Fostering Leadership in the Classroom

“It is fundamental that leaders endorse a concept of persons. This begins with an understanding of the diversity of people’s gifts and talents and skills” (De Pree, pg. 9). As educators, we attempt to do this every day. This particular excerpt is from a book titled Leadership Is an Art written by Max De Pree, longtime chairman of Herman Miller, Inc.

There is no doubt that teachers act as leaders in their own classrooms. However, a large part of leadership is imparting leadership skills on to those we lead. This is why it is so important to create opportunities to build future leaders. It is important to note up front that not all students have a desire to be leaders, but it is imperative to create opportunities for individuals to discover any hidden potential in addition to fostering inherent skills that may already exist in some.

Classroom Management

Have you ever noticed how much some students love having responsibility in the classroom? Perhaps not so much with completing their own homework, but maybe with passing out papers or collecting or organizing something? Many pupils love to assist. They like feeling like they have a job, and a purpose, and I believe that every person, regardless of age, enjoys the accomplished feeling of a job well done.

Personally, I have always kept my desks set up in uniform rows; that is, until this year. For some reason unbeknownst to me, this group of pupils was struggling with organizing themselves when asked to accomplish simple tasks such as turning in papers or getting in collaborative groups. One night, I switched the classroom into table groups of four to five pupils, re-drew my seating chart, and assigned each table group a leader. This leader is now responsible for collecting and passing out papers, getting required materials, and even, occasionally, speaking for the group. It was remarkable how quickly things turned around. The focus shifted from me attempting to manage the class to the class managing itself.

The Blessing and Burden of Leadership

“To be a leader means, especially, having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who permit leaders to lead” (De Pree, pg. 22). Leadership is a skill that exists naturally in some, but can be blown into flame in others. The spark exists in all. The difficult part is understanding the importance that leadership plays in all aspects of life and truly wanting to aid others in the fostering of these essential skills.

Teaching leadership, according to De Pree, should not be confused with relinquishing control. The two are not exclusive. Instead, consider these five definitions of what it means to be a giant in the world of leadership:

1. Giants see opportunity where others see trouble
2. Giants give others the gift of space 
3. Giants catch fastballs
4. Giants have special gifts 
5. Giants enable others to express their own gifts

Are these not skills that we would love to see played out on a daily basis in the classroom? What would that classroom look like? I believe that it would be a classroom filled with creativity and appreciation for individual learning styles and strengths. I believe it would enable all pupils to collaborate effectively and improve one another. And finally, I believe that this classroom would impart gifts that go far beyond the content of the curriculum.

More Lesson Planet Resources

Leadership and Social Media, Support the Development of Youth, Create and Achieve Goals