Learning to Lead
Learning to Lead teaches students aged 11-14 the power of their personal leadership potential, alongside ethics, morality, community, and social justice. With 63 lessons across three independent modules, the content is accessible for all backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.
Module A: Born to Lead
The first 21 lessons focus on concepts of leadership and character qualities, unlocking the potential for taking responsibility regarding personal development.
Module B: Taking the Lead
A further 21 lessons exploring vison, goals, public speaking and team leading, with a focus on monitoring self-progress and planning next steps for personal development.
Module C: Being a Good Leader
The final 21 lessons highlight opportunities for students to independently develop ongoing character and leadership skills in school, at home and in the community.
What students say...
“This course gave me a different perspective on life and showed that it was possible for me to make a difference, even at my age!”
Learning to Lead student
“The course changed the way I perceive leadership. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would recommend it to others.”
Learning to Lead student
“The experience and new skills that I learned in the programme might have normally taken years to learn on my own.”
Learning to Lead student
Module A: Born to Lead
A1: Born to Lead
Discover the different pathways into leadership and understand that leadership skills and behaviour can be learned.
A2: Leader or tyrant?
Learn the qualities specific to good and poor leadership through examples of historical figures in both roles.
A3: Heroes and heroines
Learn about active leadership and doing the right thing. Understand the characteristics of heroic acts and the behaviours of a hero.
A4: Leading or bullying?
Understand perceptions of power and how bullying can be disguised as leadership. Decipher the leadership qualities that a bully does not possess.
A5: Why take the lead?
Discover why personal success is a good thing. Learn about the different motives behind becoming a leader and understand the relationship between personal success and the greater good.
A6: A worthy cause
Understand the difference between a cause and a conviction. Learn why a worthy cause is important in leadership.
A7: Humour, laughing and leading
Discover the positive influence of humour on effective leadership, the appeal of humour and situations in which it is effective. Learn how misplaced humour can cause untold damage.
A8: Optimism
Discover the power of optimism as a motivator and team builder while appreciating the danger when optimism turns to delusion. Learn about credible goals and the ability to deliver on promises.
A9: Tolerance
Understand why tolerance is a vital quality in good leaders and how it can be used to earn respect. Learn the importance of listening to the views of others and appreciate the value of respecting other peoples' ideas.
A10: Marching to the beat
Discover how music can be used to powerfully affect mood and behaviour and appreciate how lyrics can convey a powerful message.
A11: Cults and gangs
Understand gang culture, the dangers of gang membership and the difference between control and leadership. Learn more about the abuse of leadership and the characteristics of cults and gangs.
A12: Courage
Understand the differences between courage and heroism and discover everyday opportunities to demonstrate courage.
A13: Thinking differently
Understand the value of independent thinking and learn how some problems were solved by people who 'thought differently'.
A14: Step forward, speak up
Understand various situations where the failure to act made a problem worse. Learn key strategies required for managing agreement.
A15: Teamwork
Discover the benefits of working in teams and the characteristics of good teamwork. Learn the difference between a group and a team.
A16: Dealing with trouble
Understand the role of a leader in handling conflict. Learn the signs and behaviour that signal the beginning of conflict and the steps that can achieve conflict resolution.
A17: Building trust
Discover the benefits of being trustworthy and having trust in others. Learn some of the qualities that inspire trust and understand the people and organisations in whom we place our trust.
A18: Self-esteem
Learn the power of confidence and the negative effects of poor self-esteem. Understand the behaviours of those with low self-esteem and discover simple ways in which we can help to build confidence in others.
A19: Honesty
Understand the benefits of being honest at all times and how truth has a number of highly valued, partner qualities. Learn how dishonesty is the enemy of trust.
A20: Responsibility
Discover the importance of your role as an individual and understand why you are responsible for how others perceive you. Learn why you are the one person who determines success or failure.
A21: The big moment
Understand the importance of now. Discover the skills and qualities that allow you to take the lead and learn some everyday opportunities to take the lead.
Module B: Taking the Lead
B1: Taking the lead
Learn how taking the lead begins when we make a decision. Understand how to make good decisions and the processes that lead to good decision-making.
B2: Why me?
Understand the potential that is within each of us. Learn how life will continually provide opportunities to realise that potential and that you are the subject of continual assessment by others.
B3: Knowing your worth
Understand the skill bank you already possess and attributes that you need to develop in order to take the lead. Learn the importance of knowing who you are and what you can do.
B4: Having a belief
Understand the meaning of conviction and learn the values that unite others in belief. Discover the concept of altruism.
B5: Creating a vision
Learn the difference between belief and vision and understand the factors that turn belief into vision.
B6: Team leading
Understand the skills and strategies of a good team leader and how skills of an individual have a vital role in the team project. Learn to appreciate other people's qualities.
B7: Learning to listen
Discover why effective listening matters and learn how to respond when listening. Grasp the importance of listening as a leadership skill.
