I have been a participant of the Coaches of Influence Foundation (COIF's) iMentor Mentorship Program for two years now.  From the first day I enrolled into the program, I have been observing the trend in leadership and the manner in which the Mission, Vision and Core Values are conveyed in every interaction and situation.

I am inclined to believe that the current global crisis has affected all humanity but it's harder on the young population.  The fruit of the pandemic which includes trauma, deaths and chaos in our world led to the unplanned lockdown and restrictions on social gatherings. And since the mentorship sessions are Instructor Led (face-to-face), its continuity was questionable.  I must have been among the several mentees who almost grew weary thinking about the outcome of my development goals for 2020.

There was silence for a couple of weeks as we all watched in wonder the destruction of lives in many nations.  There was not a lick of hope that we could take a step into the future with mentorship.  You can only imagine the relief I felt when I received an invitation for a conference call in March and later, the announcement that mentorship was going to continue uninterrupted. This was a moment I had anticipated to validate my assessment of the commitment and visionary leadership I thought existed in this organization.

On one hand, I was excited about the possibility to pursue mentorship but on the other hand, I was deeply concerned about the poor internet connectivity and frequent power outages in The Gambia.  Excitement and anxiety built in me as I waited for the first online session.  The day finally arrived and thankfully, I was able to connect.  We were gifted with invaluable words of encouragement from our facilitator which revived our longing souls.

It is quite interesting that from the transition to online sessions in April, a large number of the mentees remained committed to the cause despite all the challenges we encountered with connectivity.  The leadership and personal development sessions in my cohort (2.0) were nothing short of transformational.  I literally came to sessions hungry with the expectation that I will be fed with the right dose of knowledge, words of encouragement and provided the tools I needed to continue navigating my own leadership and growth journey.

I cannot help but point out that I have just come to full understanding of the profound words of John C. Maxwell, "everything rises and falls on leadership".  In a time when many young people were giving up hope, hope kept rising within me.  In a time when most young people were feeling stuck and fearful, I was moving forward and paving a path for the future.  In a time when many have thrown their hands in the air and given up on their commitments, we had all hands-on deck working together as a team.  In a season when many people had carefully placed their dreams and goals on the shelves, we were actively engaged in pursuing ours.

Yes, Maxwell is right because all of this would not have been possible with the absence of solid, committed and visionary leadership.  Now I believe that if a leader understands how to ride the waves and is committed to the cause, the ship will definitely stay afloat amid the wildest storms.  I have the greatest pleasure to report that at COIF, we are keeping the vision alive during these unprecedented times.  We have concluded mentorship for 2020 and are fully ready to embark on the journey for 2020.One thing remains clear; faith, commitment and visionary leadership are the pillars that have made it all possible.

Author: Louie Mendy

Editor:  Dr. Margaret Ellis