Azaan Ali (President Bloggers Club)| October 2025
World renowned author John C. Maxwell once said: “Leadership isn’t about titles, positions or flowcharts its about one life influencing another”.
Leadership is a trait that doesn’t magically appear when we step into our professional lives – it starts in our nurturing grounds i.e., schools. Schools teach their students what it means to be a leader through the student council, where they learn the responsibilities as well as the character of a leader. The student council provides them a platform which helps them build the confidence to represent their school, learn to communicate and to work as a team to achieve their goals-In short it prepares them to become responsible leaders of the future.
Confidence Building:
The first and foremost quality of any leader is his/her confidence; the courage to speak and have what it takes to represent his/her views and beliefs. The student council provides the students with a golden opportunity to develop such skills. Whether its organizing events, delivering powerful speeches, or catering student concerns the council members eventually learn how to overcome their personal demons and voice their demands in a clear tone. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said : “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face”. There is no doubt that every student council responsibility regardless of how large or small it is plays a crucial role in building that strength
Instilling Responsibility and Accountability:
Every badge and sash of the student council represents the responsibility that comes with it. The council members don’t just represent themselves but the entire student body. They help in maintaining discipline and ensuring that student demands are heard by the administration. This teaches them that leadership isn’t about authority and asserting power but about serving others and performing their duties with honesty and responsibility. After all, true leaders are the ones that lead by example.
Encouraging Teamwork and Collaboration:
No goal can be achieved alone, and the student council effectively conveys that lesson. The student council acts as a platform that unites students from different grades and different backgrounds. Not only does it allow exchange of ideas, but also teaches the young leaders to respect differing opinions and work collectively to attaining a common goal. As the famous African saying goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
Shaping Leaders of The Future:
If we look back at history, we’ll realize that many renowned figures first discovered their potential as leaders through school leadership roles. A prominent example is former President of the United States Barack Obama, who served as the head of his high school’s literary magazine, a position that helped him develop confidence in public expression which later on paved the way forward to his journey to presidency in 2009.
Safe to say, the student council provides the young leaders with a platform to experience real-world challenges-decision-making, time management and working as a team- preparing them for the responsibilities that await them in real life.
Conclusion:
The student council is not merely a representative body, rather it is a living action of leadership in practice. It transforms shy, naïve students into visionaries who can lead with courage and integrity. Examples, like that of Barack Obama, prove that every great leader once led a school council. It is the undeniable truth that through the lessons learnt, our student council continues to groom the leaders who will shape the world of tomorrow!