10 Student Leader Qualities by Gill Nicole Luyun

6. A LEADER IS GOAL-ORIENTED

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 12:51:30 UTC

"Setting goals in the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."
- Tony Robbins

Being goal-oriented allows an individual to set realistic goals, enhance critical thinking skills, improve awareness, and keep track of progress.

Example: When I was in 12 Grade, I was the director of our section's short film. I, together with my co-director, immediately assigned tasks equally to my classmates. Our primary goal was to finish it on time and garner most of the awards. Because we were able to effectively manage our time, we won most of the awards (i.e. Best Director, Best Film, Best Script, etc.)

7. A LEADER IS A GOOD DECISION-MAKER

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 13:19:12 UTC

"You cannot make progress without making decisions"
- Jim Rohn

In a task, when good decisions are made, it will surely lead to success. In a series of options, a good leader picks the best alternative that will serve as the solution to a problem.

Example: When I was part of the Supreme Student Government (SSG), our first event was an Acquaintance Party which was held every June. Unfortunately, in the midst of the event, it rained hard with strong winds. All the tents flew and everyone was soaking wet. As the organizers of the event, we had to make a tough decision - to cancel the event or to wait for the storm to thaw. We decided that we should just continue the event on the upcoming weeks; it was one of the best decisions we made because that storm got worse.

11. A LEADER IS OPEN

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 13:30:01 UTC

"Openness of mind strengthens the trust in us and removes the dross from it, if there is any"
- Mahatma Gandhi

Openness can be two things: open to others and open to feedbacks. A leader views feedbacks as room for improvement. They are also open too their group if ever problems arise while working together.

Example: During my term as an SSG officer, our President was always open to us. For instance, I, together with other officers, forgot to attend an important meeting due to a full schedule. We ran as fast as we could toward the SSG meeting room, and as expected, we were late. After the meeting, our President asked us to remain. He talked to us on how we disrespected the meeting, as well as the other officers. I liked that he was open about it which allowed us to improve ourselves as officers of the organization.

9. A LEADER IS ENCOURAGING

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 13:31:56 UTC

"Balikan kung bakit ka nagsimula
(Look back at where you came from)

Bago mo sabihin na ayaw mo na 
(Before you give up)

‘Wag mong sosolohin, ‘di ka mag-isa 
(Don't keep it to yourself, you're not alone)

Ikaw pa rin ang susi sa pinto ng iyong tadhana" 
(You're still the key to your future)

- Susi | Ben&Ben

Encouragement helps build camaraderie; it pulls everybody out of the darkness.

Example: During 11th and 12th grade, I was assigned by our teachers to choreograph our field demonstration. Teaching more than 170 students, it was quite hard on my part, but I know that my batchmates are also getting tired of doing the routine under the scorching sun. As the leader of the batch, I give them breaks while encouraging them to do their best.

10. A LEADER IS POSITIVE

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 13:36:39 UTC

"I keep falling down
I keep on hitting the ground
I always get up now to see what’s next"
- Try Everything | Shakira

It is very common to stumble upon challenges and obstacles. Despite these, a leader focuses on the good things and will remain positive and optimistic.

Example: I was also the Treasurer of the Social Studies Club, everything was falling apart. Our president, who was supposed to lead the club, was always slacking off. Even so, I and the rest of the officers still worked together positively throughout the school year which results to successful events and programs.

8. A LEADER IS HONEST

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-10 13:38:11 UTC

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom"
- Thomas Jefferson

Honesty helps build strong relationships with others; it is the bridge between leadership and trust.

Example: As the Treasurer of the Supreme Student Government, one of my platforms was to provide a transparent, honest, and up-to-date financial reports to the student body. Throughout my term, I was honest on giving accurate financial reports for the organization, the school administrators, and the students.

5. RESPONSIBLE

dannymutuc6 — 2020-11-11 12:47:55 UTC

“The leader sees leadership as a responsibility rather than a rank or privilege.”

