Leadership Foundations

Step’s Leadership Foundations (LF) course has been running for several years now. The original ‘guinea pig’ students have left and returned brandishing degrees, diplomas and promotions. They all now work in an array of diverse jobs, influencing and shaping the world around them. Some of them stay in contact and it’s amazing to be connected with them.

The course has evolved over the years and would be unrecognisable to the original cohort.  

We are in the final weeks of running LF simultaneously in all three Catholic schools: Nicholas Breakspear, St Columba’s College and Loreto. All three have asked for the course again due to being oversubscribed. Several future courses are booked in and there is some conversation about gathering all the graduates of the courses to form a sort of alumni.

The student delegates learn many things, but one of the highlights is when they begin to take themselves seriously as leaders and also as spiritual beings. It is moving to see their experiences and learning develop to the point where they are considering their responsibility for our world, testing their influence and becoming intentional in their actions. Jesus’ words and actions are often reflected on in the sessions, and it is beautiful to see how his interactions with his disciples help them understand how Jesus is seeking to interact with and through us.

Last week we experimented with running the course on a day away. We took the student leadership team from Nicholas Breakspear. Throughout the day the students experienced a selection of the course activities and content. They completed outdoor challenges and even had to prepare a meal for the school senior leadership team. The day was pulled together with a campfire, mass and even an impromptu worship time focused around thanksgiving and the song ‘My Lighthouse’. Several students commented on how pivotal the day had been in their formation.