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 vision, 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
This unit is entitled Born to Lead and aims to help you:
- Explore different ways people become leaders, including inheriting leadership roles, stepping up during important events, and possessing certain qualities.
- Learn about important traits of effective leaders, like being adaptable, understanding others, having confidence, and being responsible.
- Understand that leadership isn't just something you're born with – it's something you can learn and develop by practicing, getting advice, and taking on leadership roles in school or clubs.
A2: Leader or tyrant?
This unit is entitled Leader or tyrant? and aims to help you:
- Learn about historical figures in leadership roles to understand what qualities make a leader effective and recognise behaviours that make leaders not so great.
- Identify traits of leaders, tyrants, and bullies using real-world political examples, understanding how each inspires, dominates, or intimidates.
- Explore how leaders and governments impact us, discussing freedoms, equality, and governance. Then, we'll consider the consequences of excessive leader power and the necessity of fair and accountable leadership in democracy.
A3: Heroes and heroines
This unit is entitled Heroes & Heroines and aims to help you:
- Explore real-life heroism: Learn about everyday people and historical figures who show bravery and selflessness, like emergency responders or activists.
- Study heroes in stories and media: Look at how heroes are portrayed in books, movies, and games, and think about the qualities they represent and why they're important.
- Think about your own values and leadership potential: Reflect on what traits make a hero and how you can develop those qualities to become a leader and make a positive impact in your community.
A4: Leading or bullying?
This unit is entitled Leading or bullying? and aims to help you:
- Learn the difference between leading and bullying: Understand that leading means guiding and empowering others positively, while bullying is about controlling or harming through aggression.
- Explore communication styles: See how leaders communicate with respect and empathy, while bullies use aggression and manipulation.
- Study conflict resolution: Discover how leaders resolve conflicts openly and cooperatively, while bullies escalate tensions through aggression and coercion.
A5: Why take the lead?
This unit is entitled Why take the Lead? and aims to help you:
- Understand that people become leaders for various reasons, such as making a positive impact, serving others, and personal growth.
- Recognise that leadership offers opportunities for achieving recognition, success, and influencing others positively.
- Appreciate that effective leadership involves balancing personal motivations with responsibilities to the group and fostering inspiration and teamwork.
A6: A worthy cause
This unit is entitled A Worthy Cause and aims to help you:
- Understand what "causes" and "convictions" mean: Learn the difference between the issues people care about (causes) and the strong beliefs that drive them (convictions).
- Explore how causes and convictions motivate action: See how causes are the problems or goals people want to fix, while convictions are the personal beliefs that guide them.
- Reflect on how causes and convictions impact leadership: Think about how these ideas work together to inspire leaders and make a difference in the world.
A7: Humour, laughing and leading
This unit is entitled Humour, laughing and leading and aims to help you:
- Learn how humour can build friendships and teamwork by creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.
- Understand how a well-timed joke can boost everyone's spirits and help people stay positive during tough times.
- Discover how humour can make it easier to talk about tricky topics and share ideas openly and effectively.
A8: Optimism
This unit is entitled Optimism and aims to help you:
- Learn how staying positive can make you a better leader by inspiring others and helping them overcome tough times, like Churchill did during World War II.
- Understand how having a "can-do" attitude sets a good example for your team or group, making it easier to solve problems and come up with new ideas.
- Discover why it's important to be realistic as a leader, facing challenges head-on while still believing in a brighter future and finding ways to make it happen.
A9: Tolerance
This unit is entitled Tolerance and aims to help you:
- Understand that tolerance means accepting and respecting differences in cultures, religions, politics, and personalities.
- Explore how tolerance fosters understanding, empathy, and cooperation among people, promoting harmony and social unity.
- Learn how to be a leader who inspires others, promotes inclusivity, and manages conflicts positively, creating environments where everyone feels valued and respected for who they are.
A10: Marching to the beat
This unit is entitled Marching to the Beat and aims to help you:
- Understand how writers use descriptive language to create vivid mental images, enhancing the reader's experience and engagement with the story.
- Explore how the pace and flow of language affect the mood and atmosphere of a story, practicing different reading techniques to convey various emotions effectively.
- Appreciate the role of tone in storytelling and how our voice can change the feeling of a story.
A11: Cults and gangs
This unit is entitled Cults and Gangs and aims to help you:
- Identify the characteristics of cults, gangs, and positive leadership, emphasising how intentions shape leadership dynamics.
