Chairing the German National Leadership Seminar!

Interview with Ümit (Chair of NaLDS 2011)

1. Question: How did you become chair of NaLDS 2011? Why did you decide to take over this position?

“Well, this is very easy. I was not considered to be chair of NaLDS 2011, because the people who are responsible, that is Peter as the responsible on the National Board and Moritz as the Agenda Manager, of course they were thinking about an international chair. Usually at NaLDS we have an international chair. Of course they were thinking about quality as well, but also about internationalism. And me as a German AIESECer I was not in the first list of people they should ask. Then they had some difficulties to find a chair. And then suddenly a friend of mine I think asked them: “Hey, why not Ümit?” And they were like: “Hey, yeah! Good idea. And why didn’t we ask him in the first place?” So then just around two and a half weeks before NaLDS they asked me. And although I’m already working full time I was able to shift some of my [professional job's] trainings aside. And I said: “Yes, I'm in!” And actually one day I had to leave for a training. I had to go to Leverkusen. And I left in the morning and I came back in the evening.
NaLDS is for me the best and most intense AIESEC conference in the world. I was there as a delegate in 2004, I was facilitator / trainer in 2008 and now being invited to chair this conference is one of the biggest honors that could have happened to me, really. I had to do this, really. I had to do this.
This was a perfect ending of my AIESEC carreer. I ended AIESEC activly two years ago already. That was a great ending.


2. Question: How can NaLDS contribute to the development of young students? How much impact does/can it really have?

Well, if you are young and your whole life is very dynamic, you’re running from one exam to another, from one AIESEC project to another, from one friend to another, from one activity to another, from one project to another, sometimes you don’t have the time to think about were you are right now and who you are and what you’re doing and why you are doing that. These are questions about the status quo. And at the same time thinking about “Who am I?” and “What is important to me?” and how I’m going to live this what I am in the future and what are my goals and what is my vision. So NaLDS for me is a break or a pause button, where you can say “Ok, now I’m really thinking about these things that matter to me, that are really me and myself.” Actually this is NaLDS. To know who you are and what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and for what you’re doing it. This is crucial to your development. I was at NaLDS at the age of 25 and I really felt, for the first time, closer to myself. That’s why I think it is a crucial part of your development. You can take a break and think about all those things. So NaLDS is a perfect place to do so, because there are experienced facilitators, there is a great Organizing Committee, who are taking care of that you can have this break for 7 days. Of course NaLDS can happen everywhere, if you take the time and if you have the right questions to thing about those things, but NaLDS as a conference as we had it is the perfect place to do so.
Well, actually it has a big impact, when you realise who you are and why you are and what you’re going to do next. If you’re already reflective and reflected a lot about yourself and if you took your time and if you had pause and break buttons, then the impact is a little less. Still very intense, but a little less. So I met some people who said “Yeah, I already thought about those things.” But then NaLDS is a great place to meet those people who are already thinking about those things and that you get connected to them and to share.


3. Question: How has NaLDS influenced your way of life?

My traineeship in India changed my life, for sure. And at NaLDS 2004 I realised that I want to take responsibility in this society and especially in AIESEC to send other people abroad, to enable them to go abroad. That’s why I became Vice President Outgoing Exchange [who is responsible for sending German trainees out into the world and support them throughout the entire process]. And in 2008 I just wanted to give this back what I got in 2004 as a delegate, then as a Facilitator. In 2008 I had one of the most intense training experiences with my co-faci. From zero in two days we had a trust towards each other, which was amazing. And the work with the homegroup was so intense as a faci couple. Still I’m talking about Melanie. She is one of my dearest, closest friends. I already trusted people a lot, but after that conference I really felt that I could share everything with her and that I’m able to trust and to give everything I have without expecting anything to get back at first hand. So I saw that with Melanie and this gave me the strength to do that with other people as well.


4. Question: In your opinion: What makes NaLDS so special? (in general & for you personally)

NaLDS is so special, because there are 150 people, who are willing to analyse themselves, to reflect on themselves and to share and to open themselves. 150 people opening themselves, meaningful conversations, asking good questions, questioning themselves, challenging each other. You could have that once in a while with people, but at NaLDS with a whole group of 150 people....that is special about NaLDS, definitely. And we had NaLDS before that in winter and we thought “Ok, NaLDS is special, because it’s winter time with snow and stuff.” But now we had it for the first time in spring and still it was special. So, to me it seems to be not a question of weather, it’s rather a question of 150 people open towards this question, analysing, sharing, trust, honesty, all the people. That makes NaLDS so special.


5. Question: Why does the world need such a conference? Why is it important for AIESEC in Germany?

First, you need to analyse yourself and then decide what you’re going to do and what your responsibility is in this society. That’s why it’s important. Without this people would less think about it. So this kind of conference gives you the chance to realise “Ok, this is what I want to do and this is what I’m taking responsibility for. You can take responsibility in all parts of the society. AIESEC is one option. And at this conference you can have a dicision. Ok, you want to take responsibility at any level of society or you want to take responsibility in AIESEC then. It is important for AIESEC in Germany, because at this conference we have the pipeline of people who are thinking about what kind of they want to take in AIESEC, which is then taking responsibility for the society in a second step.


