When you think of a leader, you might picture someone bold, loud, and commanding. But leadership isn’t always about being the loudest in the room. In this talk, Samara Shaheen explores the power of quiet leadership, and how listening, empathy, and authenticity can inspire teams and create lasting change. Drawing on personal experiences and examples from world leaders, Samara shows that true leadership isn’t about speaking the loudest, but lifting others up. Samara Shaheen is a freshman at Folsom High School. She has been in Hands4Hope, a community service club, for three years, and has been treasurer and vice president of the club. She has earned 150+ service hours through organizing and participating in many fundraisers for non profit organizations, such as a carnival held last year for a nonprofit called WeEmbrace, and has won the National President’s Volunteer Service Award twice in recognition for her work. She was also a part of the Speech and Debate team in middle school, and has participated in many tournaments. Passionate about science, math, English, and reading, Samara hopes to do something in the future that combines her academic interests with her leadership philosophy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx