Leadership Matters.

One man's quest to change a continent, in this video Patrick Awuah tells the story of how he learned to think about leadership and how it matters to the world using his native Ghana as an example.  Soft spoken and extremely articulate, his insights into the future of Africa are profound and teach a number of great lessons that can be applied to our own lives and country.

If you don't have the time to watch the video, consider these six important messages:

1) The manner in which we educate our leaders is fundamental to progress . . .and will make all the difference.

2) Good leaders do not emerge spontaneously, somebody trained them.

  
3) When a leader fails, then the nation suffers.

4) Leaders develop the ability to deal with ambiguity and complexity, to deal with problems they have never seen before.

5) "The real privilege of leadership is to serve humanity."

6) Leaders should never have a stronger sense of entitlement than their sense of responsibility.

Patrick Awuah left Ghana as a teenager to attend Swarthmore College in the United States, then stayed on to build a career at Microsoft in Seattle. In returning to his home country, he has made a commitment to educating young people in critical thinking and ethical service, values he believes are crucial for the nation-building that lies ahead.

Founded in 2002, his Ashesi University is already charting a new course in African education, with its high-tech facilities, innovative academic program and emphasis on leadership. It seems more than fitting that ashesi means "beginning" in Akan, one of Ghana's native languages.

Bio reprinted from Ted.com