The Member of Parliament for Madina, Hon. Dr. Francis-Xavier Sosu Esq., has urged young people and aspiring leaders to understand that true leadership is fundamentally about service and the positive impact they make in the lives of others.
Speaking to students and young leaders at GIMPA during the SRC Student’s Forum, Dr. Sosu emphasised that leadership is a journey that requires patience, commitment, humility and a genuine desire to serve.
“Leadership is a journey, and we must always realise that. That is how it is going to be,” he said.
According to him, people often judge leaders based on their current positions without considering the long journey, sacrifices and experiences that contributed to their growth.
“Many times, people look at us and see the end product of a very long journey. When people look at us and make judgments from where we are, they make a lot of mistakes,” he noted.
Dr. Sosu referenced a statement attributed to Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, stressing that a person’s success should not be measured solely by the positions they occupy, but also by the depth of their growth and development.
He therefore encouraged young students and emerging leaders to pay close attention to their journey and the opportunities they have to serve.
“My journey as a leader started from a genuine desire to serve. Throughout my life, it has been about service, service, service,” he stated.
Dr. Sosu explained that leadership should not be measured by titles or positions alone, but by the impact an individual makes through their actions.
“Your impact as a young leader is not determined by the position you hold. It is easy to yearn to be in one position and another and play some roles in leadership, but it is the impact that your life creates that shows the effect of your leadership,” he said.
He urged young people who aspire to leadership positions to make service their primary motivation.
“That is why, when you first think of becoming a leader, the first thing that should come to your mind must be service. If your first goal is, ‘How do I serve? Where do I serve? In which capacity do I serve? How do I create an opportunity to serve?’ then your leadership will be impactful,” he emphasised.
Reflecting on his own leadership journey, Dr. Sosu revealed that his first experience of leadership and service began at a very young age.
He recounted that he was given the opportunity to serve as a cupboard boy in Primary Four, before later becoming a bell boy in Primary Six.
According to him, these seemingly small responsibilities were important steps in his development because they provided opportunities to serve others and learn the values of responsibility and leadership.
His leadership journey continued at St. John’s Grammar School, where he served as a class captain and became involved in the Students’ Union (SU).
He subsequently served as the General Secretary of Zone 5 of the Greater Accra Students’ Representative Council (SRC) before later becoming its President.
Dr. Sosu also served as the Senior Boys’ Prefect of St. John’s Grammar School, further demonstrating his progression through different levels of leadership and responsibility.
He noted that despite attaining leadership positions, his circumstances did not immediately change, recalling that he was still sleeping in a kiosk during part of his journey.
For Dr. Sosu, the experience demonstrates that leadership is not about the comfort, prestige or status that may come with a position, but about the willingness to serve regardless of one’s circumstances.
He therefore encouraged young people to embrace every opportunity to serve, regardless of how insignificant the role may appear.
“If you want to be a great leader, let service be your hallmark,” Dr. Sosu concluded.
