Have you long harbored a desire to be a leader at school? There are several ways to make this wish come true; you can do this through student councils, academic teams, athletic teams, publications, arts or, community services. If you are very active in school, it is possible that other students admire and respect you. Of course it would be a great honor if you could be elected or appointed a leader in the school. Whatever your type of leadership, there are three steps to help you become a good leader: take a leadership position, set a good example, and demonstrate leadership skills.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Taking a Leadership Position
Step 1. Recognize your strengths
Knowing your strengths and interests will help you choose which areas of leadership to prioritize. Do you like helping? If so, consider joining a volunteer organization that helps the needy. Do you have a passion for writing and like to work in a team? Maybe the school newspaper is the right choice for you. If you are a friendly person and want to work for the welfare of the school community, consider joining the student council.
Step 2. Get involved
Apply to become an OSIS administrator. Or, join a few teams, clubs, or organizations to get an idea of what option is right for you. From the start, you should get to know the other people involved in the group. Don't just limit yourself to the student council. Sports teams, language clubs, debate teams, academic teams, school bands, arts groups, and publications teams (newspapers, yearbooks) are just a few examples of organizations where you can reach leadership positions.
Step 3. Gather experience
For almost any leadership position, you have to start from the bottom and learn the ins and outs of all the jobs. This way, you will learn about groups and how things work. Take enough time to expand your knowledge, and start becoming a person that others admire. In the end, you can hold a leadership position.
Step 4. Take action
Begin to take on more responsibility in the group. Set goals and do what it takes to achieve them. True leaders don't wait for directions from others; they always have bright ideas and are able to realize their vision. Make sure you communicate your idea to others and encourage them to join you in making it happen.
Step 5. Make a difference
For example, you could invite outside organizations, such as those involved in protecting the environment or providing support to the homeless, to come to the school by organizing a fundraiser. You can also organize special events to raise awareness about certain issues or important events, such as Cancer and HIV, Child Violence, and so on. Also, learn about what other young people are doing to support a cause in their community, whether nationally, or even internationally.
Part 2 of 3: Be a Good Example
Step 1. Do your best
Being a leader in school doesn't always mean you have to have perfect grades. However, you must show a positive attitude towards lessons, actively participate, and do your best in everything.
Usually, teachers and classmates can tell that you are trying your best. Try to work well in groups and have good relationships with everyone
Step 2. Respect adults
A good leader is one who knows the rules and understands different positions of authority. You may not always agree 100% with teachers and parents, but you should always be kind and respectful to them.
Respecting authority prepares you to mature and enter a world of work with all kinds of bosses to deal with. Showing respect for adults now also shows your teachers, parents, and classmates that you are a mature and confident leader
Step 3. Try to always be on time and have regularity
Come to school on time and never be late for class. Submit homework and other classwork on time.
Make sure you have an agenda for taking notes and checking the deadlines for different tasks. Every day, you must record the deadlines for each class's assignments and homework
Step 4. Help others
If you know how to do something in class and others don't, offer to help them. Ask carefully if you can help other students with classwork and make sure the teacher allows it. If you finish an assignment early and find another classmate having a hard time, raise your hand and ask if you can help them.
Spread the passion to help others beyond the classroom too. If you see a student drop his book, help pick it up. If a new student doesn't know some things or can't find a certain room, offer to help show him or her
Step 5. Be trustworthy
Be honest and don't talk about other people behind their backs, and make sure you treat others the same way you want to be treated.
Being trustworthy is a quality of a good leader. If you announce you are going to do something, do it. If you say one thing to someone, and say something else to someone else (otherwise known as “two-faced”), you will be caught and perceived as untrustworthy and, generally speaking, people don't want a leader they can't trust
Step 6. Show fairness to everyone
Even if you don't like some people, they should still be treated like everyone else. Showing consistent treatment to everyone is an important step in building and maintaining trust. For example, if someone breaks a rule, you have to make sure he or she receives the same consequences as anyone else for the same mistake.
