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Why Is Student Leadership So Important?

by | Dec 22, 2022

In addition to providing a traditional STEM education – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – today’s high schools are often integrating student leadership opportunities into the STEM school experience. Why? Simply because it’s one of the best ways to prepare students for real life.

 

The truth is most careers in the corporate world today rely on people working together, not alone. Careers in the aviation industry are no exception. For example, a pilot must work closely with flight attendants, maintenance personnel, and operations staff to make each flight safe and enjoyable. And regardless of who is actually the designated leader, each person on the team has a job to do that contributes to the team’s overall effectiveness (or lack thereof).

 

While some skills genuinely need to be learned on the job, others, such as leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, can be learned through different life experiences. When today’s youth are given student leadership opportunities before they enter the working world, they’re often better equipped to handle what they’ll encounter when they do.

 

Let’s take a closer look at why student leadership is so essential today.

 

4 Reasons Why Student Leadership Opportunities Contribute to a Solid High School Experience

1. Students Learn Important Life Skills In a Safe and Supportive Environment

The reality is that very few successful leaders are actually born that way. Instead, they use life experiences combined with their own pursuit of knowledge to grow and develop into an effective leader.

 

Student leadership is no different. Many students are not naturally aware of everything that being a leader entails. Nor do they know what makes a positive and effective leader, not just someone that people blindly follow. While they could wait to learn how to be a leader until they move into the corporate world, having student leadership experiences in school gives them a head start.

 

Here are some of the most valuable skills that student leaders can learn – skills that are useful in the workplace but also for life in general:

  • Effective communication strategies
  • How to network with other leaders and/or organizations
  • Decision-making skills
  • Planning and organization strategies
  • Time management
  • Asset allocation – assigning the right tasks to the right people
  • Risk management
  • Collaboration and team building
  • Task delegation

2. Students Learn How to Make Friends and Influence People

Touted as “the ONLY book you need to lead you to success,” Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” has been a must-read for employees, company executives, and everyday people wanting to learn valuable interpersonal skills for over two decades. While we highly encourage reading books to learn new skills, what if you could experiment with such skills and put them into action before your career depended on it?

 

Student leadership opportunities in high school are significant because they allow students to learn many interpersonal skills before heading out into the ‘real world’. With the proper education, leadership training, and experiences, students can:

 

  • Understand how to lead others who have different ideas and perspectives
  • Learn how to change the people they’re leading in positive and uplifting ways
  • Learn how to become a likable leader that’s a positive role model and is easy to respect

 

3. Student Leadership Experiences Foster Team Building Skills

When students are asked to lead a group of their peers to complete a particular project or assignment, it can be a significant learning experience. That’s because much of what students do prior to high school includes work that is graded and evaluated on an individual basis. However, when working as a team, there are many more things to consider.

 

When put into a leadership position, students must evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. Then, they need to delegate responsibilities accordingly. In addition, team members must work together to ensure top-quality work that’s completed in a timely manner. Even those students who are not chosen to lead the team will need to learn interpersonal skills, how to work collaboratively, and how to be subject to the authority of a peer leader.

 

4. Student Leadership Prepares Students For Life In the Workplace

When students graduate from school and move into the competitive workplace, they’ll need as many skills as possible to set them apart from other candidates vying for the same positions. When potential employers see student leadership activities on an individual’s resume, they may be more likely to hire that person, knowing they already have valuable teamwork experience.

 

Students with leadership experience can also face the corporate world with greater confidence. Confidence in themselves, their abilities, and the skills they’ve acquired that will help them work effectively with others.

Private Aviation High School In Addison, TX

Oftentimes, students with a private high school education are given more leadership opportunities than their peers in the public school system. Smaller class sizes, a more personalized curriculum, and hands-on training can all be private school benefits that contribute to students learning more leadership skills.

 

At Rising Aviation High school, we provide a traditional STEM-based high school education with an added emphasis on aviation-related studies and hands-on aviation experiences. While one of our primary goals is to prepare students for a future aviation career, we know that the skills they learn at our private high school can be used in any career and for life in general. Expert instructors, small class sizes, and an aviation-focused education are just some of the factors that contribute to our students having a plethora of student leadership opportunities.

 

Rising Aviation is located at the Addison Airport in Addison, TX. With our close proximity to Dallas, we are able to serve students throughout the Dallas metroplex area. We welcome you to contact us today to learn more about our academic program or discovery flight experiences.

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