What exactly is a leader?
Can anyone be a leader? Are we born with leadership skills or are they developed over time?
These were some of the questions fifth formers from Tunku Kurshiah College tackled as part of a recent Student Leadership workshop. And their responses were both insightful and worthy of the moniker ‘the Nation’s future leaders’.
Over the course of 1.5 days, 150 students embarked on individual journeys to explore the seeds of great leadership; interpersonal skills, commitment and dedication, influence and inspiration, confidence in communication, problem solving and service to others. Each students’ journey was different. They all started at different places and will all finish in different places through the course of their lives. But like any skill, intentional and purposeful focus was the underlying action required on the day. Identify your journey. Create intentions. Practice. Reflect. Improve.
The route to Leadership Oscars
Using a purposefully designed online guide, they worked together to create a short video to create awareness of a social issue they felt passionate about. Not only were they working on their individual leadership journeys, their aim was to create an emotional appeal to their audience. And they did not disappoint.
There were cheers, tears, and laughter. At some points, their creations caused so much tension, there were audible gasps. All this in just a few hours of committed work. And all through the lens of putting their leadership skills to the test under the pressure of a deadline.
And at the end, the highlight of the event was the TKC 2020 Leadership Oscars; the finale of the workshop. To bring home the Oscars’ trophy, the students got to showcase their work and their fellow friends would have the opportunity to vote on their favourite videos.
Leaders of our tomorrow!
Reflecting on their leadership journey at the end of the day, the students were able to complete their self-awareness journey of their own leadership skills.
But this was just the beginning of a lifelong journey of incremental adjustments and improvements. The work for these girls is ahead of them. They are the nation’s future leaders, after all.