- Peter Drucker

A leader is responsible for overseeing every action and members of the group. Being in charge means that the outcome will definitely be influenced by the capability of the leader.

Example: As the leader, I always make sure that I initiate my group members to contribute to every step of the activity for it is my responsibility to guide them and help them improve while accomplishing the task at hand. Any mistake that will be committed by the group is my responsibility so I always make sure that we follow the instructions properly and help each other through the process.

Image Reference:

https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2019/10/digital-transformation-3-change-management-mistakes

4. A LEADER IS A GOOD COMMUNICATOR AND LISTENER

dannymutuc6 — 2020-11-11 12:53:12 UTC

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”

- Anthony Robbins

Dissemination of information clearly to every member of the group is something that a good leader possesses. Without good communication, the group will be farther away from achieving unity in thoughts and actions. In contrast, a leader should also be a good listener and be open to criticism and suggestions from others.

Example: When I was in high school, my group received bad marks from our teacher because we did not follow the instruction fully and some of our members misunderstood the instruction of the activity. I asked them the reason why they did not understand the instruction and told me that it was because of the way I talk which is pacey. We learned that day the importance of good communication. As the leader, I felt responsible for that mistake for it was my job to explain the task to my group mates. I learned from that mistake that every member has their own pace of processing orders or information laid out to them and made extra steps for them to understand the instructions more clearly on our next task.

Image Reference:

https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/spring2019/pages/how-to-improve-leaders-communication-skills.aspx

3. A LEADER IS RESOURCEFUL

dannymutuc6 — 2020-11-11 12:55:26 UTC

“It’s not resources but resourcefulness that ultimately makes the difference.” 

- Tony Robbins

As a leader, you will be in charge of all the actions that will be taken by the group as well as how to exhaust your resources. A good leader can use all of the resources efficiently and effectively.

Example: The first thing I do when getting to know my members in a group is to know all of their habits, traits, abilities. It is essential for a leader to know this information in order to formulate proper steps and orders to implement on members. Aside from being able to utilize my group mate’s quirks, I can also assure that every member is not only confident but also comfortable with the task given to them. In some cases, I try to also expose them to different tasks that are outside their comfort zones in order to develop new skills from either experience or sharing of information from other members. Aside from this, being mindful and limiting actions taken by the resources available should also be possessed by the leader.

Image Reference:

http://www.executivecoachny.com/its-not-the-lack-of-resources-its-resourcefulness/

2. A LEADER IS FRIENDLY OR CAN COHESIVELY WORK WITH OTHERS

dannymutuc6 — 2020-11-11 12:57:05 UTC

 "No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it." 

- Andrew Carnegie

In order to execute a plan successfully, the group should achieve unity. To achieve such a feat, the leader should be able to hold the team together by having good relations with the members of the group.

Example: I once had a leader who was assigned randomly by our teacher. He had problems communicating with my group mates because he is kind of an introvert. One of my groupmates had to take charge in order to start our project. It shows here that a leader should be able to have decent communication and relation with his or her groupmates in order to function.

Image Reference:

https://www.businessleader.co.uk/how-to-encourage-a-friendly-culture-at-work/49907/

1. A LEADER IS HARDWORKING

dannymutuc6 — 2020-11-11 13:05:30 UTC

"Hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard."

- Tim Notke, Basketball Coach

A leader should not only be a person capable of anything but also has the capacity and dedication to work on a given task. A good leader should be able to see every task to the end with the group.

Example: From my experience in studying for many years now, I realized that there is no such great achievement that can be achieved by working on it halfheartedly. Many people did not just achieve greatness, they earn it. I was able to achieve good grades by studying hard and dedicating most of my time to learning and finishing my tasks. A good leader shows how hard he works on a task will inspire the members to work as much and will bring success to the group.

Image Reference:

https://stickybranding.com/smart-dedicated-and-hard-working-are-not-differentiators/

xxgnlxx30 — 2020-11-24 01:44:40 UTC