TEACH LEADERHIP IN SCHOOLS

 

TEACH LEADERSHIP IN SCHOOLS

For most people leadership is caught after school. But experience in the field tells you that it should have been taught in school. The reason it is not taught in school is that it is thought to be hard to define apart from a post. In school, you could only be a leader if you were appointed a class prefect or games captain. Everyone else in school is not expected to lead, be a leader or even understand leadership.

Less than 1% of students leaving school come out with any knowledge or experience of leadership at all. But as soon as they step into the workplace they are expected to exercise leadership. That is when it strikes you that it is something you were never taught. Your employer expects you to take charge, manage a task, lead a team and organize an office. He or she expects you to know these things. Your biggest surprise comes when you realize that you will be doing these things for the rest of your life. Apart from character, the details of what you were taught in school are quickly forgotten.

So how do we teach leadership in school? Read the previous paragraph and you will get a clear idea of what you should do. Teach students about leaders, what leaders do and how they do it. Teach them to set goals and give them roles to play. Give them class projects and ask them to work in groups. Give them targets. Ask them to be creative and not just recall what you say. Ask them to stand in front of the line and see how it feels. Ask them to stand in front of the class and teach you something. Make sure 20% of the time in school teaches them to lead whether they ever make class prefect or not.  Tell them to lead the school team in the national anthem whether they ever make the team or not. Home and school is the best place to teach leadership.

Allan