Kinnoull Campus

Student Report — High Performance Leadership Coaching

Over the past three weeks, the Year 10 and 11 House Student Leaders have participated in high-performance leadership coaching sessions, facilitated by Nathan Burke (former St Kilda footballer).

In these sessions, we focused on issues within our College, identified our strengths and areas requiring improvement. Student attitude towards teachers and peers, sporting enthusiasm and how we can effectively represent the College, were some of the topics we discussed in a group forum. Nathan presented the concepts of personal and community legacy. Personal legacy is defined as the type of person you are and the conscious effort you make to improve the school. Community legacy refers to how you affect the world around you and how you represent the College in the broader community. 

Nathan introduced us to action versus intention. He used a metaphor that encapsulated this concept perfectly; “my car won’t start if I intend to put petrol in it”. If there is action, there is change. Nathan also reiterated the need for “above the line” thinking as opposed to “below the line” thinking. Above the line refers to having a positive attitude, confidence and a belief that you will succeed. Below the line refers to blame, excuses and denial. If you are a good leader, you will move straight from below the line to above the line and encourage others to follow this outlook. Acknowledging that only you are responsible for your actions and subsequent outcomes was a powerful theme throughout the sessions.

In our smaller groups, we structured methods to enhance a greater sense of brotherhood and ways to build an even stronger community. 

These past three weeks have been thought-provoking and motivational. It has enabled us to question our actions and discover how we can effectively make a positive and lasting impact on the relationships and attitudes within our College and beyond. 

Antony Valcanas
Year 11 St Edwin’s House Leader

Back to The Duce Issue 2019 07 - 16 May 2019