Failures, challenges make good leaders: Pupils

Students are encouraging their peers to “get up and try again if they fail” for them to become leaders.

When asked how students can become leaders instead of followers, the head boy at the Apsam Indian International School Sharjah, Dev Sebastian Joseph, said students should find their passion, as “passion leads to innovation”.

“Sometimes, students become followers by default because of cultural or traditional practices. But remember that a true leader thinks out of the box. Innovative leaders create a culture of risk, change, and critical and creative thinking. Sometimes you try and fail, but that can make or break you.

“The light bulb was tested 3,000 times before they got it right. Imagine if they stopped trying back then, maybe there wouldn’t be bulbs today. Schools’ curricula should embrace projectbased learning, mind-mapping students, and team work that supports development skills,” Joseph said.

Innovative leaders, he said, are passionate visionaries who not only churn out groundbreaking ideas but also lead by example and motivate the people around them. He added that their school’s principal has given him a chance to become one as he worked with senior and junior school student council members.

“Schools have a great role in moulding the young generation to be innovators rather than followers. To live and succeed in the present world, students will need an increased focus on communication, collaboration, and creativity. They will also have to use technology to turn their ideas into opportunities,” Joseph said.

Hurairah Faatimah Muzammil, a student at Gems Our Own English High School, Dubai, said that the youth could become tomorrow’s leaders and innovators if they are given the responsibilities and tasks that challenge their abilities and spark their passions.

“Responsibility makes students understand their roles and urges them to do their best to meet the requirements of a given task. Introducing them to a wide range of activities and ideas can also help them develop a better understanding of problems and learn how to find innovative solutions.

“Providing challenges at every level is another way, as this lets pupils compete with themselves and strive for excellence,” she said.

Sometimes, students become followers by default because of cultural or traditional practices. But remember that a true leader thinks out of the box.”

head boy, Apsam Indian International School Sharjah

Dev Sebastian Joseph,