Reflections on Leadership

What makes a great leader? Head of Junior School, Ms Jo Edinger, reflects on the leadership values taught through the various programs at Wesley.

As the Head of Junior School, I have one of the best jobs in the world and I consider myself so very lucky to work at Wesley College. Our students should feel the same way. Attending Wesley is a gift and, in future years, I am confident that they will be thankful for this amazing opportunity. Reflecting on the opportunity to be a part of this school has made me realise I have an important message I should share. At Wesley, it’s what we do every day. Four simple, but far-reaching guiding principles for leadership.

Firstly, leadership is about people.

Great leaders are inclusive;They care about the people around them. They live the values we also embrace at Wesley College – courage, compassion, respect and integrity. As a leader being a good person and making positive choices every day is important. As we say, it’s the Wesley Way. We encourage our students to contribute to the positive culture of the Junior School, to live our College values and to embrace the Wesley Way.

At Wesley we have a strong commitment to a quality education. What we do in our classrooms, the way we learn and the expectations and standards we set are important. Each and every day we ask our students to step up, work hard and do their best to ensure that they are the best people they can be. They are challenged to make the most of each lesson and to contribute in their classrooms to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn, thrive and strive to be better than they were the day before. As we reinforce to our community on a regular basis, our students don’t have to be the best but they have to give their best.

Being a part of the Wesley adventure is key.

We dare our students to opt in to milestone experiences that form part of their journey at the College. These opportunities will help to develop character, to provide rites of passage, help our students to connect with their peers and younger Junior School students socially, while providing foundational skills for life. Having a go and leading the way is what it is all about.

The final thing to consider is the impact that the Wesley experience has on each student as a person. The opportunity to simply be a student in the Wesley College Junior School and the experiences this provides, will hopefully inspire our students to be creative, ethical and active citizens who are prepared to face the world. It is my hope that our children learn and grow from the opportunity to be a Wesleyan and I acknowledge that this is an impact which may not be evident until they leave the gates of the College for the final time.

In closing, there are eight words that are at the heart of this message. Words that guide each Wesley College student, as a leader and as a person:

Audendo Atque Agendo – By Daring and By Doing