Coming together in the Color Groups on Monday

The start of the International Student Leadership Institute on Sunday evening of course is a special event for the participants. They probably don’t know what is coming ahead, before Monday arrives. Yet, Monday past like a super sonic spaceship. The first presentation was for Ioannis and Natalie.

Leadership is an omnipresent force that guides and shapes the course of human endeavors. But before leadership can take place, groups need to settle down and get to know each other. That’s why Natalie (CZE) and Ioannis (SWE) learned them to come together as a group. The Regents guided them in there first steps of leadership.

Leadership is not confined to titles or positions; it's a set of skills and abilities available to everyone, transcending age or status. The realization that anyone, regardless of their background or position, can embody leadership is profound at ISLI, yet we understand that enabling leadership skills starts at a young age. The key lies in honing these skills through practice, reflection, and humility: that is exactly what the participants learn here in Oberwesel from their examples.

Their examples, these are of course the Regents. It is Monday and that means the learning curve for the Regents is just getting started as well. Every night during Regent’s Wrap-Up they ask for feedback to the Color Groups and their facilitators so that they know how to improve tomorrow. That’s how they set the example. This presentation was led by Birte (BEL) and Zsófia (HUN).

Before you could set the example within your group, of course you need to set out the values of the group: why are you part of a group? “Values are the most important aspects of succesful leadership,” Senior Regent Cora (DEN) and Mattis (GER) proved. This is because through values and shared values in particular, clarity, transparency and unity can emerge. These are three properties without succesful leadership is near possible.

The last presentation was for Helena (FIN) and Senior Regent Femke (NLD). They were already looking forward to the future and how the goals of ISLI will be achieved already by the end of the week. The Color Groups don’t know yet, but ISLI will be for ever in their hearts. We promise…

In the evening the Regents held Interest Groups about their homecountries: every participating country at ISLI was represented by one of the Regents. They mostly brought snacks and historical facts about their countries and that was very much appreciated.