“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humour, but without folly” 

Jim Rohn.

This week, let me focus on just one key aspect of our school motto - leadership. And the most visible representation of Leadership at LOTS - the Student Council. We just elected and inducted our new Student Council (details elsewhere in this newsletter). 

Was there a need for a Student’s Council? For the longest time in history, there wasn’t. Because for the longest time, the world was run on fixed notions, by change averse adults. Then came the likes of Socrates who said ‘respect truth, not age’. But the modern day manifestation was fuelled by the likes of John Dewey who recognized and promoted student governance –‘do not limit yourself to knowing how to score - learn how to live, how to lead, how to actually contribute to an institution’. And the modern growth of student governance began, with the first Student Council emerging in the 1950s in Virginia.

And we have now come a long long way. Thousands before the LOTS 2025-26 STUDENT COUNCIL  have become student leaders. Some have affected positive change, some have not. Some have used it as an opportunity to contribute, some have used it merely as a display badge. The choice is ours. I hope we make the right one. Because this honour and this responsibility is more important than we think. They will be the difference between fundraising for their  prom, or fundraising for less privileged children to feel better. Not saying learners should  not  have fun. They should – joy is the cornerstone of all learning – but maybe they need to just be a little deliberate about how they use their privilege. 

Bob Marley sang to entertain and to make money. But he also sang to bring peace, unite political rivals, and to provide for those in need. Like I said, he earned a lot through his music, but also gave away most of it through the bob marley foundation – to make life better for the marginalized and the weak. 

I believe our newly anointed leaders will be effective ambassadors. They are a grounded lot. And I want to  leave them with the last lines of one of my favorite poems –

“Two roads diverged in a wood,

And I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

As leaders who have earned the right to lead, we hope they dare to take the road less traveled.

Warm regards

Shouquot Hussain

Head of School