What Makes Me a Leader?: Leadership Challenge, Day Four

Glenholme’s week long Leadership Challenge culminated on Friday with an opportunity for the students to reflect upon their growth as individuals, and as leaders. 

During the first activity, each student was recognized and commended by his or her peers for the positive qualities he or she possesses. Interestingly, the part of the activity the students seemed to most enjoy was not being praised, but having the opportunity to praise others. According to one incredibly mature and compassionate student, “It felt great to say nice things about other people.”  However, the “nice things” that the students were saying about one another far surpassed the generic or impersonal responses one might expect to hear. Instead, one student called his peer “a hero” who “gets things done,” while another praised her peer for “seeing the good in everyone.”

Following the activity, the students were asked to revisit an exercise that they had attempted a few days prior. The students had previously struggled to accomplish the exercise, as it challenged their communication skills, patience, and ability to work together. The second time around, however, the students were calm, positive, and encouraging to one another. The difference in the group’s attitude speaks volumes about the transformation that each student underwent during the past week.

The final activity was for the students to write letters to themselves. In the letter, the students were instructed to list things they could do in order to continue to be effective leaders. Each student then promised that he or she would follow through by doing the things on his or her list. The letters will be returned to the students in the fall, to serve as a reminder of their commitment to the Leadership Challenge, to Glenholme, and most importantly, to themselves. 

The program ended with an awards ceremony, during which each student was provided with a certificate for having completed the Leadership Challenge. 

As the students listened intently to their instructors’ kind and uplifting words, their faces shone with self-satisfaction and confidence. The students were proud of their accomplishments over the past week, excited about the tight bond they had forged with their fellow leaders, and optimistic about their ability to make a difference - both at Glenholme, and in all of their future endeavors.