Leadership
Theme: Being a leader and a mentor.
Encourage boys to support girls to actively engage in school and community activities; identify strengths and weaknesses as a leader; realise the importance of leadership in achieving future career goals; understand the importance of being a mentor.
Start with these questions
1. How many boys hold leadership positions in the school?
2. How many of you have helped a friend campaign for a leadership position? If you raised your hand, how many of those you helped were girls, and how did it feel?
3. How do you define leadership? What does a leader look like to you?
Definitions
Leadership, the ability to inspire, guide and influence an individual or group to achieve a common goal.
Leader, an individual who guides, inspires and influences others to achieve a common goal.
Mentor, a person who can support, advise and guide you.
Activity 1, Identify your strengths and weaknesses
We all have different leadership qualities. Come up with 3, 5 self-strengthening, positive words that describe your best qualities, bold, strong, caring, trustworthy, intelligent.
Share your positive qualities with the person next to you with confidence and pride.
LEADERSHIP, main characteristics of a good leader
L, Listener. Listen carefully and completely, without bias.
E, Exemplary. People will be watching your actions; peers may act like their leaders.
A, Approachable. Be friendly so people can talk to you without fear. A leader who is not approachable becomes a ruler.
D, Determined. Set goals and work hard to reach them.
E, Educated. Be knowledgeable in the areas you represent.
R, Realistic. Make plans that are achievable.
S, Simple. A simple person is approachable and takes time to listen.
H, Honest. Honesty earns the trust of those who chose you to lead.
I, Intelligent. Make decisions carefully with consequences in mind.
P, Patient. Change takes time, do not rush decisions.
Activity 2, Share leadership stories
Ask the boys to share their leadership stories with the class.
Ask them to share how they have used their leadership roles to create more open and gender-inclusive school environments and how they have helped girls take on more leadership roles.
Discuss as a group possible solutions to challenges girls face in being leaders, and why it is important for girls to take on these roles.
- Holding leadership positions gives you the ability to influence changes in your school and community.
- As a leader, mentor younger boys and girls with what you know.
- Even if you are nervous, remember we all have unique strengths, we are all leaders in our own ways.