There is no “right” way to be a leader. Everyone has a different way of motivating and guiding people. Whether it’s performing random acts of kindness or simply smiling at someone, acts of leadership and compassion are found all around the St. Robert community. Leadership is the process of interaction between the leader and other people, influencing them to work toward a certain goal. It is the ability to provide direction toward preferred future aspirations and aligns the followers toward achievements. A leader loves others, respects everyone, and is honest. 8th grader, Madeline says, “Leadership is trait that can be grown in – being confident and being sure of your decisions are some ways you can be a leader.”

Kindness is something all people are all born with. Kindness often manifests itself as a process of thinking before acting or speaking. Those who aren’t kind struggle to dig deep within themselves to find that inner peace and may be too impulsive, leading them to hurt others. Another way kindness is seen is through random acts of kindness, kind acts that are done from the heart for no particular reason. An example would be volunteering to do something for church without being asked or guiding younger children when they cross one’s path lost or scared. Relationships are often glued back together through kindness and caring acts. All it takes is a loving heart and a willing leader to make a difference.

Another leadership quality is respect. By definition, respect means a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Many people are disrespected simply because of their appearance, which they have no control over, is different from the popular norm. Whether it’s respect for someone’s religion, their abilities, or their appearance, people often don’t realize that the impact of just a couple words, such as “You look beautiful today!” However, there are many other ways to show respect, such as asking people before borrowing one of their pencils, being quiet or focusing on the speaker during a presentation or speech, being polite, being humble of one’s own accomplishments, and making choices that show care and concern for others. Cooperating with other students also falls under respect. Cooperation shows that tge person cares for his/her group, allowing the group to achieve a dedicated goal. Madeline notes, “Everyone will lead in a different way because everyone is different. No two people are alike, so no one has the same leadership style, so you have to respect that.”

Honesty, yet another aspect of a good peer leader, is a very important trait that can sometimes be hard to show, but the consequences for not being honest should be taken into consideration at all times. Honesty is not only telling the truth, but it is being loyal to the people in one’s life and not dragging them into situations that could have bad consequences. Some examples of situations where honesty is missing include  peer pressure or allowing someone to copy homework. These are dishonest actions. With every lie people tell, they become more aware of the consequences as the repercussions of lying gets worse each time it is done. Dishonesty can cause relationships to crumble, reputations to be ruined, and more. It’s important to keep integrity a priority at all times even if the truth is hard to own.