Leaders are those who shape the environment to please Allah. Among their tasks, they build the capability to set direction and align people to that direction. They also motivate individuals and organizations to improve products and services to result in providing new ways to meet people's needs.
Helping our youth become effective leaders is a duty we must fulfill. Analysis of results from the largest in-depth study of leadership development ever undertaken so far (Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, Harvard Business Review, 2/2007) indicate that leadership is a learned attribute. People do not have to be born with specific traits of a leader. Rather, leadership emerges in those who constantly test themselves through real-world experiences and who reframe their life stories to understand who they are at their core.
Learning to lead is a process of learning by doing. It can't be taught in a classroom using a lecture or seminar approach. But it is a craft that can be cultivated through classroom activities designed to provide opportunities for students to work in teams to solve real-life problems. This special section of Time & Strategy provides access to frameworks, tools, and methods that are valuable aids in the leadership development process that can be used from middle school through college. Consider a sample scenario followed by descriptions of teams at work, the roles team members play, useful classroom techniques, complementary tools, and evaluation methods.