One of the most important parts of an educator’s job is helping students develop leadership skills. As varied as the definition of leadership is, so are the many types of leadership opportunities that our students have.
Darlington has an exceptional student body. We have very gifted young men and women from around the globe. The teachers and administrators take this role of educating tomorrow’s leaders very seriously. But, one of our constant dilemmas is that there is no one way to educate leaders.
One of the problems we face is that we cannot clearly define leadership. It takes on a different meaning and different characteristics for every leader. Some lead by example, some lead using motivational tricks, some lead by fear and others lead with humility. That’s only a few ways and I am positive there are many, many more.
Over the years, I have worked with student leaders in many capacities. Something that I have come to realize is that our job as educators is not so much to teach leadership as it is to teach ethics, morality and integrity. This past Sunday, I took part in the beginning of a unique experience that I believe will help us teach tomorrow’s leaders all of these things.
This project started over a year ago. The current House Senate president came to me with a proposition. Rising senior Will Crawford wanted to enhance the leadership experience here at Darlington. I’m always looking for new ways to approach student leadership and was more than willing to embark in this new direction.
So, we sat down to lunch with former trustee and alumnus of the Class of 1969 Cecil “Buster” Wright III. Mr. Wright was working on a new program at Berry College. The program, now called the Berry College Center for Integrity and Leadership, started as an idea to teach ethical leadership to student leaders at the institution.
The Center for Integrity and Leadership partners community leaders with college students. Through book studies, outside speakers, formal and informal discussions, and real-life examples, these mentors develop a relationship with their younger counterparts with hopes of helping them understand the deeper meaning of leadership.
Last year, Mr. Wright returned to our campus to speak to the student body. He highlighted the importance of integrity and having a strong moral compass. He also talked about his personal definition of leadership. He spoke about how most true leaders aren’t the vote getters, but the ones who through their actions become the easiest to follow. He challenged the students to stand up and lead in whatever field they find their passion.
As we entered stage two of our project, Will Crawford and I visited Berry College and sat down with Mr. Wright and 12 of the student leaders in Berry's program. We discussed the direction of our project here at Darlington and invited the college students to come here.
Faculty and staff nominated the Darlington student leaders that will take part in this first phase of the project. The group will evolve over the next few months as seniors graduate and new student leaders are identified.
The Darlington Integrity and Leadership Project, as we know it, will now partner Darlington students with the Berry College students. And, just as community leaders mentor the college students, the college students will begin mentoring the Darlington students. Our goal is to extend this one more level and have our Upper School students begin to mentor Middle School students by the 2016-17 school year.
The objectives of this program are fairly simple. They are to help young adults realize what leadership is, the responsibility that comes with it, and how to be an honest leader while remaining true to your own values.
I am very excited about this partnership with Berry College. As I think about what it means to educate tomorrow’s leaders, I really feel that this experience will only enhance the Darlington student’s leadership experience.
We live in a world where it is hard to fully put your trust in today’s leaders. But, I believe that programs like this will help students realize how important values and integrity are in leadership and I am excited about the future.
Click here to see more photos from Sunday's gathering with representatives from the Berry College Center for Integrity and Leadership.
