Contrary to popular belief, every student has leadership qualities. The onus of developing these qualities falls squarely on society and educational institutions.
Studies say that some of the important leadership skills that students need to develop include communication, collaboration, listening and positivity. For a student to be a successful leader, they must try to learn these attributes.
But how are students to develop these skills when our education system emphasises on academic pursuits over social skills development?
Students are generally forced to study for exams that only measure how good their memorising skills are. Rote learning and staid educational environment do not help create young leaders.
Today’s highly competitive world demands students to be confident, communicate better, think critically, solve problems, make timely decisions, collaborate with others, set goals, take responsibility and behave ethically.
So how can students develop leadership qualities?
Here are some suggestions:
Join a student club: I was in a music club when I was younger. My team needed a synthesiser, but no one wanted to approach the authorities for fear of being sucked into an administration quagmire. I decided to bite the bullet and approach the Dean with my request.
It was scary, but it taught me to face the authorities, communicate my needs with confidence, and finally acquire the instrument for our club.
So, go ahead and join a club, and if possible, participate in club elections. This will improve your confidence, make you more accountable, and enable you to work better in a team.
Volunteer: It is a great way to learn empathy, compassion and the art of giving, and a good leader has all these attributes. It could be planting trees, saving stray animals, offering peer counselling to someone in distress, or helping an older person pay their utility bills; there’s a gamut of wonderful things you can do for others. Many organisations need volunteers to fulfil their missions.
Sign up with any of them, be diligent in your commitment and start your journey towards becoming a kind leader.
Organise school events: Being a part of the organising committee will enable you to learn leadership skills like problem-solving and decision making.
It will also teach you that leadership does not always mean being visible to everyone, it also means contributing off-screen. Also, organising events is a great way to hone one’s managerial skills like punctuality and critical thinking, while dealing with chaos and crisis.
Participate in competitions: Thanks to the internet, you can now participate in many student contests from the comfort of your room.
You could pitch your idea to a panel of investors as part of a competition, try debating, submit your essays/stories to a literature fest, participate in a coding hackathon – the list is endless.
The essential element of participation is not the victory, but the possible failure and the urge to try again. Failures build character while falling and trying again builds resilience, all essential traits of a leader.
Join student bodies: Student bodies such as National Cadet Corps not only provide chances to improve your leadership qualities but will also help you get a leg up in your higher education.
These bodies have local chapters in various cities, search for them and join them. Participating in these student bodies will help you learn essential leadership skills like collaboration and networking.
You will also be exposed to global cultures and languages and become more comfortable interacting with people from various backgrounds and behaviours.
Don’t wait for your school or teacher to help you become the leader the world wants tomorrow.
Instead, take the initiative to hone those skills yourself by joining clubs, networking with like-minded students, learning communication skills and trying to be more confident.
(The author is founder & CEO of a new age school)