Everyone has a place where they feel safe. For me, that place is a person—my kung fu master. He helped me understand what makes humans unique, something no robot could ever replace. One evening at my kung-fu school, just after I had nearly lost someone important in my life, he looked at me, hugged me, and asked:
“What happened?”
I hadn’t told him I was struggling, and I wasn’t crying, but he saw it in my face. Without words, he recognized my pain and offered his support to help me through it. Before I met him, I thought leaders were like bosses—intimidating figures I had to fear. But through his actions, he showed me that true leadership comes from empathy and kindness, from being someone others can trust—something a robot could never have, something only a human can offer.
In the following years, I began my own journey as a leader, inspired by my kung fu master. By the age of 16, I was leading a Girl Up club with another ten girls. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure how it would all work, but I knew one thing: regardless of the scenario, I’d be kind to them and help them face their fears, just like my master had done for me.
Teaching them how to make public speeches, run fundraising campaigns, and organize the team’s schedule was the easy part. But true leadership revealed itself to me on a night when I was heading home after a long day and saw one of my members crying alone. I sat by her side, gave her a hug, and stayed with her the entire evening, offering the same empathy and support my master had given me years before.
My journey of becoming a leader—first as a follower and then as a guide—taught me that leadership isn’t only about sharing technical and theoretical knowledge, like a robot would through Artificial Intelligence. It’s about being a friend who can help others understand their feelings, overcome their fears, and become stronger than they ever thought they could be.
Now and in the future, society’s leaders must understand that true success lies in creating a united and empathetic team—one where trust is strong and members are willing to take risks for each other. I have embraced my master’s legacy because I believe his empathy made me a stronger, happier, and more energized person. I hope my Girl Up club members will carry this same legacy forward, continuing to inspire and support each other.
Even if robots take over the world, they can never fully replace us. What makes us human isn’t our ability to perform technical tasks, like driving a car, but the emotions and connections we share with each other—like love, empathy, trust, and happiness—which make each person feel special and unique.
Ultimately, I hope our world leaders will embody these human qualities, becoming a source of support and safety for many lives around the world.