- Don't be favoritism by supporting your closest friends and avoid personal feelings for someone you don't like so you don't get in the way of working together in a group. Being part of a team trying to achieve a common goal requires everyone to work together. This is not just a social gathering.
- You will see that good teachers and parents will be fair. They try to be impartial and make sure every rule applies to everyone in the same way. Being fair and being able to work with everyone will also prepare you to adapt to the work environment because you usually don't get to choose who will be your colleagues.
Step 7. Stay positive
Be cheerful and smile often. Don't fake a fake smile, but be friendly and smile sincerely so that you appear approachable.
If your group is under a lot of pressure, for example your team loses an important match, don't adopt a negative attitude. You can say, “We will definitely win the next game,” and “everyone did a good job, but the other team was a little bit better.” These remarks will let teammates know that you trust them and encourage them not to give up and keep trying
Step 8. Do not participate in unscrupulous acts such as bullying and gossip
One of the qualities that immediately draw adult attention to student leaders is their ability to make all students feel welcome and respected in the school.
- If you see a group of students harassing a student, defend him or her. Don't be afraid to say, "Don't bother him," or something like that. This will show the bullying student that you think their behavior is not right.
- Try to facilitate integration between students so as to help those who do not have many friends. Ask them to participate in an activity with you and other friends. Occasionally greet them while asking how they are. They may hesitate at first, especially if they are used to being mistreated, but keep trying.
Part 3 of 3: Adopting Good Leadership Qualities
Step 1. Be a good communicator
Learn public speaking and writing skills. You need to be able to express yourself clearly during meetings, speeches, rehearsals, and/or competitions so that people are more likely to listen to you.
- If you hold a position that requires you to speak in public, practice at home, in front of a mirror. Pay attention to your gestures and facial expressions as you speak. If possible, ask family members to listen to you practice your speech and make suggestions. To be able to speak in front of a crowd takes a lot of practice. So don't be discouraged if you feel nervous or make a mistake in the first few speeches. Keep trying!
- Being a good communicator also means being a good listener. Take the time to learn what other group members want and need. Make sure you listen to everyone's opinions and take them into consideration when making decisions.
Step 2. Divide the workload
Enlist the help of others to complete the work and distribute tasks evenly among everyone so that no one has to shoulder all the responsibilities alone.
- For example, a team captain may assign certain tasks or responsibilities to teammates, such as cleaning or handling uniforms, or a newspaper editor may entrust writing a different article to a member of his staff. It is important to rotate tasks so that everyone gets equal responsibility.
- Delegation of responsibilities is done according to your decision and all team members. Make sure everyone feels confident about the task assigned to him. If someone is feeling less confident about a particular task, you and your team members should try to encourage them and offer help and guidance.
- Encouraging others to participate becomes part of your job. If you feel like someone isn't doing their job well, have them discuss it privately and tell them that you wish you could count on them to contribute a little more.
Step 3. Expand your knowledge
A good leader knows the resources available to his group. If you don't have a solution to a problem, or if you feel like something needs to be done, but aren't sure how to do it, it's up to you to ask your teacher, coach, and so on.
You are responsible for creating access to the information and materials needed for various projects and activities. In essence, you are the liaison between the group and the adult who oversees the entire group. Are you confused about getting a property for a musical drama performance? Discuss with the supervising teacher. Do you think the team needs additional training sessions every week? Suggest it to the coach
Step 4. Stay open-minded and flexible
A good leader is willing to listen to his group when deciding whether certain rules or policies need to be changed. Sometimes, the methods used to do things are no longer adequate or could be done better. It's a good thing to be open to change.
- This step has to do with being a good listener. Leaders sometimes need to take a step back and just listen, whether it's a group complaint or discontent. What works well? What to change? Just by listening, you can learn a lot of things that can be discussed at the meeting for the next decision making.
- There may be unpleasant or unexpected moments during your time in leadership. A member may be leaving, wanting to make drastic changes, or questioning your progress as a leader. How should you handle a moment like this? If you have the ability to adapt and do your best to solve problems, it means you have the qualities needed to be a great leader!