6. Question: What is your vision for life?

My vision for my life was during a dream journey [where you mentally go through future events in your life theoretically]. Melanie did a dream journey and I took part. And I just closed my eyes and she just asked questions. And suddenly in those questions I saw myself when I was 50. I was in India. I had a big ashram. People from all over the world visited me. And they had yoga classes, meditation, personal development, business trainings and stuff like that. So all people from all over the world were coming, giving some trainings, getting some trainings. So a huge center of knowledge, sharing, philosophy, spiritual aspects. And people from this village were living and working there as well. So there was lots of room and lots of dynamic. I saw the smile of my wife. I haven’t seen how she looked like, but I saw her smile. I had two children, two girls. People who were passing by they called me Bhai, which in Hindi means big brother. With the money we were collecting from this ashram we were supporting projects for this area where we have this ashram. By the way, that was in Pushkar in India. And the projects were about women empowerment and education. That was it about my vision when I will be 50. The thing is, I had that vision in 2008 and a couple of month ago I realised this was just a vivid description of my vision. So, I don’t have to be in India when I’m 50 and have this things, but this idea behind it, that should be part of my vision. So I could be also in Africa, but I could also be in Cologne, or in Berlin, or in Shanghai. I don’t know. It’s just a vivid description.


7. Question: What of your life’s and AIESEC experience did you take to NaLDS to enlighten the delegates?

I shared, what I think about indirect leadership vs. direct leadership, because many things I did in AIESEC were indirect. Because when I do something in AIESEC, let’s say I’m having a leadership position, I have this leadership position to my team members, but what we do is an indirect leadership and we are taking responsibility for the society. So I was a trainee going to India, having an indirect impact and an indirect leadership position. I was a team member of the Outgoing exchange team and so I was sending people out. I was Vice President Outgoing Exchange, sending people abroad. I was in the National Support Team of Germany. I was coaching VPs in the exchange field. And I became a trainer. It’s all indirect, but it’s all leadership to me. I shared that. National Trainers Team, whatever. That was one thing. The other thing: I shared my idea about trust. That my concept of trust is that I immediately trust people and then, if people are not behaving according to trust, then I reduce the trust. Some other people, first they have no trust and then they build up trust. So I shared with the people my idea of immediate trust. I shared with people me and my question how much do I show myself when I’m together with others. I had this example of this ball. And if a ball meets another ball there is only one tiny point were they touch each other and by that they have less contact. So I was thinking about my profile. Why am I not showing my profile? A profile would mean that I would be a cube. And when a cube meets a cube the whole both sides of the cube meet and this is then the connection they have. And this connection is not always full of harmony, but that was my question. Do I really want harmony? Or do I want a connection to a person, an authentic one? So I shared that. I shared my idea of the book of life. That was important, as I told people, that whatever you do right now, it is written immediate in your book of life and that you can choose whatever you write in that book. That you are the author and that you should not give away the book to others, so that they will write your book. So the book of life was another concept of me. I shared the concept of challenging yourself. So I asked the delegates to challenge themselves. So that they go out of their comfort zone to the stretching zone to see and to face the fear they have and to realise how do I feel in those situations of stretching zone, because I really think that in the stretching zone you can develop yourself. And by being often in your stretching zone you can make it to be a comfort zone and in your comfort zone you’re able to perform the best. So you can perform with all your potential


8. Question: What was your NaLDS 2011 moment and why?

My NaLDS 2011 moment was on Wednesday when I came back from my training in Leverkusen. I haven’t seen the people for the whole day. On Sunday the conference started and Monday and Tuesday people were still a little bit shy. We had not that much sharing rounds in the plenary. When I came back we had the session of leadership where facis were painting in front of the plenary. People were talking about the external day and their idea about it. And there was a sharing. And people shared so intense ideas, so inspirational ideas. I just arrived. I came to the plenary and I saw those people sharing. I just saw the last 10 minutes, but that was a very magic moment to see those people have so inspirational thoughts. And now they show it finally. And I was very proud. That was a very magical moment to me.


9. Question: Please sum up NaLDS 2011 in one sentence!

Cause you are amazing, just the way you are!

10. Question: Is there anything left you’d like to tell all the people who haven’t been on a NaLDS, yet?

Yes! If you have the chance to come to NaLDS, apply for NaLDS and come! If you don’t have the chance anymore to go to NaLDS, ask people about the concept and maybe they can help you to create your own NaLDS. That you know: “Ok, what is NaLDS? Ok, they think about vision, purposes, missions, values, leadership.” So that you can have your own NaLDS, that you could ask yourself those questions. That would be also nice. Also encourage other people to go to NaLDS. I told you, NaLDS is the best conference,  most intense conference in the world. It still is to me!

left to right: Peter (National Committee), Lukas (Organisation Committee President), Ümit (me), Moritz (Agenda Manager)