Rethinking Student Leadership

Most schools approach student leadership through formal positions: student government, team captains, and club presidents. While these roles matter, limiting leadership development to titled positions misses the broader opportunity to help all students grow as collaborative problem-solvers.

In a recent conversation, I spoke with Jeremy LaCasse, Assistant Head of School for Student Life at TAFT School in Connecticut, about the Gardner Kearney Leadership Institute’s (GCLI) approach to teaching leadership.

Jeremy explained that leadership happens in many contexts beyond formal positions: “We believe that leadership can happen in lots of different places and lots of different forms. Oftentimes, it’s not a titled position where some of the best learning happens.”

Leadership as a Teachable Skill

Our discussion highlighted how teaching leadership skills to students isn’t about identifying “natural leaders” but recognizing leadership as something all students can learn. Jeremy shared that GCLI’s approach combines brain science, leadership studies, cultural competency, and developmental psychology to create a comprehensive framework.

This approach acknowledges that leadership skills develop through:

• Experiential learning opportunities
• Self-awareness development
• Understanding group dynamics
• Emotional self-regulation

Jeremy notes that teaching leadership skills isn’t an add-on but can be integrated into existing educational experiences: “Leadership can be taught through any of the experiences that happen in schools.”

Why Teaching Leadership Skills Matters

When students develop leadership skills, they gain:

1. Agency in their learning journey – Students become active participants rather than passive recipients
2. Collaboration abilities – They learn to work effectively with others toward common goals
3. Problem-solving capacity – Students develop confidence to address challenges
4. Emotional intelligence – They build awareness of how their actions affect others

As Jeremy puts it, effective leadership education helps students “see leadership ultimately as a collaborative process that best serves everybody in the group rather than ‘I’m the leader and I am solely focused on this goal.'”

Creating Leadership Opportunities in Any Classroom

You don’t need a specialized program to begin teaching leadership skills to students. Start with these approaches:

Science Class

Have students work in lab groups where they must collaborate to solve problems. Rotate leadership roles so each student experiences different responsibilities.

English/Language Arts

During discussions, assign students roles beyond just “discussion leader” – task them with encouraging quieter voices, synthesizing different viewpoints, or connecting ideas across texts.

Math

Create problem-solving teams where students must explain their thinking processes to others, requiring clear communication and collaborative thinking.

Any Subject

• Foster psychological safety where students feel comfortable offering ideas
• Provide opportunities for both leading and following
• Offer specific feedback on how students contribute to group success
• Explicitly teach active listening and constructive feedback skills

The Faculty Connection

Teaching leadership skills to students begins with faculty modeling. In our conversation, Jeremy emphasized that leadership education affects faculty culture too, not just student outcomes.

“If the faculty experience is transactional and not based on shared relationships, student culture’s gonna be the same,” Jeremy noted during our discussion.

When schools commit to teaching leadership skills, they create environments where:

• Faculty collaborate effectively
• Teachers are open to student feedback
• School culture values relationships over transactions
• The educational experience becomes more meaningful for everyone

When I spoke with Jeremy about how we recognize when leadership education is working, he shared that one key indicator is “if students want to collaborate with adults in the school community to solve problems as opposed to viewing adults as adversaries in the process.”

Moving Forward

Teaching students leadership skills prepares them for real-world challenges where collaboration and problem-solving are essential. It transforms education from content delivery to holistic development.

As Jeremy reminded me, leadership development at its core ensures “each individual feels valued for who they are” while simultaneously contributing “to something greater than themselves.”

By integrating leadership education into everyday classroom experiences, we help students develop the skills they’ll need to navigate complex challenges and work effectively with others throughout their lives.