- Analyse the impact of different leadership styles on individuals and communities, focusing on the outcomes of coercion versus empowerment.
- Evaluate the importance of ethical conduct and intentionality in leadership, highlighting the role of positive leadership in fostering trust, collaboration, and social progress.
A12: Courage
This unit is entitled Courage and aims to help you:
- Understand that everyone experiences fear, and it's a normal part of life.
- Learn the distinctions between courage and heroism, understanding that courage involves everyday actions, not just extraordinary feats.
- Discover how courage manifests in daily life, from speaking up against injustice to taking responsibility for mistakes, and explore how these actions contribute to personal growth and ethical leadership.
A13: Thinking differently
This unit is entitled Thinking Differently and aims to help you:
- Develop an understanding of the importance of thinking differently in leadership.
- Explore historical examples of leaders who embraced unconventional thinking and its impact on innovation, adaptation, and problem-solving.
- Reflect on ways to apply unconventional thinking in leadership roles to drive creativity, inspire others, and gain a competitive edge.
A14: Step forward, speak up
This unit is entitled Step Forward, Speak Up and aims to help you:
- Learn about the complexities of group interactions, including the interplay of relationships, behaviours, and opinions within a group setting.
- Explore the potential risks and outcomes of remaining silent in situations where you harbour doubts or dissent, emphasising the importance of speaking up to prevent potential negative consequences.
- Cultivate the courage to voice concerns or dissenting opinions in group settings, understanding that your perspective matters and can contribute to positive change and progress.
A15: Teamwork
This unit is entitled Teamwork and aims to help you:
- Understand the importance of collaboration: Learn why working together towards a common goal is essential for achieving success, as demonstrated through Henry Ford's perspective and real-life examples.
- Recognise the difference between a group and a team: Explore the dynamics of effective collaboration by distinguishing between groups with individual objectives and teams united by a shared commitment to a common purpose.
- Learn the principles of effective teamwork: Discover the key elements of successful teamwork, including leveraging individual strengths, fostering a culture of collaboration, and aligning efforts towards a shared objective, to enhance collective performance and achieve greater outcomes.
A16: Dealing with trouble
This unit is entitled Dealing with Trouble and aims to help you:
- Understand the importance of leadership in managing conflicts within various group settings, such as families, workplaces, or community organisations.
- Learn about key strategies for handling conflicts, including depersonalising issues, empathising with others' perspectives, and taking responsibility for their actions.
- Learn to create a respectful environment where diverse opinions are valued, promoting open communication for conflict resolution.
A17: Building trust
This unit is entitled Building Trust and aims to help you:
- Learn why trust is crucial for leaders.
- Discover practical ways to build trust as a leader, such as keeping promises, being honest, and showing care for team members.
- Explore how trust influences loyalty, teamwork, and organisational success. Learn how trustworthy leaders attract and retain talented individuals and navigate challenges effectively, driving success for the whole team.
A18: Self-esteem
This unit is entitled Self-esteem and aims to help you:
- Delve into the importance of self-esteem in leadership, exploring its influence on behaviour and decision-making with real-life examples.
- Learn from historical figures like Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison about overcoming setbacks and maintaining enthusiasm in leadership.
- Explore the link between self-confidence and effective leadership, discovering strategies to cultivate confidence for better leadership outcomes.
A19: Honesty
This unit is entitled Honesty and aims to help you:
- Understand how honesty and credibility are crucial for effective leadership, fostering trust and integrity.
- Learn to balance transparency with sensitivity, understanding when and how to be honest without causing harm.
- Embrace honesty, admit mistakes openly, and learn from them to become stronger leaders and create a culture of trust and innovation.
A20: Responsibility
This unit is entitled Responsibility and aims to help you:
- Understand the fundamental role of responsibility in effective leadership, recognising it as the cornerstone principle that empowers individuals and shapes team dynamics.
- Explore the concept of ownership in responsibility, acknowledging the impact of personal choices on individual success and the outcomes of collaborative efforts.
- Internalise the importance of accountability in leadership, learning to embrace challenges, exhibit courage, and lead by example in both triumphs and setbacks.
A21: The big moment
This unit is entitled The Big Moment and aims to help you:
- Grasp the importance of seizing leadership opportunities, recognising their diverse forms and benefits.
- Understand the necessity of personal and professional readiness for pivotal leadership instances, including skill development, mindset cultivation, and network building.
- Adopt the "Carpe diem" philosophy, learning to embrace opportunities, step out of comfort zones, and proactively shape your leadership journey.
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.
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