The Time is Now: Lessons on Leadership from Operation Smile Student Volunteers

Leadership is not always about standing at the front of a room. For the student volunteers who gathered in Bangkok, Thailand this July, leadership is about listening, serving others and working together to create lasting change.

Operation Smile Student Programs hosted its 34th International Student Leadership Conference (ISLC) in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together over 300 student volunteers from around the world for a week of workshops, panels and discussions. Speakers and students shared lessons about leadership, service and the role young people can play in shaping the future.

Throughout the conference, students reflected on what leadership means to them, how their experiences volunteering with Operation Smile have influenced them and what they hope to carry forward.

Alessia, Peru

For 17-year-old Alessia of Peru, her first ISLC was an opportunity to bring home new ideas. During a workshop, Alessia learned about activities students in other countries have used to raise funds, awareness and educate their communities. She plans to use those lessons to further education efforts in her school.

Her goal is not simply to grow the Operation Smile club among her high school, but to reach younger students as well.

“The knowledge that I’m taking from ISLC will go far beyond raising funds, but mainly educating my school,” Cordero said.

Alessia also sees leadership as something much bigger than a title.

“For me, a leader is somebody that doesn’t necessarily stay up front all the time,” she said. “Sometimes a leader needs to work backwards and let other people shine.”

At her school, Alessia is student club president and leads a team of about 40 volunteers. She said one of the most important parts of that role is making time to listen to each person and value their time and contributions.

“Leadership is far beyond being the president, having the title and leading different activities, but actually getting the time to know each and every one of them,” she said.

Her experiences with Operation Smile have also changed the way she interacts with others. Working with volunteers and engaging with patients and their families firsthand has taught her to become a more empathetic and patient leader.

Those lessons, she said, have made her more conscious of how she leads and more grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness in her community.

Mercy, Kenya

For Mercy, a university student leader from Kenya who helped grow an Operation Smile club from one university chapter to four, says leadership begins with service and teamwork.

“Leadership to me means service,” Mercy said. “It means meeting others at their point of need … and teamwork, always having your team.”

That approach has helped Mercy see the impact student-led advocacy can have. In her community, she has worked to raise awareness around cleft conditions, which are heavily stigmatized in her country.

The most rewarding moments, she said, come when people begin to understand cleft conditions and challenge misconceptions, and when families are connected with lifesaving care.

“It’s really worth it when you see something you’ve worked on becoming a success,” Mercy said. “When you see the change that you’re making.”

Chawin, Thailand

For 17-year-old Chawin of Thailand, leadership also comes down to relationships.

“The most important thing is not actually leading but more like working with people, working with the community,” Chawin said.

A leader, he said, should not alienate themself and try to do everything alone. Instead, leaders need to find people who can help, build a supportive community and support those people in return.

That idea was reflected throughout ISLC: Leadership brings people together.

For these student leaders, leadership is having a shared responsibility, one built on service, empathy, education and teamwork. Whether they are starting a school club, challenging misconceptions, educating younger students or building connections across borders, they are already creating change.