The Secret to Developing Great Female Leaders

Students of today are our leaders of tomorrow. Education, opportunities, and role modeling are the keys to developing strong, successful female leaders. 

Female student leaders can thrive in an all-girls school environment and gain valuable real-world experiences. But leaders don’t emerge overnight. It takes time to build character that balances taking initiative when collaborating with others.

Presentation High School continues to develop great female leaders, even in this time of remote or online learning. “The Leadership Program at Pres has been going strong even though we are not on campus. This is truly a testament to what great leaders our students are and the training programs we have in place to develop these leaders,” says Leadership Director, Suzanne Colvin. 

Like the women they see leading in classrooms, boardrooms, operating rooms, and businesses across the country, Presentation’s young female leaders understand that when faced with a challenge, adapting and pushing through is the only solution.

As blended learning continues, Presentation’s’ online classes and clubs continue to incorporate leadership into their curriculums. Nurturing young women to embrace their leadership potential can happen in numerous ways for schools around the country. 

Below are ways Presentation fosters great female leaders:

Laying the Foundation of Female Leadership

From a young age, girls should be encouraged by their mentors and peers to take risks and participate in subjects that interest them. Teachers and educators have the power to be role models for young women, even when they may not see them in the media or in positions of power. In all-girl environments, students feel more capable of expressing themselves and voicing their opinions.

Confidence is a key factor in helping young girls discover their full potential. Research shows that single-sex education can boost young women’s confidence and self-esteem, and even once entering the workforce, this foundation of confidence remains.

Advancing Women in Leadership

It’s no secret that girls who attend schools in all-female environments feel challenged to their fullest potential. In fact, nearly 80% of students reported their academic performance to be highly successful. All-girls schools are producing contributors that will influence society and transform thought leadership. 

Amplifying female voices in politics, business, STEM, and more gives more gender diversity in the workplace and helps advance future opportunities. The more female leaders we see in the world, the more inspired young women will be to follow in their footsteps.

Presentation’s Leadership Academy

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the country, leadership programs pivoted towards distance learning. An online education platform created by Presentation teaches students about leadership remotely through “Leadership Academy Workshops”. 

With 141 students attending at least one of the workshops, Presentation is at the forefront of empowering women for success. Other schools can follow suit with similar online programs that enhance leadership skills, presentation skills, and public speaking, all while addressing global and current event issues.

The Future of Women Leadership

We live in a time where there are more women leaders than ever before, and women leadership continues to grow. In fact, it is expected that 178,000 more females than males will earn Master’s degrees in the 2020 academic year. With more women entering politics, medicine, and more, the future of female leadership is skyrocketing.

Addressing the concerns young women feel about their own leadership skills or habits through courses and thoughtful discussions, can advance the types of leaders you see in your schools, but also in the world beyond. It’s time we focus on empowering women to take advantage of the opportunities that await them.