Leadership Training

Leadership training is an important skill taught at military schools for boys. Boys with leadership skills tend to be more successful as adults. Learn more about the advantages of leadership training learned at a military school for boys.

Leadership training is one of the advantages that military school has over most traditional schools. Good military schools for any age group focus on training young men to become leaders in the military or whatever field they choose to go into, and the ability to lead is an important skill for success in life.                       

Leadership training is about helping young people develop the skills to be leaders in their lives and their careers. They learn to practice self control and to motivate others. There are several types of skills and traits developed in leadership training:

• Self discipline
• Self confidence
• Self awareness
• Morals and ethics
• Sense of responsibility to self and to others
• Being willing and motivated to learn
• Setting goals and having a strong desire and drive to achieve them
• Appreciating the strengths of others
• Openness to new experiences and people
• Teamwork

Military schools often focus on the importance of being able to control oneself and follow leaders before assuming leadership roles. This type of self-discipline is taught in several ways:

• Following the honor code and school dress code
• Physical training
• Military drills
• Team activities
• Following orders in a military-type setting

The teen’s self confidence is built through team and individual challenges, new experiences, survival training, and other activities like ropes and adventure courses. Military school also offers many opportunities to set goals, work as part of a team, and learn responsibility to others and to oneself.

Formal leadership training in military school usually involves two parts. The first part is classroom study of leadership principles and of good leaders from history and the present. The second part is having opportunities to practice leadership of one’s peers. This may take place in formal exercises or in informal situations like athletics, academics, military drills, and other activities on and off campus.

Most teens learning leadership skills benefit from this combination of academic and practical training in leadership. The classes help teens learn about leadership and responsibility, while the activities that allow leadership practice help teens to develop these skills and reinforce what they are learning and what works for them. They can also get feedback on their leadership skills in the practice scenarios and then take what they learn back into the classroom as they study further.

This type of leadership training develops the natural leadership abilities some teens already possess, while teaching leadership skills to those who are not natural leaders. Leadership is an ability that teens learn best over a longer period of time, with practice and support from their own leaders. Teens need examples of good leaders to develop their own leadership abilities, and good military schools offer such examples. They also need the chance to learn new ideas about leadership, practice them, reflect on what worked and what didn't, and then try again, refining their leadership skills.

These leadership skills can be learned in other environments and programs, but good military schools are very effective ways to provide leadership training to teens.