The current election has left a lot of people angry and wondering what a good leader even is. Between the major party nominees many people do not see any desirable leadership qualities. We talked with class leaders from a variety of clubs and organizations to see what qualities they would find in a good leader.
Katie McLaughlin, STUCO and NHS president says, “To me, good leadership characteristics include being inclusive to everyone and not to just “your group”, being friendly and kind to everyone you meet and also being humble—these traits are those of a true leader.”
FBLA President Carson Tjelmeland also thinks people skills are important, “A good leader is a person who forges a new path and tries to make a difference in society. This can be through charity work or many other outlets. Ultimately a leader must be knowledgeable and understand what drives people so that they can have an efficient team. Finally a leader needs to respect the people who surround them and take their ideas into consideration even when they are hard to deal with.”
Club leaders also have different people who they look up to as leaders.
McLaughlin says she looks up to Mother Teresa for her love and to understand the most rejected people in society.
Madison Russell, Math Club president, looks up to Senior Ethan Schultz because he, “He’s super organized with every club he’s involved in and low-key about everything! He helps others feel appreciated, and that makes people feel important. You can tell others look up to him, especially underclassmen.”
Club leaders also had a lot of inspirations to lead.
Hayley Woodyard is the Art Club president and also created the club this year. She says, “I wanted to start Art club because I love art, and I thought that it would be amazing if I could share that passion with other creative people that enjoy art just as much.”
Bank President and Yearbook Editor-in-Chief Faith Barr says, “My inspiration to be a leader stems from the fact that I have the possibility to make a difference in the lives of those around me. Also, the leaders that I have met throughout my high school career have inspired me to lead as they did.”
School’s leaders also believe that there are certain qualities that all leaders have.
Barr and McLaughlin both say that all leaders have motivation to fix issues or making something better that they find to be important.
Russell and Tjelmeland both think that leaders need to be approachable. Tjelmeland says, “Leaders must be intuitive, charismatic, and respective.”
While being a leader is hard work there is a lot to enjoy about being at the top. Barr and McLaughlin both like how people look up to them and they can inspire people to make a difference.
On the other hand, Tjelmeland likes controlling the outcome of project and watching people grow to be leaders as well.
All of them have goals for their respective clubs.
Russell wants to increase the amount of people in Math Club and show that it is a great club to join.
Tjelmeland wants to increase underclassmen involvement in FBLA and get more students to run for state office.
Barr would like to make sure that all banking students know as much about how the bank operates as they can and, “try to get more students to open accounts and become aware of all that the SHS Bank does for our school, our community and students individually.”