Good Leadership Leads

1. A leader leads by example- Asking the members of the group to work hard but then sitting back on the couch and letting them do everything for you is just not going to fly. If you want people to work hard don't give them a reason to question if you do.

2. A leader builds up those around them- The other day a few of the kids were working on a project and I walked over questioning why one was giving out what looked like orders. They both explained that since one was the better artist and that portion required illustration that they were using their talents and the partner was going to write. Both building each other up with compliments of their strengths.

3. A leader isn't always the person that asks for it, but sometimes it is- People will surprise us sometimes. The quiet kid in the corner that never volunteers to be captain might just be shy. The loud kid that always volunteers may have the qualities of a great leader and just needs them channelled properly. In the end the moral is don't judge based on just your perception. Everyone deserves a chance to build their leadership muscles. Leadership like so many skills goes so much further than school. This life skill is important to start developing at a young age but equally as important is pointing out that Bossy does not equal Leader. The common adult answer "because I said so" or "because I am in charge" doesn't work for adults so why should it work for kids? So many misunderstand the mantle of leadership, my goal in the new year is to help my students (and myself) realize that leadership is so much more than being "in charge" Leadership is about building strong bridges, strong foundations for others to build on. Being Bossy and pushing others around because you can does nothing to build that strong foundation. Funny what a silly little meme can make you think about.