Learning how to utilize your leadership skills and become a collaborative team member is important. There are defined leadership qualities that a great leader always has. If you have those certain qualities then you will be seen by college admissions officers from a mile away.

Learn the different attributes that make up a role model in high school, and why you should be demonstrating leadership skills in the first place. We’re here to show you the way.

What is leadership in high school?

When you are displaying leadership in high school you are showing that you can work well with others, inspire others, and can cooperate with different types of people. You are showing that you are up for the task to improve your high school environment.

If you are one to take on multiple leadership positions, you can add it to your extracurricular list while learning how to multitask and handle stress in a fast pace environment.

Why should you demonstrate leadership in school? Leadership skills

Employers are always looking to hire these kinds of people. College admission officers look for those qualities in high school students too, because they usually make great, contributive members of their student bodies.

If you’re a student who has already held leadership positions throughout high school, you look like the kind of student with a bright future ahead. And your colleges probably want to be a part of the future.

However, you don’t want to get involved in leadership roles for purely materialistic reasons. As you take on more leadership positions, you will realize that being a leader is a rewarding experience unlike any other.

How to be a leader in a school? 5 of the best ways to show leadership in school

Are you ready to take your responsibilities to the next level? Within the next 5 values, you’ll learn the best ways to show leadership in high school. Learn high school leadership activities to challenge yourself with and how to be the best leader that you can be.

Know your strengths

When you know what you can do well, you should play to those strengths. Especially if you are a people person, running for student government is something you should consider. Maybe you have a passion for writing and telling a story. Well, consider applying for a staff job in the literary magazine.

Gain experience

This is a sure way to make sure you have the proper experience before the big offer. Keep in mind that you have to work your way up the ladder. Before you are the editor in chief you have to be a proofreader taking orders.

If you start working on paying dues at the beginning of your high school career, then you can take on more responsibility in your leadership roles by your junior or senior year of school.

Work well with others

As a good leader, you have to show strong interpersonal skills. Learning to be able to listen to others, you have to be able to ask questions establish trust, and create a safe environment. Make sure your whole time is working together and able to get the work done on time.

Take action

Leaders are ready to walk the walk-they don’t just talk the talk. Set concrete goals and follow the steps necessary to achieve them. Anyone can have a great idea, but not everyone can make that vision a reality.

Be optimistic

The best thing you can have as a leader is a positive attitude. If you are the leader, others are going to look up to you, especially in the face of difficulty. Having good composure under stress and pressure is a great leadership trait to have.

For example, if your sports team loses a game, you have to be the team leader and encourage your team to work harder and win the next one.

5 leadership positions in school examples

To be a leader, you don’t need a title, but it can make it easier to explain your role when speaking to colleges. What are leadership positions in high school? Here are some examples of leadership roles in high school.

Student body president

The student body president is typically elected by the student body. The president is the one to shape the high school experience. They are the ones that organize dances, activities for the class, and other fundraising responsibilities.

The president will be the one to engage in public speaking with the teachers and principal regarding any concerns that students may have. They are also a part of a lot of decision-making in the council meetings.

Sports team captain

Being a team captain is an honor. There is a lot of responsibility held in being the captain. Not only are you the one that is designated to keep the team in line with what the coach teaches, but you are also running the morale of the team. Keep their spirits up and have good communication flowing throughout the whole team.

Section leader in band

The Section Leader manages all aspects of their respective sections. This includes making sure that all members have all materials, are making appropriate progress regarding musical and visual development, handling

their responsibilities, and any other responsibilities deemed appropriate by
the band staff.

With every role as a strong leader communication skills are vital. Band is also a great place for the school community to thrive.

Editor-in-chief: school newspaper

Moving up the ranks from freshmen year, you’ve finally made it to editor-in-chief. This is one responsible role to have throughout your years in high school. From proofreading to becoming the student leader.

With this gig, you have to have incredible time management. There is a lot of hard work and good leadership that goes into this role.

Club founder: Start a new club in high school

If you are looking for new leadership opportunities, starting your own club is one to put you on the map. Not only does starting your own club look great on college applications, but you are helping others with their extracurricular activities. This is a sure way to help you excel in your leadership abilities.

