By Lamia Lahrech, YES 2005-2006, Algeria

I have been standing on two sides of the learning experience; the learner side and the trainer side. I had the chance to participate in the Transformational Leadership Training in Rabat, Morocco, led by the Salam Institute and the YES program, last May and here I am about a month later putting my learning into action and leading a TLT with Algerian youth. The learning wasn’t only about other people, but also about oneself. Considering the needs of Algerian youth, the training was directed to increase understanding of different forms of leadership and to shed light on transformational leadership. The focus was on the notion that “leaders are here to inspire and motivate, rather than manipulate, since we are looking for the long term change and relationships.”