Leadership in Action: Inspiring Change From Campus to Community

Author: Christian Narh Fiergbor

Now that my team’s research has been published, I’ve been reflecting on how I got here. When I was a kid in primary school, I never would have imagined that I would have the opportunity to attend a prestigious school like Ashesi University and become a student researcher of an international research initiative like the Reach Alliance! As a concerned citizen of Ghana, I have always looked for opportunities to contribute to providing solutions to major problems in my own way.  Joining the first Ashesi Reach Alliance team was a huge privilege I never took for granted. As a student researcher who had already published two co-authored non-academic articles, I wanted to engage in academic research to develop my knowledge and skills. Our team’s research on the No Bed Syndrome caught my attention because the syndrome has been a wicked problem for some time now in Ghana’s health sector. I’ve come to better understand how Ghana’s healthcare system works, the root causes of the problem, and its complexity. With Reach, I have also developed my data analysis, presentation, academic writing, and teamwork skills. My fondest moments are of brainstorming and collaborating with my fellow student researchers.

Outside Reach, I am the president of the Ashesi Project Management Club, which seeks to foster essential project management skills in students to help them plan and organize the various projects they work on, both in and out of Ashesi University. I am also a fellow of the Sigma Squared Society, a global network of young entrepreneurs under 26. And I’m the founder of Stories That Inspire, a LinkedIn blog series that aims to inspire others of their ability to succeed despite challenges by describing the impactful engagements of young change makers who have risen from humble beginnings. Stories That Inspire started as my quest to find out my purpose in life. At one point, I realized I was not getting meaning from my work. I started looking for what might give me the fulfillment I sought. After reading The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and reflecting on my life journey, I realized how I want to promote the impactful activities of young people like me. I want to inspire others who think their background and conditions in life will make it impossible for them to achieve their dreams. By telling these stories I hope to foster possible partnerships and collaborations with other people and organizations whose interests coincide.

In August 2024, I will participate in Reach’s ASF Youth Assembly delegation in New York. This is a great opportunity for me to connect with student researchers from other institutions, meet other young impact makers and industry experts, and contribute to conversations on global issues facing today’s world. Now that I’ve gone through my own self-reflection as well as the research and report-writing process with my team, my advice to young leaders is to pause, reflect, and find their purpose. And don’t get intimidated by rejections or disappointments! They are opportunities for redirection and restrategizing for growth.

Learn more about Christian’s Stories That Inspire series and reflections on leadership in action.