.
Al-Melhem elaborated shyness should not prevent young people from looking forward to becoming leaders. He said some leaders in the world are introvert, but they excelled in leadership and innovation and made scientific discoveries.
Osama Al-Ali from Bahrain said some people look at leadership as a quest for luxury in life, although this is not true. Leadership is essential because it is linked to faith and the spiritual dimension and that achievements are not possible unless there is a will and strong leadership.
He added the best leaders are the ones who have their fingers on the pulse of the people and behave in a positive way. Ali argued that Islam calls for leadership, so there is a spiritual aspect.
Meanwhile, in a robotics competition held at the end of the evening, of the 170 students representing 34 teams, 16 teams qualified for the final stage. Abdurrahman Al-Ghofaili, director of Riyadh Schools, distributed the gifts and prizes to the winning teams at the end of the session.
