LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP
| Learning and Leadership
"Leadership is as much about an attitude of mind as it is a God-given talent. This is the very thrust of our leadership initiative at MGS; students need to learn that anyone, but anyone, with the right attitude and a bit of 'stickability' can become a leader. It's not someone who bosses others around but someone who can galvanise a team to achieve a goal." - Paul Sheahan, Headmaster In 2005 Melbourne Grammar School appointed its first Director of Leadership, Ms Polly Flanagan, to foster a new culture of leadership among students and staff. The role came about because Melbourne Grammar recognises that in a changing global world, the notion of leadership must also evolve. The School has always encouraged leaders in the traditional sense - through its Prefects and School, House and sporting team captains, as well as many other student and staff positions. It will continue to do this and will always produce its share of prime ministers, along with leaders in business, industry, professions, politics, arts and sports. But leadership is a concept that changes over time and is understood in different ways. Melbourne Grammar Headmaster Paul Sheahan points to a growing world-wide interest in leadership and a significant re-think about what it means. Authority-based, hierarchical leadership models are being replaced by a different notion, one which focuses on making every student a leader in his or her own life, study and career. This is a less traditional, 'small l', notion of leadership. The belief is that everyone can lead and that leadership begins with leadership of self. It is a way of thinking, learning and behaving rather than holding a particular position. Polly Flanagan says at its most basic, leadership is about having an influence and being responsible for that influence. It's about continual learning and coping successfully with change. We are in a rapidly changing world, a technological revolution. It has been estimated that 60 per cent of the jobs done in 1960 don't exist now and that up to 70 per cent of the jobs our students will do don't exist yet. Schools are being asked to provide students with skills they will need in 2030, 2040 and 2050 and they are quite different from the skills needed by their parents and grandparents. Academic intelligence will not be enough. The challenge for schools is to provide students less with knowledge than with mastery of learning tools. There are competing demands. A top ENTER score guarantees a university place, but students also face a future of constant change and continuous learning - they must be able to "learn, unlearn and relearn", in the words of futurist, Alvin Toffler. Today's business leaders are calling for new leadership. The capabilities employees will need in the 21st century include interpersonal skills, oral communication, problem solving, team work, conflict resolution, critical and creative thinking and listening. These are the skills of leadership and every student, not just those in senior positions, should acquire them. At MGS we are working towards establishing a culture of leadership where everyone believes they are a leader and behaves as a leader. What does this mean for your child? A range of programs is being developed and introduced throughout the School to give students experiences and knowledge of leadership. Year 9 and 10 students have formal classroom lessons. They examine leadership of self as the central focus, preferred behavioural styles, multiple intelligences, conflict resolution, good communication (including body language), team work and the importance of being a good thinker. Students analyse leadership in action - what does it look like and what are the characteristics? Case studies include firefighters in the World Trade Centre disaster and a former detective/whistleblower. Some Year 7 and 8 boys have held a weekly leadership discussion group. At Grimwade House, students in Years 5 and 6 have taken part in three day leadership conferences, focusing on understanding core values like diversity. MGS sees leadership as intrinsically linked to learning - two sides of the same coin. In 2008 our new multi-million dollar Centre for Learning and Leadership will open. It will be a physical focal point for these ideas. As well as housing technology and traditional library services, the Centre will be used for activities which bring learning and leadership together, including guest speakers challenging students to think of themselves as leaders. Other recent activities include community service work; Year 10 students travelling to Vietnam to observe the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation and returning as ambassadors for the charity; joining Challenge 20/20 through the National Association of Independent Schools; students being involved in the planning of the 2008 Sesquicentenary Student Conference Framing the Future, which will be attended by all Year 10 students. MGS's leadership programs are developmental, growing as new ideas emerge. Polly Flanagan will continue to work with the entire school community to develop and implement programs which will expose all students to thinking about leadership and their own capacities. One element of leadership is emotional intelligence and effective leaders need to be emotionally as well as intellectually intelligent to deal with complex times ahead. Catherine Corrie, author of Becoming Emotionally Intelligent, says that in the last decade, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Research suggests that "emotional intelligence" shapes as much as 70 to 80 per cent of success. It is essential for interpersonal and intrapersonal development and affects all our relationships - at home, school and socially. For further information, contact Polly Flanagan: Email: pgflanagan@mgs.vic.edu.au Ph: +61 3 9865 7665 For more information about our Leadership program: Click here |
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