When we think about leadership, our first thoughts probably jump to adults in suits, sat around boardrooms. Yet the truth is, leadership begins much earlier, long before job titles or formal responsibilities ever come into play. The foundations for leadership are laid in childhood: in the playground, within the classroom and around the dinner table at home.
At Bangkok Patana, we believe leadership is not a role, but a way of being. It’s reflected in the choices we make, the way we treat others, and the courage to live by our values, even when it’s not easy.
Last week, Rick Kirtland (Assistant Principal, Inclusion and Welfare) wrote about how our shared values shape a thriving school culture. Whether you are six or sixty, those values remain at the heart of who we are. Leadership is about influence, inspiring others through curiosity, empathy and integrity.
From Playground to Podium
You can see early leadership developing every day across our school. In the playground, it’s the child who includes someone new in a game. In the classroom, it’s the student who guides their group to work together effectively and complete a task successfully, ensuring everyone’s ideas are heard and valued. On the sports field, it’s the team captain who models perseverance, even when the game isn’t going their way.
These may seem like small moments, but collectively, they shape young people’s understanding of what leadership looks and feels like. They learn that being a leader doesn’t always mean being in charge. It means listening, supporting others, or admitting when you’ve made a mistake.
That philosophy runs through our student leadership pathways, from the Primary Student Council to Secondary House Captains, service-learning projects, the Ror Dor Programme and our Junior and Senior Student Delegates. Every role is an opportunity to practise leadership in context; to explore not only how to lead, but why.
Leadership as a Lifelong Skill
Parents often ask how they can help nurture leadership skills at home, and the good news is you already are. When you encourage your child to make choices, to solve problems, or to reflect on how their actions affect others, you’re cultivating leadership qualities. When you involve them in family decisions, allow them to express their views, or ask them to help plan a family event, you’re reinforcing that their voice matters.
Leadership is ultimately about confidence and character. It is about being able to collaborate, communicate and stay curious, skills that are just as important for family life as they are for the future workplace. As the world grows increasingly complex and interconnected, these attributes will matter even more. Our goal as educators is to help every student leave Patana not only academically prepared but equipped to lead with empathy, resilience and purpose.
Learning Through Service and Collaboration
One of the most powerful ways we help students develop leadership at Bangkok Patana is through service learning and collaboration. Whether it is our Primary Student Environmental Committee (SEC), a bring-buy and bake sale or a Community Engagement Team, these experiences give students a sense of agency, showing them that their actions can make a tangible difference.
Equally important are the opportunities to collaborate across ages and stages. When older students mentor younger ones, or when departments work together across Primary and Secondary, leadership becomes something shared. It is not about individual achievement but about working together towards a common goal. That is something our Leadership Academy, for staff, strives to model: leadership as a culture, not a course.
Leading by Example
Of course, children learn as much from what they see as from what they are told. The adults around them, parents, teachers, coaches and mentors, play an enormous role in shaping how they perceive leadership. When adults demonstrate patience under pressure, communicate respectfully or take responsibility for their mistakes, they are showing what authentic leadership looks like.
That is one of the many reasons why professional learning is such a priority at Patana. We want our staff to continue developing the same skills we nurture in our students: reflection, adaptability, innovation and collaboration. When children see their teachers and parents learning, growing and leading together, it sends a powerful message: leadership is never finished, it is something we all keep working on.
Leadership for the Future
Ultimately, our aim is not to produce leaders who simply stand out, but leaders who lift others up. Leadership starts early, but it never really ends. It is built in every shared decision, every challenge overcome, every act of kindness that makes someone else’s day better.
In a community as diverse and dynamic as ours, with over sixty nationalities represented, leadership also means understanding difference, valuing inclusion and finding strength in collaboration. These are the qualities that will define the next generation of leaders. Not authority, but authenticity. Not competition, but compassion.
So whether it is your child helping a friend on the playground, presenting an idea in class or taking initiative at home, take a moment to celebrate it. Because in those everyday moments, the seeds of leadership are already growing, and that is something worth nurturing.
