Fred Smith is an icon in the world of leadership development. I came across an article that he wrote for Leadership Journal and was recently published on the Building Small Groups website.
He lists 10 things one should look for when attempting to identify someone as a potential leader. That's a task that many would consider one half mystical, one half practical, and the other half lucky.
Here's his list with my thoughts added as it lends itself to student leadership selection.
1. Leadership in the past. As we get closer to the time of selecting and electing new student leaders for next year, it is helpful to look at a person's track record. This is especially true if someone is campaigning for a position with greater responsibility, like Student Body President. I realize that people can overcome their past, but a person's past is good indicator of the type of momentum they're building - positively or negatively.
2. The capacity to create or catch vision. A person with a vision is able to perceive a different future. And that's vital for leadership. If someone wants things to stay the same and can't see a better future, they will struggle in the role of leader.
3. A constructive spirit of discontent. Closely tied to #2, a person exhibits leadership potential when she can walk into a room and notice ways that things could be better. Perhaps an event has run it's course or there is a system in place that is clearly outdated. This person will voice her concerns and seek to make changes in a positive direction.
4. Practical ideas. It's one thing to be creative (and those people tend to be labeled as leaders), but it's another thing to have good, practical ideas. A person may have the ability to think outside of the box, but will that person be able to implement any of the ideas that he comes up with? Look for students who are realistic in the ideas they come up.
5. A willingness to take responsibility. Students may want to be in a leadership position because of the perks...but the real test is whether or not they're willing to pay the price. With leadership comes responsibility. Look to see if the student has taken on responsibility in the past. Watch for their reaction to failure and mistakes - did they take ownership or cast blame?
6. A completion factor. Look for students who can actually get something done. This will demonstrate perseverance and dedication. There are many who will be good at starting something. Some of them may even stay excited for a week or two into it. But successful leaders have the ability to finish what they start.
7. Mental toughness. I tend to look for people that are solid mentally. They have a clear view of what they're capable of and don't allow the distractions that come with leadership to derail them. I want people who are self-confident enough to handle criticism. Watch out for those who are overly emotional. While passion for something is a plus, moodiness and emotional outbursts will kill a team.
8. Peer respect. I want to know what their friends think about them. Peers are usually pretty good at identifying who is leadership material amongst themselves. If a student has earned the respect of her friends and doesn't burn bridges, then she will have an easier time leading them.
9. Family respect. In most situations involving student leadership selection, a student's family won't play a huge role. But it may be important to find out what kind of values a potential student leader was raised with. Also, listen to how a student talks about her family. If she is disrespectful to her parents, that may flow into her other relationships with authority figures.
10. A quality that makes people listen to them. Some students just naturally have the ear of their fellow students. People listen to them and respect what they have to say. If a student is well-received and has influence over his peers, he is already leading - whether he has a position or not.
Fred adds four more questions to consider:
What will this person do to be liked?
Does this person have a destructive weakness?
Can this person accept reasonable mistakes?
Can I provide this person the environment to succeed?
These four questions will give even greater insight into the emotional and mental well-being of a potential student leader.
One of the ways that this list can be helpful to you in the coming weeks is to place specific names of students next to each item on the list. These will be students who exhibit that characteristic. Or, if you have a certain student in mind, use the list as an evaluation tool. Mark each item with a 1-5 rating on how well the student does in that category.
Read the entire article here.
Hat tip: The Practice of Leadership
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