Leadership

Leadership skills, as well as work ethic and personal satisfaction achieved through hard work, are values that are necessary to achieve personal and professional success. The curriculum in the R4 philosophy focuses on teaching leadership skills and rewards the emergence of these traits in our students. We focus on ensuring our students become successful leaders and that they value and respect leadership roles. Whether our students attend college after graduation or enter the workforce, much of their subsequent success will largely rely on skills that they have learned from their tenure at an R4 school.   They will be ready to lead and be prepared for success.

Leaders are authentic people, who will listen to others and who are inspired with a pervading drive to serve those around them before themselves. A good leader must be honest about their abilities and weaknesses, while recognizing a team members’ ability to perform a task more efficiently.

Leadership is about the art of motivating, influencing and directing people so that they work together to achieve the goals of a team or broader organization. It’s important for students to experience leadership opportunities during their schooling, to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities and achieving tasks effectively.  The R4 initiative supports the fact that every student’s success in life after graduation is entirely dependent on the qualities described in this section. Being promoted and climbing the ladder of success only happens as others recognize traits such as work ethic, ability to motivate others and leadership skills. Integrity, communication skills and the ability to make sound decisions and delegate are significantly more important than a high GPA.   For this reason, we feel programs focusing on leadership will ensure that each graduate will be ready to succeed and prosper in ways not possible without a strong commitment to teaching the art of leadership.

Navigating through life comes with many challenges and opportunities.  Leadership qualities help us navigate those new opportunities and challenges. As teachers, we should inspire students to develop leadership skills.  These skills build a bright future inspiring the confidence to lead and succeed. Finding real success in adult life depends on leaderships skills to help build relationships, effectively communicate and to have a level of commitment and integrity to be successful in life both personally and professionally. Empower a child with leadership skills early in life and they succeed and prosper, realizing their fullest potential in life.   — Joan Greene

The Key Virtues Of A Leader

Honesty and Integrity.

Integrity is defined as,  “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” This quality is of most importance for a person in a leadership position. It is perhaps the only way to instill trust on those you lead. Children are not born with it.   It is learned through socialization, good parenting and by example.   There must be a point in every child’s life where the profound importance and impact upon their lives becomes a part of their own value system and identity.   Their ability to recognize this and personify the highest possible regard for how integrity will impact their lives, will become the metric for their potential both professionally and personally.

Ability to Inspire.

You cannot inspire unless you’re inspired yourself. You must have passion. Every inspiring leader is abundantly passionate not just about the product, project or activity in which they are in charge, but also about how the “project” can benefit others. Additional important elements that inspire others, are being optimistic, giving people a goal, having a course of action and making people feel like they are important and play a large part in the big picture. A young person’s ability to inspire is difficult to teach, and even more difficult for them to assimilate.   Because of this, the value and benefit must be taught in the classroom.   Once again, every students’ potential will be heavily reliant upon this virtue

A Good Communicator

Becoming a good communicator requires both opportunity and skill.   Excellent communication skills are paramount to being a great leader. Having a high GPA and great academic accolades doesn’t guarantee success  if you’re not able to communicate with others effectively. Communication is not just what you say but how you say it.