A Leader on Leadership: Adolescence and Leadership
Much of our early experience in developing leadership skills takes place in school.
For me, grade school leadership was about obedience to authority: The kids most able to follow rules unquestioningly were given “management responsibility” like leading the line to the lunch room, safety patrol crossing guard, the dreaded room monitor, and of course, delivering messages from the classroom to the Principal’s office. (I went to school before wired classrooms.)
Fast forward to your high school years and notice how the game changed dramatically. High school becomes an incubator for many forms of leadership. If you ask among your circle of friends you will find that a large percentage of people who took on leadership roles in high school continue to take on leadership roles in adulthood.
When considering leadership among adolescents, it is easy to focus on the protoypic captain of the sport team. But in many respects these kids were still following the rules of elementary school. They were being selected as exemplary performers. But some kids forged their own leadership path. Continue reading “A Leader on Leadership: Adolescence and Leadership” »
