“When young people step into these spaces,” she says, “we bring perspectives that are urgently needed. We see the world differently, and that difference is part of the solution.”
When Adjoa Assan speaks about leadership, she doesn’t begin with positions, titles or polished rhetoric. She begins at the margins — the places young people often find themselves, even when the policy decisions shaping their lives are made just a short distance away. A Menzies Global Voices Fellow and rising youth advocate, Adjoa’s leadership is rooted in lived experience, academic curiosity, and a steady conviction that young people hold insight critical to the nation’s future.
For Adjoa, stepping into leadership did not come from waiting to be invited. It came from a shift in posture — a realisation that young people cannot afford to ask for permission to participate in shaping national priorities.
“Purpose begins when we stop asking for permission to lead,” she reflects. That single insight has become a guiding principle in her work and a catalyst in how she approaches influence, impact and responsibility.
Seeing Systems Up Close
Her recent experience through Global Voices and the Y20 process crystallised this transformation. Travelling to Canberra, Adjoa entered spaces where national agendas are debated, negotiated and refined. The trip, she says, “allowed me to take part in high-level meetings and skill-building workshops. For someone outside the government space like myself, this was a rare opportunity to learn from decision-makers directly.”
It wasn’t just the proximity to power that shifted her thinking — it was seeing how systems actually function. Behind the formality of Parliament House and departmental briefings, she noticed something else: the quiet but transformative role that relationships play. Influence, she observed, is rarely a solo act. It is forged through networks, trust and the confidence to engage with complexity.
“This trip gave me fresh insights for my policy proposal and valuable connections to follow up with,” she explains. “It made the work feel real and within reach.”
The Barriers — And the Enablers
Adjoa is clear-eyed about the challenges facing young people who aspire to contribute meaningfully to public policy. Structural gatekeeping often limits access. Traditional hierarchies prioritise seniority over lived experience. And institutions that speak the language of “innovation” and “youth inclusion” do not always practise it.
Her reflections point to a deeper truth: the people most affected by long-term policy decisions are often the least represented in shaping them.
But Adjoa also highlights what creates momentum for change — intergenerational leadership, genuine partnership and cultures that value diverse forms of knowledge. When institutions make room for youth perspectives, she argues, the quality of decision-making improves. “If we want to build an inclusive and sustainable future, then youth voices need to be actively shaping how decisions are made,” she says.
The Y20 process embodied this aspiration. Through global collaboration, shared agendas and an emphasis on social and economic equity, it underscored the power of youth leadership not as symbolic representation but as strategic capability.
Leadership as Collective Practice
What stands out most in Adjoa’s reflections is her understanding of leadership as a collective endeavour. While her personal journey is inspiring, she consistently returns to what communities, mentors and systemic support make possible.
Leadership, in her view, is the courage to step into unfamiliar spaces — but also the humility to do so alongside others. It becomes meaningful because it is relational, grounded and purposeful.
At the Menzies Leadership Foundation, this belief sits at the heart of the Global Voices Fellowship. Investing in emerging leaders is not merely a pipeline strategy; it is a commitment to strengthening Australia’s long-term civic and policy capability.
Adjoa’s experience affirms this approach. Her reflections illuminate a leadership landscape that is changing — slowly, unevenly, but decisively — as young advocates claim their space with clarity and conviction.
A Future Shaped By Young Voices
Adjoa leaves us with a powerful reminder: the future of leadership will not be defined by those who hold the most seniority, but by those who bring the fullest diversity of experience, imagination and courage.
“When young people step into these spaces,” she says, “we bring perspectives that are urgently needed. We see the world differently, and that difference is part of the solution.”
Her story is not just a personal narrative—it is an invitation. An invitation to rethink who gets to shape national conversations. An invitation to widen the table. And an invitation to recognise that leadership is not something young people grow into someday; it is something they practise now, with impact felt far beyond the rooms they enter.
Australia’s policy future is being shaped by the voices that have long been kept from the table — and that is beginning to change. Young people like Adjoa Assan carry perspectives forged through lived experience and deep community connection that are urgently needed in national conversations. Leadership that is inclusive, relational and grounded in diverse experience doesn’t just reflect a better future — it builds one.
The Menzies Leadership Foundation is committed to walking alongside emerging leaders as they step into these spaces with clarity and conviction. If you believe young people deserve to lead now, we invite you to stay connected with our work.
