Becoming a leader isn’t easy

“A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”

— Jim Rohn.

I started my journey of becoming a leader when I arrived at Wise Owl School in 2023.

I was doing Lower Sixth then. At first I was just mesmerised by the black and white uniform that prefects wear and the privileges they enjoy.

I used to think that it was going to be a simple thing to impress the teachers so that I could be selected as a prefect.

The rigorous pathway to becoming a prefect was the most challenging one, but an eye opener.

I later realised that I was blinded by those privileges and a mere desire to be respected by others. Being a prefect calls for much more. It requires your own moral campus, personal values and discipline as a leader.

After making it to the list of the 2024 prefects, I realised that being one is about leadership and responsibility. In my mind, I quickly graduated to a mindset of maturity. I went back to the drawing board.

In a space of a week, I was taught to set a strong foundation of discipline, responsibility, empathy and humility (which I am still working on).

These personal values sum up the attributes of a good leader with a heart that cares for the next person without expecting anything.

The school has groomed me to become a role model for all the learners in the school. A prefect is a leader who should maintain an impeccable behavioural record and to possess the qualities that every other student desires to emulate.

I want to share with you some of the attributes of a good prefect. These include encouraging, counselling and motivating junior students.

A good prefect is also willing to take extra responsibilities and completing tasks without being monitored. Moreover, he or she is a good ambassador and works in the interest of the school. An excellent prefect observes school rules and encourages others to do the same.

He or she maintains a good academic record and dresses appropriately all the time. It is important for a good prefect to be collaborative, disciplined, respectful, dependable and trustworthy.

I believe upholding these attributes will help me to become better in leadership every day and even beyond my high school level.