Schooling and empowering future leaders

    

     
      Everyone has a leadership aspiration, or a kind of leadership in daily life. This leadership is practised by different people who possess the ability to move others towards a goal (Wolinski, 2010). It is increasingly debated that good leaders are made through a never ending process of education, training and relevant experiences (Bass & Bass, 2008) by which they develop their leadership instinct through acquiring its skills, as the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said [إنما العلم بالتعلم والحلم بالتحلم]. As a matter of fact, there are many roles that contribute to the making of the leadership personality, and schools have the most crucial role in providing students with leadership skills through the knowledge and experience they provide (Bass & Bass, 2008). However, the success of the school in achieving this depends on the quality of the environment of the educational process, if it is so efficient so it can enhance the skills of students and qualify them to be among future leaders.

   
      Dr. Saad Osman, President of the Cambridge Academy of Higher Education, emphasizes the role of the school in improving contemporary leadership skills through the ability of the school to introduce programs that enhance strategic thinking skills, leadership communication skills, time management skills, presentation and negotiation skills, problem solving skills, and teamwork skills, all of which are leaders' qualifications. He adds :

''School activities play a significant role in the development of  presentation skills.They also contribute to the child's learning, teamwork, acceptance, love and cooperation with others. Raising and hailing the flag teaches young people sacrifice, loyalty and commitment. The school itself as an educational institution contributes to the child's discipline and  great respect.''

      The idea that the school is one of the most important places where the child learns the principles and skills of leadership is further emphasized through three school experiences. One in Singapore, where its philosophy focuses on "School Thinking." Another is Japan’s experiment through a Learning Society, that goes under the motto "Values and loyalty ... the basis of belonging", while the school experience in New Zealand focuses on "An innovative society is the product of an innovative creative school". 

    Educational systems have a key role in building and empowering leadership within future generations. It has certified as Dr. Mona Abu Asali, Department of Languages and Community Culture at the Emirates College for Educational Development, pointed out that education is not an end in itself but rather a means to serve the society and its causes. Teachers all believed in preparing the students adequately for situational problems as to develop their responsibility and loyalty. In addition to suggesting a cooperative learning that strengthens students’ leadership personality besides stimulations and workshops. This is what must be done and cultivated in future generations through more research and community studies. Since any educational process is done in isolation from the community and its issues is difficult to form a leader, because a leader’s quality is to be aware of what is happening around them.

      

      To this end, the effectiveness of schooling in empowering leadership within the new generations needs a quality wake up call for a better reform to the education contexts. One could conclude plausibly that making future leaders might only be the fruit of adopting competitive and cooperative learning as well as reinforcement of modeling, workshops and conferences stimulation in the teaching process to develop responsibility and improve presentation skills. Hence, we wish to propose the appropriate atmosphere in our schools where today’s learners aspire to become qualified leaders.