Are some
people born leaders? Arguably, the answer is no. Some people may have a
particularly charismatic personality that draws people’s attention, but unless
they project a special vision that appeals to other people, that attention is
likely to be short lived. Leadership is a privilege that is bestowed on the
leader by a group of followers. The authority of leadership comes from the fidelity
of the followers.
Our
leadership potential is largely determined by our personality and habits. We
all have the capacity to lead, but we might need to adjust or temper some of
our more challenging characteristics.
Leadership
is about the art of motivating, influencing and directing people so that they
work together to achieve the goals of a team or broader organisation. It’s
important for students to experience leadership opportunities during their
schooling, to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining
identities and achieving tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to
learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Our 2018
student leaders enjoyed a two-day leadership camp on Friday, 17 November and Saturday,
18 November commencing with a short pilgrimage from St Mary’s Cathedral to St
Joseph’s Church in Subiaco. Students then journeyed to the Catholic Education
Centre in Leederville where Dr Tony Curry, Director, School Improvement, shared
five essential ingredients of good leadership:
- Sound relationships based on qualities such as mutual trust, respect, sensitivity, a sense of humour, truth and, most importantly, humility.
- Know the people you work with – this means knowing and using people’s names and being interested (but not nosey) about their lives outside of school.
- Leadership is based on service – the old adage, “Do not ask anyone to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself”, remains as relevant today as it ever was.
- Leaders need to be risk takers – the message, “If you don’t make a mistake, you don’t make anything”, is true.
- Leaders need to work with people. That is, be collaborative, honest and loyal.
Students returned
to school and participated in a number of practical activities to build a sense
of team. The Student Executive Leaders stayed overnight in the Lyon Building
enjoying a night of hospitality and camaraderie.
On Saturday
morning, GRIP Leadership, an independent organisation which is focused on developing
student leadership, delivered a practical and interactive training session for
the Student Executive Leaders. Mr Ronan McGinniss, GRIP Managing Director (Marketing),
highlighted four elements of the ‘Compass of a Leadership Team’:
- Structure and roles;
- Standards and Expectations;
- Schedule of Activities; and
- Statement of Success.
It was a
great experience with a lot to ponder in the coming weeks. We are grateful to
Mr Ryan Shelton, Ms Kelly Bond and Mrs Carla Pastorelli for giving up their time
to to facilitate a most enjoyable and rewarding experience.