ARE LEADERS BORN? OR ARE THEY MADE? On chromosome 11 there is a gene associated with leadership. Variants of this gene enhance sociability, conscientiousness, and courage—traits we associate with leaders. But a few strands of protein are not enough to determine the course of a life. Genes may set the stage, but true leadership is a passion as well as a trait, one that can be developed and nurtured through education and opportunity. Our rapidly changing world demands visionary, creative, and morally steadfast leaders who do not confuse arrogance with courage, who can balance power with modesty, and who can be conscientious without being rigid. It cries out for leadership fueled by passion and compassion. Good schools recognize that the cultivation of leaders is serious work and one of their responsibilities. They focus on developing and refining their students’ skills and knowledge with an eye to the challenges of our time. Great schools go further and seek to awaken a fire for making difference. Great schools offer an academic experience that develops curiosity, resilience, confidence, and compassion. They create ways for young people to collaborate and inspire each other when they see something wrong, and they support their growing ambition to lead. That is the kind of school we have created at Friends’ Central. For over 160 years, we have joined Quaker principles with academic rigor to prepare our students to become the leaders the world needs. At Friends’, our responsibility is to help young people develop the unique capacities they are born with. But we must also excite our students’ compassion for injustice in the world and provide opportunities for them to grasp the value of leadership in their own lives. What we know from experience is that nothing will stand in the way of a young person with the knowledge, skills, and passion to make a difference, and we challenge every Friends’ Central student to acquire the habits and perspectives to lead purposefully and effectively.
Friends’ Central School is a co-educational, college preparatory day school for nursery school through grade 12, located on two campuses in Wynnewood PA.
www.friendscentral.org