Experts and students reveal the secret to leaving a legacy at school

While there are obvious responsibilities given to students in leadership roles, it takes more than speaking at school assembly to be a great leader.

To inspire this year's cohort of school leaders, these educators and former school captains shared their first-hand experience.

Vicki Skyring is the founder and principal of Super Speak, and says the public speaking program for children has seen thousands of students step into leadership roles at their schools by learning to communicate with confidence, express themselves clearly, and believe in their own voice.

"With these skills, they can inspire, persuade and lead others, creating positive change in their schools and communities through both words and actions," Vicki says.

"We see that the strongest young leaders are the students who can organise their thoughts, speak with purpose, and show empathy."

Dr Karl Sebire, executive director at Carey Baptist Grammar School and a director on the board of ADHD Australia, has identified numerous characteristics which help create a strong student leader, including demonstrating credibility before charisma.

"Strong student leaders do the work when nobody is watching," he says. "Titles follow trust, not the other way around."

Karl also says young leaders listen more than they speak and see leadership as responsibility rather than privilege.

"They ask, 'Who does this help?' before 'How does this look?'," he says.

Strong leaders are willing to say the unpopular thing (especially when silence would be easier or safer) and reveal their leadership on bad days, not good ones; calm, fair decision-making when stressed matters more than confidence on stage.

According to Karl, good leaders also know when to step back, support others, and let someone else lead when they are better placed to do so.

"They understand their limits, seek feedback, and are prepared to change their mind when the evidence shifts," he says.

"They leave things better. A strong student leader builds capability in others so the group is stronger after they move on, not weaker without them."

While observing great student leadership is undoubtedly helpful, hearing from past leaders can be just as valuable.

Lifelong friends Tameka Brown and Harry Lalor were school captains at a large Victorian high school in 2024.

Now both studying at university, they reflected on what helped make them successful leaders.

"Don't just be the voice people listen to, be the person they can talk to," Tameka says. "Stay approachable and grounded, and always aim to amplify the voices around you."

"Leadership isn't about being the loudest in the room," Harry says, "it's about making sure every voice feels heard."