Characteristics of a student leader – This piece is designed to meet readers’ quest in two dimensions – read on to know how.
You must have met one or more student leaders in the past, and maybe you failed to notice certain things are familiar to them. Or perhaps you are longing to be a student leader and want to peep at these tips so you can succeed in the game as an intending student leader.
Whatever the case may be, in this article, we shall be examining the top 10 characteristics of a student leader. But before then, let us look at what it means to be a student leader.
Who is a Student leader?
That student who is in the position to cause change, motivate, influence, and guide other students to achieve specified goals, is a student leader.
We have gotten a good portion of what we want in the definition if you would see things through my eyes.
Characteristics Of A Student Leader
Having examined what it means, the next on our agenda will be to look at what it takes (characteristics).
1. Good Listener
A student leader must be able to listen to people tactically. Good communicators possess several listening skills, which are precisely what a student leader, especially if good, is expected to attribute.
It may sound easy, but good listening skill is one of the most challenging disciplines to learn. Do you know it is easier to be a good speaker than to be a good listener?
Although some people are naturally endowed to be good at speaking or listening, what does a student leader who is not born with it do? They learn. The reason is that there are chances you will not always run into issues with colleagues when you are a good listener.
Little did you even know that good listener make more friends because we all want to have that one person who gives us a good listening pair of functioning ears when we are troubled.
When you see a student leader worth one, please pay attention to him; he is always attentive when listening to others.
Listening well is one of the essential characteristics of a student leader; after all, good listeners make good speakers, as they say.
2. Honesty
There is a saying that to be persuasive, one has to be trustworthy; to be trustworthy, there is no other way than, to be honest. The reason is that you naturally become a man of the people, at least many if not everyone, when you are known for being straightforward in your dealings.
A student leader must exhibit this, or he becomes a bad leader.
But then you might be asking what honesty is. Honesty is the state of being truthful. An honest person does not tell a lie regardless of the circumstances around.
People also love honest leaders as they will naturally appear brave before others.
3. Hardworking
A student leader is also one who does less saying and more acting. As obtained from an anonymous quotes, it is always better when we “Do than we say.”
These two may be action words, but one is greater than the other. A student leader is expected to be hardworking and lead the followers to move towards the accomplishment of their goals consistently.
To be hardworking requires that one is always ready to get things done. This equally means that a good student leader does not procrastinate things for a later time.
If you plan on being a student leader, emulate this in past leaders; it will make your followers believe in your movement.
4. Goal-oriented
It might sound awkward to say that there is no point in being a leader if one has no target, goal or objective to aim at. Returning to our definition of a student leader notes that a leader is there to help achieve specified goals.
It is important to note that a leader is not there only to say the goals ahead for his team to achieve but also to take actions toward accomplishing them for the followers.
Always observe, and you will discover this in every worthy student leader you come across. Being goal-oriented means that the leader knows and is always cautious about not going against his team’s target. In many cases, to be a goal-oriented leader, one must understand the theory of placing priorities.
The leader should understand which of the several goals ahead of his team is more important and the ones that follow.
5. Tolerance
A good student leader must exhibit this, if not any other attributes. The reason is that you will have to attend to many things and people that may be frustrating.
When the school is about to elect leaders for several faculties, departments, and classes, the untold criterion it is always searching for is a person who can tolerate a lot.
To lead people is not easy, and that is one reason as an intending or a present student leader, you are encouraged to have this.
Alongside this attribute comes others like being calm. A good student leader understands that people are entitled to their opinions and that whatever they say is always their cup of coffee.
If you are doing this search for your benefit, you should also learn from the philosophy: “Do not explain yourself to people; they will only hear what they want to hear.”
Yes, tolerate people to query you after trying to give them the best of you. Everyone will soon know how much understanding makes you up. Should a good student leader is allowed to have just one characteristic, you want to agree with me that tolerance is the best.
6. Leading by Example
I want to assume we all know the saying. that leadership should be by example. Well, it just turned out that you have heard before.
Why should a good student leader require the followers to do the things he will not do himself? It is one of the characteristics of a good student leader.
Often, leadership gives people headaches because they are not ready to lead by example. Followers want to be sure that the leader is asking them to do the right things, so leading first will be an excellent attribute of a leader in the school or anywhere else.
When the students march on to protest against certain things in the school, the leader is expected to be at the front, for instance.
Not only should a leader go ahead of people after giving instructions, but leading becomes highly effective when a leader intentionally starts to work in the way he would like his followers to work because too many of them he is a model.
7. Good communicators
A student leader is expected to be a good listener like everyone looks forward to knowing that they speak well.
It will be easy for a leader to be a good communicator if he listens well because good listeners make good speakers remember. And they say words are like keys, and you can open any heart with them if you choose the right ones.
8. Confidence
Carry yourself the way you want people to see you; that is precisely what student leaders do. They understand that followers may look down on them unless they present themselves well.
Unlike random students, student leaders are always known for their courageous hearts! They act with confidence, which is one way to get the best results in things done.
9. Human Relation
A student leader must be one who can relate to people well. They must not discriminate by leaving some members unattended to at the expense of others.
When you see an active student who relates well to everyone, then press further, there are high chances he is a leader.
10. Good decision-makers
Having to make good decisions is one of the expectations of any group of followers from its leader. However, good decision-making skill is a rare feature only a few have.
So to know that a person is a student leader or is worthy of being one, we must look forward to seeing this in such a person’s life.
For instance, a good student leader does not move for the ex-communication of a member who is only supposed to be warned or, at most, suspended to repent. This also requires a good sense of judgment and thus requires being calm (to think well) when new decisions are to be made.
So do you want to know a student leader without asking/being told? They look out for the already mentioned characteristics in the students you meet.
Note that in this context, what it takes, which appear to be the requirements are equally attributes/characteristics.
Conclusion
Although the characteristics on our list are student leaders, you may not find them in leaders who are not good. Moreso than a student leader’s lack, some do not render them a lousy leader.
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