leadership.

Personal experience.

1. 1. The Hall president;

One example of good leadership that has really influenced my live is that of the hall president when I was in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. In the university, workers are paid to clean the wash rooms. One time,  the workers went on demonstration. The wash rooms became so dirty because, the workers were not around to clean them. Students of the hall however continued to use the place, we all refused to take notice of the palling filth. One day when we woke up, the whole hall was shocked by what we saw. All the 15 washrooms were glistening clean! How did this happen?! Everyone knew of course that the workers were still on demonstration. As little questions about the situation increased, it quickly grew to become the question of the whole hall. To verify the various answers that were coming in, the whole hall marched to the hall president’s room.

The hall president then confessed what had happened. He could not stand the filth mounting and had mobilized his roommates the evening before to clean throughout the night! Everybody had thought it wasn’t their responsibility but this challenged all of us! Not just anybody did this but the hall president! From that time through the semester, it didn’t matter whether the workers were on demonstration or not. I learnt that leaders live by example, and sometimes without even speaking, as a leader, your  people will do what you do!

1. 2. Mother

Another example of good leadership is that of my mother; Esther. I started coloring and drawing at about 2 years I was told. When I was in kindergarten through primary school from age five , I remember how she would always praise my drawings and color works and hang some in the living-room. She always encouraged me and praised my works. When I look at those old works at primary one now, they are the worst works I can imagine! But are her praises the reason why I was third in Ashanti region in an art creativity competition in junior high school? The reason why I choose to study visual art in senior high school and became the best sculpture student for two years? And one of the best students in the visual art class? Could it also be the reason why I choose to study fine Art in the University and chosen to represent my class to be interviewed on national television about visual art in Ghana? I learnt that encouragement can be a great source of motivation that every leader can give!

Students opinion

When I talked to a cross section of students in Saint John Senior High School, they gave their views on whom a good leader /teacher is.

1. A science teacher was named, who is always experimental. He allowed students to have several experiments concerning what he has thought them and this they said enabled them to practically experience what they have learnt and made it easier for them to understand what they have been thought.
2. Another economics teacher was named who uses stories and articles in newspaper as examples to the topics he teaches, like inflation, demand, tax etc. this makes them easily relate to the topic being taught and makes understanding easy. To these students, telling them one thing and reading notes on it to them is another thing from showing them how it happens outside the classrooms, and then they can relate to it without the tension of the class room. They  believe that when they  can see and relate to what they are learning in their environment and daily lives, it becomes easier for them to remember and understand.

1. On the aspect of discipline too I wanted to inquire because in Ghanaian schools, caning is a common thing. Student who break any law or refuses to obey any instructions could be caned very well as a punishment. On this aspect however, students express their view that, they would prefer to be counseled than caned because sometimes, they do not intentionally disobey instructions. Some students right after school, have to walk for miles to the house and have to still help in the house before they can attend to their assignments, and so they are already tired by that time and are not able to complete their assignments, others in dormitories on the campus said they sometimes have to help their seniors, and they do all the minor works in the dormitory and this affect them etc. many excuses were given, however, I believe that when students are counseled rather than given some brutal punishment, they obey not because of a law enforcer but because they know and understand why they shouldn’t do this or that. Some student shared stories of how they felt so embarrassed in times they were counseled by anyone after disobeying. They also felt trusted and as a result resolved not to disobey at all cost.

1. Student also described a good teacher to be one who understands and know much of what he or she is teaching. They related some stories in which the teacher did not have adequate knowledge in the field he was teaching and sometime had to even be corrected by the students. I was not too surprised at this because in Ghana, sometimes, people in search of a job can just enroll as a teacher in a field they are not specialized in,  and if they are not hard working can be uncovered. In many rural places too, many teachers are not qualified. They completed Senior High School and didn’t qualify to the university and were employed to teacher because of lack of teachers. In my personal experience however, my school; Prempeh College is one of the best Senior High Schools in the country, and there was an occasion a national service personnel came there to teach for a short time and was always found wanting because he didn’t know that the students always learn ahead and asked questions about what he had not yet prepared or read before coming to class.

School leaders

1. According to these prefects, a good leader should live by example. They expressed that, when the people you are leading recognize that you believe In what you are asking them to do, they easily obey you but when you say one thing and does another, they thought your leadership.
2. Also, a good leader easily come to the help of followers when they are in need. Any good teacher is ready to help the student out when he has any problem in his academics and sometime even in other personal and social challenges. This makes the student feel important and trusted. The student can easily learn with confidence. A good teacher is accessible. Student can easily walk to them whenever they need help with fear of being turn off. When students feel they can easily relate to you, they are careful not to hurt you by disobeying you or failing your exams and thus become more productive.
3. According to these students, a good teacher also expresses confidence in his/her students. In class many students surfer from inferiority complex, especially those who perform poorly in class, come from very poor families or are not able to answer questions in class. Such students’ confidence can be boosted by a leader or teacher by expressing of confidence in him/her.

A teachers’ opinion

1. The teacher I talked to expressed his opinion that , to him, the leaders he can give an example of are school-head since it was only they that teachers reports to. He believes that a good head master should be able to take good care of his staff. Some teachers don’t stay on campus he said, other teaches for extra hours and allowances and other incentives should be considered to motivate them. He concluded.

By this time I recognized how interesting the ladder of leadership climbs! What if I interview the headmaster! Then the Ghana Education Directors! Then the Minister of education! Then the president!  I recognized that the attitude of a leader, has direct impact on the people he leads and sometime, even their leadership style! If this is true, then the cradle of leadership will not be the presidential palaces but the homes of us all!