Leadership and Famous People
Senior 4 · English
Leadership and Famous People
Lesson 2 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
Picture a leader from an old film: a man on a horse at the front of an army, shouting orders that nobody questions. Now picture the leaders people actually admire today: a nurse who organises her ward so that nobody works a double shift, a captain who passes the ball instead of shooting, a student who notices that the new girl eats alone. In this lesson you listen to a talk given at a school Leadership Day about how leadership has changed, and then you present a role model of your own.
| Part of the talk | Main idea | Example the speaker gives |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Her own story | ||
| 2. Old and new leadership | ||
| 3. Three habits | ||
| 4. The hummingbird | ||
| 5. Her challenge to the audience |
Important
Listening script: for a teacher or a confident student to read aloud
One reader, about five minutes. The speaker and the school are imagined.
Ms Ingabire: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for inviting me to your Leadership Day. I'm an engineer now, but fifteen years ago I was sitting exactly where you are, and I want to start with a confession. In S2, I stood for class monitor, and I lost. I got four votes. One of them was mine.
I was hurt, but something useful happened that term. The water tank at our dormitory kept running dry, and nobody knew why. So, without a title, I made a rota: two girls a day checked the tap, closed it after use, and wrote down the time. In three weeks the tank stopped running dry. Nobody elected me to do that. That was when I understood that leadership is not a position. Leadership is a verb. It's something you do.
Let me explain how leadership has changed. The old picture was the boss at the top who gave orders, and the lone hero who saved everyone. The new picture is different. Modern leaders serve the people they lead. They listen before they speak. They build teams, because today's problems, like climate change or a pandemic, are far too big for one hero.
So what does a modern leader actually do? I'd like to share three habits. First, ask before you tell. When I manage a project now, I begin every meeting with a question, not an instruction. Second, share the credit and take the blame. If the team succeeds, it's "we did it". If it fails, it's "I'm responsible". Third, make promises you can keep, make them in public, and report back. You know this idea from Imihigo: say what you will do, do what you said, and show people the result.
Now, some of you are thinking: "That's fine for engineers and ministers. I'm only a student." So let me tell you a story that the Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai loved to tell. A great fire was burning in the forest. All the animals ran out and stood at the edge, watching. They felt helpless. But one tiny hummingbird flew to the river, picked up a drop of water in its beak, and dropped it on the fire. Then it went back for another drop, and another. The elephant, with its huge trunk, laughed at it: "What do you think you can do? You are too small." And the hummingbird answered, "I am doing the best I can."
That's my challenge to you. You don't need to be the elephant. If each of you does the best you can, where you are, with what you have, this school will be a different place by the end of the year.
One last thing. A lot of your leadership will happen on your phones. When you run a class group chat, you're a leader: you can stop a rumour or spread it. Think before you post, and be the person who says "That's not fair" when everyone else is laughing.
To sum up: leadership is not a title you wait for. It's a verb, and it starts this week. So here is my challenge: before Friday, do one useful thing that nobody has asked you to do. Thank you.
Which sentence best sums up the talk? (a) Only elected leaders can change a school. (b) Leadership is something anyone can do, without a title. (c) Engineers make the best leaders.
Definition
Prepare a two-minute presentation about a role model: a famous leader, or someone you know. Use this structure and the signposts in the table.
| Part | What to say | Signposts and useful language |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Hook | a question, a surprising fact or a short story | Have you ever …? · Imagine … · When she was fifteen, … |
| 2 Who | name, role, where and when | The person I'd like to talk about is … · She is best known for … |
| 3 What they did | two or three achievements, in order | First, … · Later, … · Her greatest achievement was … |
| 4 Why they inspire you | the quality they show, with an example | What I admire most is … · This shows that … · For example, … |
| 5 Close | what you have learned or will do | To sum up, … · The lesson I take from her is … · Thank you for listening. |
In groups of four, two students argue that leaders are born, and two that they are made. Then change sides. Use this language:
| Agreeing | Disagreeing politely | Giving a reason |
|---|---|---|
| That's exactly what I think. · You've got a point there. | I see what you mean, but … · I'm not sure about that, because … · That may be true, but on the other hand … | The reason is that … · Take the example of … · This is shown by … |
Worked example
A model one-minute presentation, with its parts labelled
[Hook] Imagine losing six brothers when you are seven years old, and still finding a way forward. [Who] The person I'd like to talk about is Adrien Niyonshuti, a Rwandan cyclist from Rwamagana. [What he did] First, he became the first Rwandan to ride in the European professional peloton, in 2009. Later, he rode in the London Olympics and carried Rwanda's flag. His greatest achievement, for me, came the next year, when he opened a cycling academy in his home town. [Why] What I admire most is that he did not keep his success to himself. This shows that a real role model builds a road for others. [Close] To sum up, the lesson I take from him is simple: when you get a chance, pass it on. Thank you for listening.
Tip
Signpost, then pause. Listeners cannot reread a talk, so tell them where you are going (First … Let me give you an example … To sum up …) and pause for a second after each signpost. The pause gives your audience time to catch up and makes you sound confident.
Warning
Everyday leadership, by Drew Dudley, TED (about 6 minutes). He calls everyday acts of leadership "lollipop moments". As you watch, note his story and compare his message with Ms Ingabire's: what do the two speakers agree on?
Practice
Key points
Sources and credits
Quick check
What does Ms Ingabire mean by "Leadership is a verb"?
