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Stu

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Bhaktapur, Nepal

16 June 2011 rbtdhakal@

yahoo.com

The Leader in You

There’s no magic formula which can develop young leaders…sorry. But, I do believe there are some intentional actions we can take to help teenagers better understand and follow the ways of leadership. Today I’ll share some of my thoughts on student leadership.

You start benefiting from leadership skills at almost any age. Not only will you gain more self-esteem and interact more effectively with your peers, and teachers, you can also make an impact on your community. These qualities will continue to develop and evolve as you grow up. Many students admire leadership in others, but are hesitant to become leaders. Teenagers, like you, are often subject to peer pressure, and worry about how others view them. If we agree ‘The child is father of the man’, then we believe that teen age shapes our adulthood.

Leading attitude comes from self awareness and management. Managing self is associated with self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude, it is integral to self assessment. Students who manage themselves are creative, high-spirited and trustworthy. They set high standards and develop strategies for meeting challenges. They know when to lead, when to follow and when and how to act independently. One important thing is you need to express yourselves. When you're able to clearly and confidently vocalize your opinions and ideas, you feel more balanced and able to deal with complex problems. Learning to speak strongly and confidently is a cornerstone of leadership. Leadership requires being empathetic and socially involved, but still honoring personal morals, and standards. Students who are self-aware have a greater ability to lead.

An important FIRST STEP for a student is to broaden the definition of leadership. So often we fall into and follow the ways of the world that defines a leader in terms synonymous with outspoken, dynamic, good in front of crowds, etc… (you get the point). While I wouldn’t dismiss these as helpful qualities for any leader, I surely wouldn’t use them to limit the potential leaders within these criteria. Leadership should look different from the cute, fun and popular teenagers that are voted into most leading positions at school. People who are true leaders are not those who strive to be first, but those who are first to strive and who give their all for the success of the team. True leaders are first to see the need, set plan and empower the team for action. A true leader has the confidence to make difficult decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.

Student leaders go through a rigorous process of identification, development (training) and performance evaluation. The student leaders are also given numerous platforms to apply and sharpen the leadership skills learnt. Teacher mentors (class teachers, etc) can guide and develop the student leaders through regular interaction.

Children learn from your example. Your juniors observe you, and internalize the behavior and values they see in you. Even if they don't express it aloud, they may be looking to you as a role model. There is no doubt that everybody has the capacity to lead given the right situation. However, those we might categorize as ‘leaders’ not only have the necessary attributes and the confidence to use them, they also have a certain mind-set that encourages them to grasp the reins in most situations. They tend to stand out from the crowd.

Are you ready to take the challenge and stand out? I’m quite sure you are, and hope you won’t let the LEADER in you fade away and/or die.