--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My final advice for young people is to…" description: "\"My final advice for young people is to not wait for leadership from adult politicians. Step forward today, because our current leaders are denying the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kumi-naidoo-21702_adults_my-final-advice-for-young-people-is-to-n_2918315.jpg" --- # My final advice for young people is to not wait for… ![“My final advice for young people is to not wait for leadership from adult politicians. Step forward today, because our current leaders are denying the dire reality we are facing. Leadership can come form anywhere.” quote by Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kumi-naidoo-21702_adults_my-final-advice-for-young-people-is-to-n_2918315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kumi-naidoo-21702_adults_my-final-advice-for-young-people-is-to-n_2918315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c9/kumi-naidoo-21702_adults_my-final-advice-for-young-people-is-to-n_2918315.jpg) > “My final advice for young people is to not wait for leadership from adult politicians. Step forward today, because our current leaders are denying the dire reality we are facing. Leadership can come form anywhere.” [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Young people shouldn't wait for traditional leaders; they must act now as current leaders ignore urgent crises, and leadership can arise from any source. **In simple terms:** Youth must lead despite inaction. Key Takeaway Take initiative and inspire change. Themes activism leadership youth climate urgency Mood urgent empowering Type activist inspirational pragmatic When to use this quote - environmental NGOs - community organizing - policy advocacy - education programs - digital activism Key Concepts Grassroots movement empowerment social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What can youth do to influence policy? - How can we support emerging leaders? A Different Perspective Lack of experience may hinder effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politician/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Steps forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps-forward/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I think Africa is slowly learning - and painfully - that importance of insisting on responsible leadership. It will come eventually, and we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-think-africa-is-slowly-learning-and-painfully-that-importance-of/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Winning is what happens when commitment, desire, talent, preparation, hard work, and leadership all come together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-coughlin/winning-is-what-happens-when-commitment-desire-talent-preparation/) [Tom Coughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-coughlin/) > [People don't just show up and lie down in the middle of the street some place out of nothing. Somebody said meet me there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-bond/people-don-t-just-show-up-and-lie-down-in-the-middle-of-the-street/) [Julian Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-bond/) > [“Leaders are raised through training and experience. Nobody was born naturally with hand-gloves of leadership. 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Our chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-green/it-s-been-a-great-learning-experience-and-i-m-hoping-these-games/) [Tom Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-green/) > [“Leadership must come from all of us -- the private, public, and civil sectors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-lowitt/leadership-must-come-from-all-of-us-the-private-public-and-civil/) Eric Lowitt > [The responsibility of leadership is not to come up with all the ideas but to create an environment in which great ideas can thrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/the-responsibility-of-leadership-is-not-to-come-up-with-all-the-ideas/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [Struggles only move forward when decent men and women step forward and say, 'enough is enough and no more.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/struggles-only-move-forward-when-decent-men-and-women-step-forward/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Maugham then offers the greatest advice anyone could give to a young author: "At the end of an interrogation sentence, place a question mark.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/maugham-then-offers-the-greatest-advice-anyone-could-give-to-a-young/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“My advice to all young writers is quite simple. I would caution them never to evade a new experience. I would urge them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fante/my-advice-to-all-young-writers-is-quite-simple-i-would-caution-them/) [John Fante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fante/) > [The advice you give to young directors for sure is to go out and become some version of a successful movie actor. Do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/the-advice-you-give-to-young-directors-for-sure-is-to-go-out-and/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [The best careers advice to give to the young is 'Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-careers-advice-to-give-to-the-young-is-find-out-what-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One piece of advice that I would give to any young athlete or performer is remember to thank your mom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-davis/one-piece-of-advice-that-i-would-give-to-any-young-athlete-or/) [Meryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-davis/) > [Whenever I'm asked what advice I have for young writers, I always say that the first thing is to read, and to read a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/whenever-i-m-asked-what-advice-i-have-for-young-writers-i-always-say/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/don-t-be-pretentious-is-my-first-advice-to-young-writers-this-is-the/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) ## More by Kumi Naidoo > [Investing one cent more in oil, coal and gas is investing in the death of society, and the in the death of our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/investing-one-cent-more-in-oil-coal-and-gas-is-investing-in-the-death/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [In Durban, where I was born and grew up, and all over Africa, Nelson Mandela was a hero! Now he is a hero to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/in-durban-where-i-was-born-and-grew-up-and-all-over-africa-nelson/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [With an agenda dominated by global security and U.N. reform, it appears that the decisions needed to lift millions of people from abject poverty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/with-an-agenda-dominated-by-global-security-and-u-n-reform-it-appears/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [ If not one more cent in new aid money flowed \[to Africa\], we could with more urgency and efficiency and creativity be doing much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/if-not-one-more-cent-in-new-aid-money-flowed-to-africa-we-could-with/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Nelson Mandela once said "I can't help it if the ladies take note of me; I'm not going to protest."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-mandela-once-said-i-can-t-help-it-if-the-ladies-take-note-of/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [ \[Nelson\] Mandela was very keen not to be understood as an exceptional person. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-mandela-was-very-keen-not-to-be-understood-as-an-exceptional/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [The Social License is fundamentally about accountability to people and not just powerful interests. John Morrison’s book reminds all organizations – governments, business and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/the-social-license-is-fundamentally-about-accountability-to-people/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Nelson Mandela was just a human being, a person like other people, and everyone relaxed. Within a minute, that sort of thing about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-mandela-was-just-a-human-being-a-person-like-other-people-and/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [I was 15 years old when I first heard the name Mandela, or Madiba, as he is fondly known in Africa. In apartheid South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/i-was-15-years-old-when-i-first-heard-the-name-mandela-or-madiba-as/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Many people theorize poverty, but so many elements of poverty, individually, for most people who theorize about poverty would be really difficult to even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/many-people-theorize-poverty-but-so-many-elements-of-poverty/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [ Nelson's Mandela own sense of himself was a very humble reading, \[different\] from how the world read him. And, quite often, you had the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/nelson-s-mandela-own-sense-of-himself-was-a-very-humble-reading/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [There is no definition of terrorism and there is still the reality that one person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/there-is-no-definition-of-terrorism-and-there-is-still-the-reality/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Currently, we allow our political and business leaders to get away with murder. Now is the time to change that. We need direct liability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/currently-we-allow-our-political-and-business-leaders-to-get-away/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [Sandy was a climate change warning. Obama must now take the stage and fulfil the promise of hope the world needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/sandy-was-a-climate-change-warning-obama-must-now-take-the-stage-and/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) > [You know how they say, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas?' What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumi-naidoo/you-know-how-they-say-what-happens-in-vegas-stays-in-vegas-what/) [Kumi Naidoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) [Explore all 28 Kumi Naidoo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumi-naidoo/) ## More Adults quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Plainly, the environment must be a living one, directed by a higher intelligence, arranged by an adult who is prepared for his mission.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/plainly-the-environment-must-be-a-living-one-directed-by-a-higher/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) K. 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As much as we like them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-i-was-a-child-at-sixteen-i-was-just-a-child-all-sixteen-year/) [Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/) [Browse all 3,113 Adults quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adults/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My final advice for young people is to not wait for leadership from adult politicians. Step forward today, because our current leaders are denying the dire reality we are facing. 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