From the Captains

Being mindful of how one’s actions – whether verbal or physical – can influence others plays a crucial role in everyday life. There is never one right way to be a leader, as leadership comes in countless forms. Even the subtlest gestures can be enough to trigger a change in how people behave.
Last Friday, we had the privilege of hosting the 2025 National Student Leadership Summit at Memorial Hall alongside our wonderful facilitator Jason Seeman from The Learning Future, who helped us plan the session months in advance. Student leaders from across the country came together to exchange knowledge, share leadership styles and explore different ways of knowing throughout the day.

The day was divided into three main components: self, others and community. Self-reflection is an important aspect of being a leader. Being mindful of how one’s actions – whether verbal or physical – can influence others plays a crucial role in everyday life. Having a strong sense of self-awareness also helps set the foundation for learning from past mistakes and creates room for future growth. Developing this mindset enables leaders to accept changing circumstances and embrace new ideas, setting them on a path of continuous improvement.

In leadership, the ability to work with others is imperative. A good leader never does everything themselves but rather collaborates with others to achieve common goals. This was the focus of the second session. One activity that worked really well was the Magic Carpet exercise, where two groups of students stood together on a tablecloth and tried to flip it over while everyone remained on it – first without talking and then with communication allowed. This activity taught us the foundational value of verbal communication and how effective communication greatly increases efficiency in a work setting. The time taken to flip the carpet reduced significantly when people were able to communicate compared to when they were silent.

In the final session, student leaders returned to their school groups and brainstormed ways to apply the day’s learnings to improve certain aspects of their schools. When everyone came together at the end to share their insights, many were able to identify areas for improvement in their leadership styles. One realisation for me was that a large part of leadership is about being a good listener. I strongly believe in the saying, “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak.” As I step into my leadership roles this year, one thing I’d like to improve on is becoming a better listener and observer. Being in an environment surrounded by professionals from various disciplines, there are endless opportunities for me to learn new things. As the year progresses, I hope to see a better version of myself through these experiences.

The day would not have been possible without the fantastic work of many individuals. A huge thank you to SPSC Marketing, Communication and Engagement team, for their efforts in helping us bring the student leaders on-site, handling logistics and making the day possible. Thank you to Mr David Williams for helping us set up Memorial Hall and ensuring that everyone had a place to be and felt welcomed. Lastly, a big thanks to Jason from The Learning Future for helping us plan the session and facilitating discussions throughout the day. Jason’s professionalism was evident from the start and through his calm mannerisms, the day felt less like a lecture and more like an interactive and lively experience.

As we move forward, the lessons and connections from the 2025 National Student Leadership Summit will undoubtedly continue to inspire and shape the way we lead. Leadership is not about perfection but about growth, collaboration and the willingness to learn from others. I am excited to see how these experiences will influence not only my own journey but also the collective impact we can make as a community of leaders.

Tiger Liu
School Vice Captain