B8: Goal setting
Understand the importance of developing your vision by setting goals. Learn about SMART goals and how they can assist your personal development.
B9: Giving a speech
Learn some of the key characteristics of a good speaker. Understand the power of the spoken word and the skills required of an effective speaker.
B10: The power of the pen
Discover the importance of a written diary and appreciate the value of personal communication.
Learn how writing can strengthen a leader's position.
B11: Perseverance
Discover the power within you. Learn the benefits of travelling the "extra mile" and how to pave a pathway to personal potential.
B12: Dealing with difficult people
Understand some of the behaviours that signal trouble and the golden rules for dealing with conflict strategically.
B13: True to the cause
Learn why loyalty is a two-way process, the value of commitment and how to lead by example.
B14: Resilience
Realise that success is seldom achieved at the first attempt. Discover the qualities which allow a person to rebound from misfortune, hardship and traumas.
B15: Problem solving
Understand problem solving as a key leadership activity and learn strategies that may help you to resolve difficulties.
B16: Enterprise
Discover the key qualities of courage and belief. Understand that there can be no progress without risk and why good leaders take risks.
B17: Motivation
Learn the six main motivators and some of the behaviours that leaders adopt to motivate along with some key traits of good motivators.
B18: Knowledge is power
Understand how knowledgeable leaders make good decisions and how good leaders are not afraid to share knowledge. Learn how a leader inspires confidence by what they know.
B19: Being assertive
Understand the importance of assertive leadership and learn how good leaders demonstrate self confidence. Appreciate that being forceful is not the same as being aggressive.
B20: Credibility
Understand the concept of the role model and the value of experience and example. Learn some of the reasons behind a person's choice of leader.
B21: We are all leaders
Discover the different skills required for different tasks. Reflect on your current portfolio of leadership traits and create a personal leadership development plan.
Module C: Being a Good Leader
C1: Being a good leader
Understand what it takes to be a successful leader. Discover the leadership attributes that people find attractive and learn some of the behaviours that leaders must avoid.
C2: Dress to impress
Discover the importance of image. Understand how appearance governs perception and learn some of the unwritten rules of acceptable dress.
C3: Student leaders
Discover the areas where students could be more active and appreciate the benefits of active participation in school life.
C4: Student leaders in action
Discover what some other students are doing in their schools and create an action plan for your own leadership activity.
C5: Sporting leaders
Discover the role of the sports leader and the range of tasks expected of them. Understand key attributes that teammates seek in a captain.
C6: Coaching
Understand the aims of peer coaching. Learn a simple coaching model that can be used in school and in the community. Discover how you can use your talents and skills to help others.
C7: Emotional literacy
Discover the value of clear and honest expression and understand why emotional literacy is as valuable as academic achievement. Learn a simple three word model and a bank of vocabulary that can help you develop your emotional literacy.
C8: All aboard! Being inclusive
Understand the idea of inclusion and discover the benefits of a more inclusive society. Appreciate the range of diversity in your daily life.
C9: Integrity
Discover the qualities that contribute to the concept of integrity and how it is important for leadership. Learn some of the circumstances that showcase integrity.
C10: Praise and blame
Understand how giving praise wins praise and discover opportunities for praise and how to deliver it. Learn how blame can cause damage.
C11: Discipline
Discover the importance of justice for all and learn how rules can unite a cause while breaking rules can lead to ruin.
C12: Trusting others
Discover the components of trust, consider those with whom you already give trust and appreciate the power of giving somebody your trust.
C13: Leading wisely
Discover the key tasks of a good leader and learn how to build upon your existing skills. Understand what it is that followers require from leaders.
C14: Loyalty
Understand the necessity of conditional loyalty, appreciate the dangers of absolute loyalty and consider those people and causes deserving of your loyalty.
C15: Management skills
Understand the link between 'hard' and 'soft' skills. Learn about time management and the role of management in leadership.
C16: Empathy
Learn how to build upon your emotional literacy skills and the importance of good people skills.
Discover a variety of ways to develop your empathy skills.
C17: Taking risks
Discover how success often relies on taking a risk. Learn how to calculate risk and appreciate the idea of intelligent risk taking.
C18: Beating the 'blues'
Discover the things that make you happy and the importance of keeping stress under control. Learn how to develop a strategy to deal with the bad times.
C19: Failure, a step forward
Discover the potential advantages of not getting it right first time. Learn how to recognise the opportunity to adjust your goals and the importance of optimism and persistence.
C20: Chairing a meeting
Discover the constituents of a good meeting. Learn the importance of strong leadership and how to conduct an effective meeting.
C21: Pass it on
Learn the importance of modelling good leadership and discover the value of identifying and preparing new leaders. Consider three ways to encourage others to take the lead.
Study online or in a traditional classroom
Teachers should get in touch to discuss bespoke options including workshops, printed booklets and certificates.
Want to discuss this programme?
Let's get started! Simply select your slot and schedule a free 30-minute Zoom meeting in my diary.