Not sure how to demonstrate leadership in school? Contact Prepory

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Key takeaways about high school leadership ideas

Gain your leadership experience by learning how to be a great leader. Putting yourself out in the high school community shows that you are willing to be a leader. This is your chance to show college admissions officers that you are a strong leader. Take these attributes and develop more skills. Don’t forget to contact Prepory if you ever need the help and guidance for career counseling.

But keep in mind that to be a great leader doesn’t require you to be the president of leadership or the owner of all the school clubs. You can be a leader by showing you are disciplined, dependable, and persistent. Colleges like those qualities in a student just as much as they like a president of a club.

You’ve seen time and time again a laundry list of all of the most common interview questions. Every list you’re likely to find on the internet will have this one question: What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses? In fact, every interviewer will also probably ask you this question! 

It must be important if interviewers ask this question so many times. To ace this question, it is important to understand the purpose of the question and what the interviewer is looking for when they ask it.

The purpose of the question

Interviewers ask this question to learn more about how you view yourself as an employee. Employers want strong, self-aware workers who are actively trying to improve and grow. It is also an honesty test; will you tell your potential employer the truth or will you try to spin a weakness into a strength? 

Interviewers are also looking to understand your relative fit within their organization. If their company is young and fun, they may reject a candidate who admits they may be a bit of a “Debby Downer,” or have a negative attitude. They may also use this question to weed out employees who may have weaknesses that work in direct opposition to the function of the job. For example, in a deadline-oriented Advertising Manager position, a company may reject a candidate who admits to having poor time management.

Therefore, your answer should be work-related and strategic. 

 

How to strategically answer the strengths question

As in every other part of your interview, your answer should be informed by your research. Take time to consider the job posting once more. Do they identify the kind of candidate they want? Do they say they are looking for a motivated, self-starter? If so, you may want to zero in on a strength that highlights your motivation and self-starter attitude. 

Conversely, you may want to identify a strength you have that may improve the company altogether. Perhaps you are interviewing for a software engineer position but your greatest strength is your eye for design. You can explain how your eye for detail coupled with your expertise in software development would improve the overall product because user experience is always at the forefront of your mind.

Whatever strength you choose, be sure you can support your strengths with an example of a time you epitomized that strength. Anyone can say they are organized; using an example proves you are organized. It can also be a great way to expand on a part of your resume or cover letter that you feel deserves more explanation. 

It is important to be strategic when answering these questions. A carefully constructed answer can communicate your capability and careful research. These types of approaches are sure to impress your interviewer and make your interview memorable. 

How to strategically answer the weaknesses question

The harder part of this question lies within the weakness. Many people believe that they should mention a big strength disguised as a weakness. For example, “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist.” Those are both cliche and not real weaknesses. Try to be honest with the interviewer and yourself. We are all human and it is normal to struggle in one area or another. 

Another incorrect way to answer this question is to focus on personal weaknesses. Try to focus on a weakness that relates to the job function. For example, you do not want to talk about a personality flaw such as impatience as that has little to do with whether or not you can succeed in the job at hand. Instead, focus on a professional weakness such as public speaking, lack of knowledge in a certain area related to your desired industry, or leadership skills. These weaknesses are real and related to the job at hand. 

While interviewers care about your weakness, they care more about how you are working on it. After mentioning your weaknesses, be sure to explain how you are taking measurable steps on improving that issue.

In the second example, you describe an authentic weakness but reframe your answer to highlight the ways in which you are actively bettering yourself. By ending your response on a positive note, the interviewer will remember your weakness as a challenge you are working to overcome instead of an impediment to the company’s success. 

It is also important to be strategic here as well. You don’t want to answer this question too honestly. Don’t spend too long listing out all of your work-related issues or providing examples as this may deter your interviewer as well. Your weakness answer should be short and sweet.  

How to ace the biggest strengths and weaknesses question

Practice. As we mentioned before, this is a very common interview question. You are almost guaranteed to run into this question in your job search process. Having a go-to answer for this question can help soothe interview nerves and make you sound more polished and prepared. 

Interviews are never easy. It’s even harder to think about yourself on the spot. Preparing and thinking ahead can ensure you have an awesome interview! 

Having trouble identifying your biggest strengths and weaknesses? Unsure how to word your answer in a way that feels authentic? Contact us, we can help!

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