As the season for the beginning of application and interview processes of leadership positions begins, there is a lot of talk on campus regarding leadership, and students are wondering what qualities are needed in order to succeed in the various leadership positions and if they will be suitable to take on a leadership role.

In order to be an effective leader, students should possess a wide range of qualities.

“When me and Ms. McConney asked the program directors what kind of skills are necessary to be successful in whatever position it was, the responses ranged from organisation to empathy to time management,” Bobbi Jo Keefer, Director of Leadership Programs said.

Firstly, being organised is a crucial component of leadership.

“Organization is one of my big things, both in the side of like time management as well as communication organisation,” Laura McConney, faculty adviser to the SGA, said. “What I mean is that I think being able to deliver messages in ways that are easily understandable but also concise enough are important skills.”

Secondly, leaders should possess critical thinking skills as they are often placed in challenging situations. Critical thinking is important for them to make the best decision in the ever-changing situation they face.

“You may learn information that might throw you for a curve ball and being able to adapt in different situations is really important,” Dami Odubona ’23, president of the Honor Council said.

Lucy Lyu ’25, honor council representative for the third and fourth form, thinks that mental strength and resilience are also important when taking on leadership positions.

“They have to be strong to themselves because there would be a lot of voices from outside that they just can’t control,” Lyu said. “They cannot let other people’s opinions affect them. This is not just a characteristic that you need just for the Honor Council, but basically for every leadership position, because leaders are always under the spotlight.”

Another important aspect of leadership is the engagement with your community and the people you serve. “I would like to advise talking to people and getting to know your community,” Odubona said. “Because I think a lot of leadership roles at Hill heavily involve the community.”

Being a leader also requires having empathy and compassion for those around you. Robert Steinman, faculty adviser for the Honor Council, believes that “students on the Honor Council who are able to empathise with the student and show compassion towards the student in the situation is very, very helpful towards their learning experience.”

However, a lot of the time students just chase the title and don’t understand the work that may go behind it.

“I think that there are times when students apply for leadership positions because they think the positions will look good on their college applications without really wholly understanding that when you sign up for these things, you have responsibilities. I know as a faculty member, there have been times when I’ve been a little bit disappointed that students are sort of not fulfilling their end of the bargain when they’ve worked hard to apply for positions.” McConney warned.

Nevertheless, Keefer encouraged students looking to apply to leadership positions.

“I think someone that has an interest in wanting to further gain some experience in leadership positions should apply, because I don’t think you have to be a leader to be a leader,” Keefer said.