This log reflects my week 4 Leadership in Action experience, which started on June 9.

What went well?
This was the week of fine-tuning. Confirmations were trickling in, and the agenda looked more like a polished symphony than scattered notes. I also managed to sneak in an article into the shared drive for context (which made me feel very academic).

What could have been done differently?
I could have been more assertive in pushing for certain meetings—sometimes I wanted to back off too quickly when schedules looked tight. Lesson learned: people make time if they see value. And sometimes, you need to repeatedly communicate the value till people can see it.

What did I learn about myself when working with others?
I realized I bring a mix of optimism and realism. I don’t shut down wild ideas, but I also gently remind everyone that we can’t teleport across Dhaka in 15 minutes.

What did I learn about leadership?
Leadership is storytelling. When I framed our mission in terms of youth futures, people listened. When I stuck to “partnership structures” talk, I could feel from the other side of the screen that eyes glazed over.

What do I want to develop or focus on next?
I want to sharpen my storytelling for different audiences—lawyers need one version, schools another, banks a third. Mr. Bokhari once told me that the way he learned how to tell JA Worldwide's story was listening how others told it.