What does leadership look like?
Many people picture a title, a position, or someone standing at the front of the room giving directions. Our Year 6 students spent Leadership Day discovering something far more powerful: leadership is often at its best when it’s focused on helping others succeed.
On Thursday 30 July, students took part in their third Leadership Day of the year, exploring the theme Leadership Through Service. Rather than sitting through presentations about leadership, they experienced it firsthand through a series of challenges designed to build teamwork, resilience, communication and problem-solving skills.
The day began with an exploration of what service really means.
Students discussed how leadership can be demonstrated in both big and small ways, through actions that support, encourage and empower others. They reflected on the impact that even simple acts of kindness and assistance can have on individuals and communities.
A powerful lesson from nature helped bring this idea to life.
Students watched the story of a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis and learned that the struggle is an essential part of the process. Without it, the butterfly’s wings cannot properly develop. The message was a thought-provoking one: while quick fixes can be tempting, real growth often comes through challenge, perseverance and the opportunity to work through difficulties ourselves.
This theme carried through each activity that followed.
Students learned how to tie a variety of practical knots, including the Bowline, Reef and Mule knots. More importantly, they learned how to support one another through the process. Rather than simply completing tasks for a friend, students were encouraged to coach, guide and encourage their peers, helping them build confidence and independence along the way.
The energy lifted even further during the billy cart challenge.
Working in teams, students assembled their own billy carts from individual components. The task required patience, communication and plenty of problem-solving as teams worked together to align parts, tighten bolts and overcome unexpected challenges.
Once the carts were complete, it was time to put them to the test.
The quadrangle quickly transformed into a racecourse as students proudly launched their creations, attracting enthusiastic audiences of staff and fellow students. There were cheers, laughter and no shortage of excitement, but beneath the fun was a deeper lesson about collaboration, persistence and collective achievement.
Back in the Reid Learning Centre, another challenge asked students to think differently about support and teamwork.
Through a balloon-based activity, students discovered that success often depends on understanding the strengths of those around us. Every group member approached the challenge differently, highlighting the value of diverse perspectives, encouragement and mutual support. The task reinforced the idea that great leaders don’t try to do everything themselves. They help others contribute and flourish.
The final challenge of the day was perhaps the simplest and most memorable.
Students were given a jelly snake and one instruction: eat it without bending their arms.
With plastic bottles preventing them from bending their elbows, students quickly realised that feeding themselves was impossible. After plenty of laughter, creative thinking and a few puzzled expressions, the solution emerged.
If they couldn’t feed themselves, they could feed someone else.
The lesson was immediate and powerful. By serving another person, everyone benefited.
It was a fitting conclusion to a day focused on a different kind of leadership, one grounded in empathy, service and community rather than status or authority.
Throughout the day, students developed skills that will serve them well into the future: effective communication, resilience, collaboration, confidence and the ability to empower others. Most importantly, they experienced firsthand that leadership is not about doing things for people. It’s about helping people discover what they can do for themselves.
In a world that increasingly values collaboration, adaptability and human connection, these are the qualities that will shape future leaders.
And if Leadership Day was any indication, our Year 6 students are already well on their way.
Because sometimes the most important lesson in leadership is surprisingly simple: when you help others grow, everybody moves forward.
