As part of the March Service Weekend programme of activities, 100 Form 6 students took part in a Leadership Conference held at School, to explore what makes a good leader and develop their own leadership qualities.
The aims of the day were to develop students’ awareness of different leadership styles and characteristics, to analyse what makes an effective leader, and to develop their own leadership qualities by applying them in practical situations.
In a busy programme, students attended a series of talks and workshops that encouraged them to ask questions of themselves and to think about how they would apply different leadership styles in different scenarios. They engaged in sessions on interview technique, thought about the concept of ‘everyday leadership’, and took part in an Apprentice-style challenge in which they were required to build a brand and pitch their business.
On top of this, students were given a talk from Mr Ron Winch, former Chief Superintendent of West Midlands Police and now a lecturer at Birmingham City University, on how many leadership qualities are transferable across multiple disciplines.
Assistant Head of Upper School, Jonathan Kay, who organised the conference, said: “The students were positive, engaged and motivated and, I hope, are now more aware of what makes a good leader as they move forward in their Upper School journey.”
Form 6 pupil, Rosie, who attended the conference, tells us more:
“Last Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Form 6 Leadership Conference. We began the day listening to an inspiring lecture about what leadership is. This included how to be a good leader, along with the ethical problems that a leader must face. For example, we learnt that most leaders would follow Utilitarianism, the belief of doing what makes the majority happy. This day was followed by a project on sustainability that gave us the chance to put our newfound leadership skills into action. Personally, I found the conference useful as it allowed us to hone our leadership and research skills.”
