Three Reasons Why Every Student Deserves the Opportunity to Learn About Leadership

Our Leadership program at Huron Heights has exploded in popularity and occasionally I hear, “I can’t believe so-and-so is in the Leadership class” or “I would never bring so-and-so to an overnight leadership conference.”

Here are three reasons why I believe every student deserves the opportunity to sign up for a leadership class and/or attend a leadership conference or camp:

1. The truth is that those students stepped forward because they want to grow as human beings. They want to serve their school community in some way, big or small, so why block them from that pursuit?​
2. When a student is denied entry to an exclusive program, that organization has lost the support and enthusiasm of someone, and every student’s enthusiasm and excitement to serve his or her school should be honoured. The practice of selecting an exclusive group of students who are worthy of even beginning to learn about leadership flies in the face of the whole purpose and mission of the program to begin with. Avoid creating an ‘us vs. them’ mentality in your school.
3. My favourite leadership stories of all time are about the students who have surprised me, the students who no one imagined could shine so brightly. When that happens, it’s pure magic.

The way to grow school spirit, widespread involvement, and a culture of excellence is to invite everyone in. It’s that simple.