No one can deny the importance of education, especially traditional education that most individuals in our society experience, which is a key element in building skills and knowledge. However, despite its significance and quality, there are certain areas it does not fully address—such as nurturing critical thinking, personal maturity, and responsibility. As the number of graduates increases annually, some studies indicate a gap between what educational institutions expect and students’ readiness for the job market. Employers find a lack of leadership and effective communication skills. In addition, many graduates choose traditional career paths in search of stability, which may impact rates of initiative within the workplace. These trends raise questionsabout their effects on the future of society and the labor market.
When this gap is ignored, we leave an empty space that may be filled with superficiality, conformity, or stagnation. Redefining education must include building leadership awareness, strengthening individual responsibility, and training youth to make decisions and take initiative. Education without guidance is like a ship without a compass.
Are our youth interested in taking the reins of leadership?
Economic, social, and political transformations are accelerating across the Arab region. Youth stand at the forefront of these changes, but the question remains: Do they have the motivation and passion to lead in this phase?
The current period requires young people who are not just executors, but proactive leaders who can steer the ship toward the future. Yet, before their eyes, they see leaders in the news and on social platforms who lack genuine leadership values, which increases frustration and diminishes ambition.
Reports confirm this reality; it was recently published that Generation Z is 70% more likely to avoid leadership roles compared to previous generations, while another report noted that only 6% of Generation Z aspire to executive positions, which they associate with exhaustion, bureaucracy, and a loss of authenticity. These numbers are concerning, but they are also a call to action.
Here is where our role at Hannan comes in.
There is a difference between preparing a young person for a job to perform its tasks, and preparing a leader for a greater mission. A career depends on technical skills, while the mission requires broader awareness, the ability to think strategically, self-discipline, and the courage to make decisions even in the toughest circumstances. What’s needed today is not only competent employees, but people who can make a real impact in their organizations and communities.
Any outstanding student can get top grades, but that does not mean they can make tough decisions or have the presence to inspire others. Some skills are not built through curricula alone but are shaped in environments rich with real-life experiences: group projects, practical challenges, situations requiring decisiveness and courage, and opportunities to choose and bear responsibility.
This is the value of the programs we adopt at Hanan, which blend values, experience, and practical application. Here, youth learn that leadership is not a title or a position; it may occur within an institution, within a family, or even as self-leadership. Leadership is an attitude and a behavior. Progress is built not just on information, but on people capable of using it to create a better future. Our mission begins by equipping youth with leadership tools, critical thinking skills, teamwork arts, and by restoring their confidence that they are not just part of the story, but its makers. When youth lead themselves first, they become able to lead others, and only then can we ensure the ship reaches safe shores, not the sea of the unknown.
