How To Be a Good Milton Leader
By JANA AMIN ‘21
Am I a bad leader? It’s a question I ask myself every day. And, almost every day, I find that the answer to that question is a resounding yes.
Look, leadership is hard. Ask any junior or senior, and they will tell you just that. But, let me take a step back because I believe that at Milton, not only are leaders presented with a number of challenges, but also all of them fail to overcome these challenges on multiple levels.
As the leader of a number of clubs, affinity groups, and teams here on campus, I find myself failing as a leader on multiple occasions. And unfortunately, I am not alone. At Milton, it seems we all want to become leaders, but so few of us know how to. So, let’s dive into what being a good leader takes, why it is so important to be one, and how we can all do more to help both ourselves and others develop those leadership skills.
So, what does it take to be a good leader at Milton? In my experience, good, even great, leaders at Milton possess three essential qualities: they hold themselves accountable, strive to know those they are leading, and, perhaps most unexpectedly, lead silently.
First, good leaders, especially within the Milton community, hold themselves accountable. At Milton, everyone is busy. If it weren’t for hard deadlines, the majority of us would probably never turn in that essay or problem set, though our intentions aren’t malign. It’s not like we don’t want to do our homework or don’t want to learn—we do. And yet, we struggle to prioritize on a daily basis and find ourselves scrambling to get something or another done. Making sure that you set deadlines for yourself and meet them is good, but even that small step can be difficult sometimes. As such, I encourage you to delegate your responsibilities to another organization member, a teacher, or a parent. Who exactly you choose to delegate your responsibilities to is not the point. That you choose to do it is what is really important.
As a leader, you can get to know who you are leading. Leadership is useless—if not destructive—if you lead blindly. So, as difficult as it might be, make time to empathize with and understand the perspectives of those you are leading. What do they think should change within your group? Spending just a few minutes a day asking questions of this sort will greatly boost your ability to lead.
And finally, lead silently. Okay, maybe not totally silently. Obviously, leadership requires communication and the ability to talk to others. Yet, I find that while most people can do that, not many can lead when no one is watching them. Although being a leader can be trying, what really matters is that you become a leader, choosing to advocate for your organization and encompass its values in everything you do. Remember: being a leader requires leading even when the metaphorical lights are off.
Ultimately, I believe that leaders are not—and should not—be static beings: instead, I think leaders must shift and adapt to the ever-changing environment in which they lead, inspiring those they lead along the way.
As Milton leaders—and I’d argue, we all are leaders—we must do more on a daily basis to push our leadership skills to their boundaries, allowing those that which we lead to flourish.