Leadership Is a Practice, Not a Position

What Severn students learn is that the ability to lead isn’t something a person is born with; rather, it’s a skill set that can be developed.

In short, it’s the idea that charisma doesn’t equal leadership. “When we talk about building leaders, there is no one personality type required for entry,” said Upper School Head Steve Soden. “We want students to understand that every one of them has the ability to move a community in a positive direction.”

Foundational to the programming that’s been implemented in the Upper School is how leadership is defined from the outset. “Often, leaders are viewed as those who are out-front and leading all the time,” said Upper School Dean of Students Marc Buckley. “But we think it’s about knowing when to follow, when to speak up, and when to lead.

“A quiet student speaking up about an issue within a friend group is an act of leadership, just as much as serving on the student council,” he added.

Furthermore, demonstrating leadership doesn’t require a title.

“We equate leadership with action,” said Soden. “It’s about doing. And we see again and again how framing leadership this way moves students toward what they actually want to do and where their passions lie.”

These principal ideas are what guide the Upper School programming in both theory and practice. Leadership lessons are delivered through a multiyear series of seminars and workshops that are built directly into the curriculum, ensuring that every student is given the time, space, and knowledge to determine what kind of leader they wish to be.

Taught collaboratively by the Upper School grade deans, counselors, and leadership team, the series kicks off at the end of freshman year with a character strengths assessment. It continues through senior year, where the theme is “Leading and Leaving.” In this final year, students evaluate what they’ve accomplished so far, what they want the year to look like, and the ways that what they’ve learned will help them navigate life after Severn.

The foundations for leadership are first established in sophomore year, where the topic is “Know Thyself.” Students first get introduced to the concept at the end of freshman year, during the Health & Wellness seminar. That’s when they take an online character strength assessment. After answering a series of questions, students get back a ranked list of 24 positive character traits. The top four or five are the ones they use most frequently; the bottom of the list represents opportunities for growth.

This eye-opening exercise marks the beginning of their journey toward self-discovery, a critical step in developing leadership skills. “The key to all of this is knowing oneself, because that’s what makes it possible for students to lead from an authentic place,” said Soden.

In ninth grade, students generally aren’t comfortable with themselves yet,” he added. “That’s why starting that year we hammer away at the idea of being who you are and being okay with that. It’s a necessary first step because getting comfortable with themselves is ultimately what opens up opportunities to work effectively with others.”

Sam Long ’26 is a Senior Prefect, a multisport athlete, and a perfect example of the evolution Soden articulated. A self-described “quiet leader,” Long isn’t out-front as a leader; instead, he looks for opportunities to lead by example. “As a freshman, I can say I knew nothing about myself!” he said with a laugh. But he eventually determined what was important to him, what type of leader he could be, and the best way for him to encourage others.

That led Long to apply to be a Senior Prefect, a role he was drawn to because he was positively influenced by Prefects and wanted to pay that forward.

“People believe in themselves in different ways, so you have to be patient,” he said. “That’s something I’ll keep in mind as I mentor the freshmen this year.”

The leadership programming for junior year is dedicated to understanding oneself and others. Key components in year three include understanding the most common approaches to conflict resolution, entering uncomfortable conversations, and expanding empathy.

“We teach them to consider where the other person is coming from, and maybe you know you aren’t going to change their mind, but can you ask questions and come out of it with a deeper understanding of the other one’s position?” said Buckley. “In other words, can we live in a gray area, or does it always have to be a win–loss scenario that ends in confrontation?”

That evolution toward confidently approaching difficult conversations is why students learn about what’s important to them first and then progress to understanding that everyone they interact with also has things that are most important to them. These are the fundamental aspects of leadership that students build.

The outcome of this self-exploration is that Severn students graduate knowing who they are and how to apply their strengths. “There is an authenticity and a self-assuredness to our graduates that I think is unique,” said Soden. “They own who they are, and they are not all the same.”

Even with all of the right parts and pieces in place, the leadership program wouldn’t be successful without one final ingredient: time. “Students click at different times, so the real secret is giving them time to percolate,” said Buckley. “To use a sports analogy, we keep them in the game until they find their passion, because that’s when they get interested in leadership.”

For Olivia Jishi ’26, the leadership seminars helped her identify what she wanted to get out of her Severn experience and what she wanted to do for Severn. It took two years for Jishi to gain the confidence and communication skills necessary to use her voice. Now as a Senior Prefect, a club leader, and a Van Eney ’09 Fellow, she wants to help students coming into Severn to do the same. “Every student should feel comfortable putting themselves out there so that they can take advantage of all the opportunities here,” she said.

Jishi’s story is far from unique. The students who shine brightest by senior year are not always the students who were getting noticed as freshmen—and that, according to the Upper School dean team, is exactly the point. “We’re giving students ways to grow within their own personality instead of trading in parts of their personality to fit in,” said Zak Starr, dean of the Class of 2027, “and there’s something really beautiful in the results.

This story originally appeared in the Fall 2025 issue of The Bridge. To see the complete digital issue, click here.