There are a variety of ways to become a leader in school, be it on the student council or classroom, on a team, in the school newspaper, in the arts or community. By actively participating, others will look at you with admiration. If you have been elected or otherwise designated a leader within your school, remember this is a great honor. Whatever type of leader you are, you can try to take three steps to best perform your role: assume a leadership position, be a good role model, and practice all the good qualities associated with the leadership function.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Taking a Leadership Position
Step 1. Know your strengths and interests to help you choose the type of leadership to focus on
Do you enjoy helping others? Try joining a charity that helps people in need. Are you passionate about writing and do you like working in a group? The school newspaper might be for you. If you are outgoing and want to work for the good of the school community, try joining the student council.
Step 2. Get involved
Apply to be a student council representative. Join various groups, clubs or associations to figure out which one is right for you. Try to get to know the people in each group immediately. Don't limit yourself to the student council - teams, language courses, volunteer organizations, bands, theater group and school newspaper are just a few places where you can find great opportunities to take a leadership position.
Step 3. Get experience
Whichever leadership position you are interested in, you need to start from the ground up and work your way up. This is how you will learn about the group and how it is managed. Make an effort to find out more and others will begin to see you as a point of reference. Over time you will be able to assume a prominent position.
Step 4. Take action
Start taking more responsibility within the group. Set yourself goals and do whatever it takes to achieve them. A leader doesn't wait to be told what to do: he has good ideas and turns them into reality. Make sure you share your thoughts with other group members and encourage them to join you in making it happen.
Step 5. Make a difference
Invite charities (such as environmental organizations or those that help homeless people) to your school by organizing a fundraiser. Set up special events to raise awareness of important anniversaries or issues, such as cancer, HIV, and so on. Learn what other young people are doing to support causes in your community, nationally or even internationally.
Part 2 of 3: Be a Good Role Model
Step 1. Do your best
Being a leader in a school setting doesn't always mean having excellent grades. However, you should demonstrate a positive attitude towards the school, participate and try your best in any area.
Teachers, but also classmates, usually understand if a pupil gives his best. Make an effort to contribute when you work in a group and get along well with everyone
Step 2. Respect adults
A good leader knows the rules and understands the various positions of authority. You may not always agree 100% with your teachers and parents, but you should always have a respectful and friendly attitude towards them.
Having respect for authority will prepare you to become an adult and enter the world of work, where you will be dealing with different types of superiors. If you behave respectfully towards adults at this stage in your life, your professors, parents, and peers will understand that you are a mature and confident leader
Step 3. Be on time and organized
Get to class on time. Deliver homework and other projects on time.
Keep track of project deadlines using a diary or agenda. Each day, write down all the dates you need to submit work and homework for each subject
Step 4. Help others
If you can do something that others can't, offer to help. If the teacher is okay, ask him politely if you can help other students with their homework. If you finish a job early and find that another pupil is in trouble, raise your hand and offer to collaborate with him.
This behavior should also be applied outside the classroom. If you come across someone who has dropped books as you walk down the hall, help them pick them up from the ground. If a new student doesn't know where his classroom or other place is, offer to take him around the school
Step 5. Be trustworthy
Be honest, don't gossip about others, and make sure you treat people as you would like to be treated.
Reliability is a great quality for a good leader. If you say you will do something, keep your word. If you speak ill of people and double-cross, others will understand that you cannot be trusted and no one wants an untrustworthy leader
Step 6. Be fair to everyone
As much as you dislike a person, you should still treat them as you would treat anyone else. Having the same attitude towards everyone is important for building and maintaining trust. For example, if someone breaks a rule, make sure they suffer the same consequences as anyone else in such a situation.
- Don't favor your closest friends and don't let your hatred towards someone stop you from working with them as a team. Being part of a team that is trying to achieve a goal means collaborating with everyone, it's not just a social gathering.
- If you look closely, you will notice that impartiality is a quality that characterizes the best teachers and parents. They take no one's side and make sure the rules are applied equally for everyone. Being fair and knowing how to collaborate with everyone will also prepare you for the world of work, where it is usually not possible to choose colleagues.
Step 7. Try to be optimistic, cheerful and smiling
Don't fake smiles, but being sociable and smiling often will make you much more approachable.
If your group is under pressure, for example they have lost an important game, don't be negative. Instead try saying: "Next time it will be better" and "You all do a great job, but the other team was better." Your teammates will know that you believe in them and that they should continue to engage
Step 8. Don't get involved in bullying or gossip
If there is one particular quality that adults notice in a student leader, it is their ability to make all other students feel included and respected.
- If you notice that a student is being targeted, defend him. Don't be afraid to say, "Leave him alone" or something like that. This will make it clear to bullies that their actions are frowned upon.
- Do your best to include students who don't seem to have many friends. Invite them to participate in activities with you and with others. Approach them from time to time to ask how your day is going. They may hesitate at first, especially if they're not used to receiving acts of kindness, but you keep trying.
Part 3 of 3: Practicing Good Leadership Qualities
Step 1. Communicate effectively by learning to speak in public and write
You should be able to express yourself clearly during meetings, talks, training and / or games so that others want to hear from you.
- If you have to speak in public, practice in front of the mirror indoors. As you speak, observe your gestures and facial expressions. Ask your family to listen to you and give you suggestions as you rehearse the talks. Talking to a group of people takes a lot of practice: if you feel nervous or fluff up the first few times, don't be discouraged. Keep it up!
- Knowing how to communicate also means knowing how to listen. Try to understand what they want and what other people in the group care about. Make sure every single voice is heard and consider all opinions before making a decision.
Step 2. Distribute the workload
Invite others to help you and give everyone things to do, so that not one person takes care of all the chores.
- For example, a team captain can assign cleaning duties or washing uniforms to teammates. The editor of a newspaper can assign different articles to various staff members. It is important to take care of the rotating jobs, so that everyone has the same responsibilities.
- Decisions about the delegation of responsibilities are up to you and the rest of the group. Make sure everyone is sure they can do the job they have been given. If a person is unsure, you and the other group members need to step in to encourage, offer help and guidance.
- Encouraging group participation is part of your job. If you think a person is not making a commitment, talk to them privately and explain that you hope you can count on them to contribute a little more.
Step 3. Be resourceful
A good leader knows what a group's resources are. If you don't know how to answer a question or you see that something needs to be done but you don't know how to take care of it yourself, it's up to you to ask questions to teachers, coaches, and so on.
You are responsible for creating access to the information and materials needed for various projects and activities. Basically you are the link between the group and the adult who supervises it. Not sure where to get certain props for a musical? Talk to the manager. Do you think your team would do well to train once more a week? Mention it to the coach
Step 4. Try to have an open and flexible mind
A good leader is always willing to listen to the group to decide if a certain rule or policy needs to be changed. Sometimes the way they are managed needs to be updated or improved. Opening up to change is always positive.
- This passage relates to the ability to listen. A leader sometimes has to step aside to just listen, be it complaints or praise. What works? What needs to be changed? By listening, you can learn a lot and this information can be introduced in future meetings to make decisions.
- As a leader, you may experience uncomfortable or unexpected moments. Someone may leave the group, want to make drastic changes, or question your actions. How to handle these situations? If you can adapt and do your best to resolve the situation, then you have what it takes to be a great leader!
