Leadership Through Storytelling: Practicing Voice at FIUTS

What does it mean to be a leader? At FIUTS, we believe that leadership is not only about taking action. It’s also about listening, reflection, and knowing what you stand for. One of the core skills we practice in our programs is voice—the ability to share your story, speak your truth, and connect your beliefs to the impact you want to make.

For the past several years, students in FIUTS leadership programs have participated in a public speaking practice inspired by the 1950’s radio show This I Believe. Each participant shares a short personal statement about a belief that shapes their life and leadership. The result is always powerful: moments of vulnerability, clarity, and connection that stay with us long after the program ends.

Here are a few excerpts from across the years:

“Each time I help someone, tutor someone, compliment someone, check on a sick friend, my heart is warmed by the smiles on their faces. Even if they don’t smile, I know I’ve planted a seed of kindness that will grow into a tree and replicate itself.”
— Emanuel, Nigeria

“I believe in collaboration over competition. I believe that success tastes sweeter when shared—not because it’s easier, but because it’s human.”
— Nino, Georgia

“As I got to the shelves I found it there patiently waiting for me. It has been over three years now since I read that book—and many others since then. I sometimes wonder how my life would have become if I had not invested in books… It is a result of the paper and word married together that I have been able to direct the course of my life.”
— David, Botswana

“I believe that every woman and child, especially those with disabilities, deserves protection, dignity, and opportunity... I have worked to bridge the gap between policy and real-life impact.”
— Mpho, South Africa

“Now I choose kindness in the smallest moments. Letting a stranger go first in line. Texting a friend just to say, ‘I’m thinking of you.’ Speaking gently to myself when I fail. These aren’t big things. But they matter… Kindness became my way of staying whole.”
— Ani, Armenia

Every time we hear them, the reflections shared by students are different. They’re shaped by each student’s lived experience, their values, and their vision for the future. But they all speak to a kind of leadership that is rooted in self-awareness and grounded in purpose.

Leadership doesn’t always mean having all the answers. It starts with knowing what you believe in, and having the courage to say it out loud.