STUDENT-LEADERSHIP PART 2

 STUDENT - LEADERSHIP PART 2

We must have understood by now that the first level in the school of Leadership is the Positional level. This is the level where every leader starts from. The Student-Leadership is the first stage at this level. Today, we see what is needed for a student to engage the True nature of Leadership and also develop into the full potential of True Leadership. 

Every student must understand that we are not just leaders of tomorrow, as the wrong notion that has gone before us made us believe but we are the leaders of both “today” and “tomorrow”. When we look at it from the angle of the wrong notion that has gone before us; this has affected so many of our young and growing generation in their reasoning, assuming responsibilities for the decisions they take now and has also buried in them that Leadership potential making it difficult for them to nurture and groom. 

One avenue that I consider a very good one in the nurturing of needed skills for a leader is the school environment, but in a situation where those potentials are not tapped into early because of this confusional statement or where they are also being milked; it becomes quite difficult. This is a place where you see those that have gone ahead of you in class, position and authority, Learn to be like the good eggs, Learn how not to be like the bad ones and Unlearn certain things you have fore-known which may not be right. It is generally a platform to learn, unlearn and relearn. Certain skills like Perseverance, Moderation, Endurance, Continuity, Time management and others, which would aid us in our pursuits can be picked up as early at this stage. However, I want us to understand that  this falls into two categories; you can either learn to be good or learn to be bad. This is why I earlier used the example of “good eggs” and “bad eggs”. Your ability to also recognize what these are is very vital. And this is where certain entities come into play – the home i.e. the family, your school teachers, peer groups and all. 

Why is Student Leadership a form of Positional leadership? This is because at this level, there are positions we are assigned with, and with these positions, you can either learn if you are cut out for the job of being a leader or if you will be able to maximally and effectively function. For a  leader to stand upright at any level and especially the student-level, he needs two very important pillars to build on - CAPACITY and CHARACTER. These are vital virtues that any Leader must possess; they are powerful pillars on which we build our Leadership fortress. And what better stage to start with their development than this primary stage. To effectively play the role of a leader as a student, you must be equipped with such things as having the capacity to take up such positions and the Character to sustain the position.

Looking at the school setting, before one is given any position, the school authority must have seen the capacity to perform which is a leadership potential, and the onus is on us to nurture it; but it's quite unfortunate that not all the student leaders in the primary and secondary school have this mentality of nurturing their leadership potential. Why? because most were given unconsciously and leadership is consciously and intentionally built.

It will however be nice if the subject of Leadership can be taught as early and also introduced into the school's curriculum, so that these students can be well nurtured and highly trained.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Men That Lead

Building Manhood