5 Ways Leadership Roles in School Will Help You Succeed at Work

School often serves as training ground for “the real world,” and becoming a student leader (or even just the lead in a group project) is actually one of those times such an environment help prepare us for what’s to come in the workplace.

If you’re in school and are excited to dive into a job, it’s recommended you find something in the classroom or an extra-curricular activity in which you can take the lead. Why? Here are five simple ways having a leadership role at school can help prepare you to succeed at work:

Often, student leaders are selected for their position through peer votes. This is a great confidence booster – having others recognize your skills and abilities is quite empowering. As such, the work you do in that role will also likely become recognized by the same people. A few ideas would include writing for the school paper, serving as a tour guide or campus guide for incoming students, starting an on-campus club, or even organizing sports rallies.

It’s important to improve your communication skills, especially since public speaking often plays a major role in many modern careers. When you’re a student leader, you often have to speak to a crowd, and with confidence and poise at that. This is especially true when you have to converse with diverse groups of people, with skills of persuasion and diplomacy to boot. In school, you can improve communication skills by speaking during school events, DJ-ing in your school’s radio broadcast team, or even just by mentoring freshmen.

When you lead a team, or the entire student body, you’re not only responsible for yourself but also a wide range of people. You have to make sure that tasks are done, and that all your members are doing things to the best of their abilities. This is a great lesson to learn on responsibility for yourself and ultimately also a lesson on how to hold others accountable for their subtasks.

Lots of student groups work collaboratively with others that sometimes have competing interests. During these times, student leaders often need to learn how to compromise and set priorities as needed. It’s easier said than done, so it’s recommended you take a workshop on or off campus regarding conflict resolution or cooperative learning to further develop such skills.

Again, communication is a huge deal if you’re in a leadership role – student leaders usually need to communicate with such a wide range of people that the average student normally wouldn’t need to talk with on a regular or daily basis. You not only familiarize yourself with fellow students, but also the school admin, leaders from other on-campus groups, and even those from off-campus partner organizations, and possibly even other high-profile figures. Building successful relationships with these people can result in valuable contacts long after you’ve left school.