KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

An event entitled "Success Begins with Thinking: Conference for Young Leaders" was held at Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) on March 20. The objective of the joint initiative by ASPU Student Scientific Society (SSS) and EduTrend project is to build a powerful youth community that will contribute to personal accomplishment and improvement of education quality of young people.

In her opening remarks, Acting President of the ASPU SSS Mane Bareghamyan emphasized that leadership is not just a position or title; it is an idea that can occur to anyone regardless of their age, profession or status. She believes that the conference will reveal the secrets of shaping independent or influential leaders through education.

Mariam Ispiryan, ASPU Vice-Rector for Education and Science, welcomed the initiative and emphasized that nowadays more than ever effective leadership implies not only strategic thinking, but also a human approach. She believes that it is built on trust, shaped through communication, and reinforced by practice. “Not only should we lead, but also inspire by creating an environment where every person feels important and strives for the best," she said.

The ASPU vice-rector wished the participants to have a productive and interesting meeting and voiced hope that the discussions will help deepen knowledge, exchange experience, and develop the skills and qualities that a trusted and influential leader needs to have.

The speakers dwelt on a number of issues, including "The Proactive Leader: How to Inspire, Unite and Transform," "Emotional Intelligence and Leadership," "The Other Side of Success," "The Importance of a Leader’s Style." During the event the participants, who have achieved success in their fields, presented their ideas on leadership.

Gor Karapetyan, Co-Founder and Director of “Targeting Agency” and “Simple Business Academy” companies, who is also the author of the books “The Hidden Side of Success” and “The Proactive Leader,” promised to share [with the young people] the set of tools that will help them throughout their life, when assuming any role.

Speaking about soft skills, the speaker cited his own example and said that leadership is an important component that an employer needs to have. Gor Karapetyan said other important qualities that a leader should have are responsibility and initiative. He regretted to say that Armenia faces a leadership crisis. Then he confessed that he gives lectures at a university hoping to see positive change in the field. “When you strive to be a leader not for a position or office, but for responsibility, it changes you, it 'grows you up,’ he stressed.

Lilit Gevorgyan, Head of Human Capital Advisory Services at Grant Thornton Armenia and a lecturer at Yerevan State University (YSU), started her speech with a question: “Who wants to be a manager and who – a leader?” She then gave the definition of the word ‘leadership.’

Lilit Gevorgyan noted that more than 20 leadership styles have evolved over the past decade, and the previous perceptions and models of a leader are experiencing a crisis: qualities of a leader are changing. Self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social relationships… Lilit Gevorgyan then focused on emotional intelligence skills and components, and current challenges. She advised everyone not to look for happiness in a leadership role, but to look inside themselves and build their future accordingly.

Diana Haroyan, Co-Founder and Head of PR and Communications Department at Big Projects, spoke about the other side of success. She believes that success is a sense of self-fulfillment and satisfaction ‘that lives according to its values and enjoys the fruits of its efforts.’

Diana Haroyan then spoke about the misleading perceptions about success, specifically, success is always linked to happiness, it is only determined by natural talent, the key to success is to be quick, successful people never fail, etc.

Summing up her speech, the speaker said that history is not over, nor are the opportunities; as long as we live and breathe, everything is possible, including achievements and failures.

Aram Nikolyan, a lecturer at the Chair of Fine Arts at ASPU, a fashion designer and a stylist, the founder of the “Nikolyan” brand, also addressed the meeting participants. He particularly spoke about a leader's style and identity, as well as the importance of being fashion savvy. "When I'm asked, “What's trendy these days?” I answer, “Trendy is the person who shows his identity and expresses his individuality” In the case of a leader, it's crucial to be an individual."

Mane Bareghamyan, founder of Catch Up Production and Co-Founder of High Up Event Agency, also spoke at the meeting on the topic "Not Problems, but Opportunities: How to Develop a Winning Mindset."

The meeting was followed by a panel discussion. The participants, who gave the best answers on leadership, received books.