By Alabi Tawhir
Leadership is a crucial skill for personal and professional success and developing it early in life can have lasting benefits. High school is the perfect time for students to begin building leadership skills, as it is a period of significant growth, learning, and self-discovery. Below are key strategies and insights for cultivating leadership in high school.
Encouraging responsibility and accountability
Leadership begins with taking responsibility. High school students should be encouraged to take ownership of their actions and decisions, both in and out of the classroom. By holding themselves accountable, they can develop integrity—a key trait of effective leaders.
Promoting communication and collaboration
Good leaders must be effective communicators and collaborators. High school offers many opportunities for students to practise speaking clearly, listening actively, and working with others towards common goals. Through team-based activities, students can learn how to communicate ideas, resolve conflicts, and motivate their peers.
Fostering problem-solving and critical thinking
Leaders are often faced with challenges and need to think critically to find solutions. Encouraging students to engage in problem-solving tasks can help them develop the ability to approach situations with creativity and logic. This skill is essential for decision-making and overcoming obstacles in leadership roles.
Building emotional intelligence and empathy
Effective leadership requires understanding and managing emotions, both one’s own and others’. Emotional intelligence helps leaders connect with people, fosters trust, and creates a positive environment. High school is a good time to help students develop empathy by encouraging them to appreciate diverse perspectives.
Setting and achieving goals
Goal-setting helps students become more focused and driven, traits essential for leadership. By learning to set realistic, attainable goals and then working systematically towards achieving them, students can develop a results-oriented mindset. This also boosts their self-confidence and perseverance.
Developing a growth mind-set
A growth mind-set—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort—is a cornerstone of leadership. High school students who embrace challenges and view failures as learning opportunities will develop resilience and adaptability, both essential for leading in complex environments.
Engaging in extracurricular activities
Extracurricular activities such as sports, arts, clubs, and community service offer students hands-on leadership experiences. Whether serving as a team captain, club president, or event organiser, students can develop leadership skills by organising, motivating, and leading their peers.
Mentorship and role models
Having a mentor or role model can significantly influence a student’s leadership development. Teachers, coaches, and community leaders can guide students by providing advice, support, and opportunities to observe and practise leadership in action.
Developing leadership skills in high school equips students with the tools they need to succeed in life, both personally and professionally. By encouraging responsibility, promoting communication, fostering critical thinking, and providing opportunities for real-world leadership experiences, educators can help shape the next generation of confident, empathetic, and effective leaders.
Alabi is of Premier International School, Abuja
