-Sandhiya Bala, Patchaiyappan and Aarthi
On September 15th, an RTL (Radical Transformational Leadership) session was conducted for the students and teachers of NESS School in both English and Tamil. Students from grades 9 and 11 participated in the session.
It was the first time NESS School students attended an RTL session. The session began with a few minutes of meditation to help participants ground themselves, followed by an introduction to the ground rules. Sanjeev Anna facilitated the session, and students actively engaged by sharing their thoughts and insights during the plenary discussion.
One student shared that the values and fears he recognized during the activity were not new to him but had always been present—he was just noticing them consciously for the first time. Another student expressed that identifying fears made him realize they were not as overwhelming as they seemed.
Through discussions and activities, students explored their inner strengths, self-awareness, and leadership potential. Many of them found the exercises deeply reflective and meaningful and came and at the end of the session several students expressed interest in attending the full 9-day RTL session. They felt that these tools helped them gain a new perspective on themselves and their surroundings. They were also inspired by the phrase, “I am bigger than my name,” which is why we introduced myself to someone with “My name is…” This realization encouraged them to think beyond labels and recognize their true potential.
Overall, the session created an environment for deep self-reflection, encouraging students to embrace leadership with clarity and confidence.
