Introduction #
Okay, Let’s Be Real: I’m an Introvert
Leadership wasn’t exactly on my to-do list—most days, I was just trying to survive class without accidentally starting a debate.
I was the person sitting in the back row, hoping the professor wouldn’t call on me, and counting how many minutes I could stay focused before zoning out.
But eventually, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take on leadership roles.
I ended up leading Passion and GDSC, managing over 100 volunteers and impacting more than 1,000 people through various community initiatives.
I made my fair share of mistakes along the way, but those moments were crucial in helping me learn and grow.
It hasn’t always been easy, but looking back, I’m grateful for the chance to have made a difference.
Leadership and helping others also helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect.
Why I Started Leadership #
It seems like in every article, I want to mention The 29 Days Challenge Trip first.
It’s the reason I started journaling and decided to apply to IYLEP.
The 29 Days Challenge Trip impacted me in so many ways.
I went there, and the community was amazing and supportive.
They helped me overcome my fears and develop more as a person.
It challenged me to grow, and I gained values like giving, empathy, and constant self-improvement.
I felt so grateful for the opportunity, and I wanted to give something back.
Just like the organizers of that initiative, I decided to do something that could also have an impact on people, and something that was within my capabilities.
The Passion Community #
I spent a big part of my life learning hard skills and gaining knowledge.
So, I had the idea of sharing them or teaching people in a more fun and interactive way.
I also wanted people to gain knowledge and improve their English by listening and speaking.
We used to have interactive English sessions, talking about various topics.
We also posted articles about gaining skills.
I wanted to do more, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone, so I posted a volunteering form.
To my surprise, a lot of people applied, and I ended up with a team of volunteers.
At first, leading a team and giving tasks was harder and slower than doing everything alone.
But with time, I learned how to lead in the right way by making mistakes and learning from others.
Of course, trying to do everything on your own won’t bring the best quality or result.
A team is really important—the tricky thing is how to manage the team.
I’ve helped a lot of people, and someone even told me I changed their life.
It makes me so happy knowing that I might have had an impact, even if it was small, and even if it was just for one person.
Over the course of a year, I’ve done a lot and learned a lot through Passion.
Volunteers come and go, and I was able to lead more than 100 of them.
Passion gained more than 1,000 members on our main platform, Telegram.
Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program (IYLEP) #
I’ve made a post about this before, but I talked in general.
If I’m going to talk about my leadership journey, I have to mention IYLEP.
It’s not about the academic structure or the things they taught—I knew most of it.
But the program really helped me learn about myself and my leadership style.
I learned about the different problems we are facing and how we can try to solve them.
The most important thing I took from it is that now I know what it means to be a leader.
To me, leadership is taking responsibility, trying to solve the problem, and not complaining about it—no matter how big it is.
It’s about having a growth mentality and inspiring and impacting others.
Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) #
I was the founder and lead of GDSC Al-Mustansiriyah University in 2022-2023.
I wanted to have the same impact that I did with Passion, but this time in person, at the university, and more focused on English and skills that are in demand in the freelance/job market, like programming.
I had the expertise this time, but I didn’t have much luck with it.
My university made it a headache to sign up for the club, and we didn’t have much freedom.
I was frustrated a lot of times. I didn’t know what to do.
But I did what I could. I made a core team, and we started.
We held weekly English meetups inside the university.
We organized a few workshops on diverse topics in hard and soft skills.
And we created courses on programming, design, and English.
I wasn’t a great leader, but I did what I could, and with the help of my team, we accomplished a lot.
Most importantly, I learned a lot.
I faced challenges, got through them, and it helped me grow both professionally and personally.
Conclusion #
Looking back, this journey wasn’t about being perfect—it was about showing up and trying to make a difference.
It hasn’t always been easy, and I made my share of mistakes, but the lessons I’ve learned along the way were worth it.
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about learning, growing, and inspiring others to do the same.
I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and for the chance to help others along the way.
Through it all, I’ve seen the impact of taking responsibility, supporting a community, and leading with a sense of purpose.
And that’s something I’ll carry with me, no matter what comes next.