Part of Lesson Plan: What is Leadership?

Activity Overview / Details

Prior to class, print out- pictures of famous/influential leaders and tape them up in a gallery format around your room. Examples could include: Obama, GW Bush, Mother Teresa, Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Gandhi, Bill Gates, Oprah. Make sure to type their name up.

Point the class's attention to the pictures. Lead a discussion about what each person's major accomplishments were just so everyone is on the same page. Also, bring up the point that each person has something in common- they were all leaders in their own right.

Then, put 5 minutes on the clock. Have students go around the room and write around the pictures one word that describes each person. These adjectives should be about who that person was and what was it that made them so special.

They need to write down one adjective per person. Go in a clockwise casual rotation like people do at art galleries.

When they are done, have one person stand by each picture. That person will then report out on the adjectives chosen for their person.

Then, lead a discussion about how those qualities made those people good/bad/successful  leaders.

Then, lead a discussion about the qualities they find most admirable in leaders. Have the students create a "Top 5" list of the most admirable qualities of leaders that they hope to possess.