At the ELITE Leadership Summit, I had the chance to speak with 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students about a simple truth: leadership starts sooner than most people think.
You do not have to wait until you are older.
You do not have to wait until you have a title.
You do not have to be the loudest person in the room.
Leadership begins when your choices help the group.
That was the main idea from our opening kickoff, Own Your 168 Hours. Every student, every parent, every teacher, and every leader gets the same week: 7 days, 24 hours each, 168 hours total.
The quote we built from was this:
“You have one life, 168 hours a week. Invest every moment into becoming who you’re meant to be.”
For students, that does not mean every minute has to be perfect. It means the next ten minutes matter. A student can lead by asking one clear question, using one strength, and protecting the team’s focus.
That is practical. It is also hard.
Real leadership gets tested when the room gets uncomfortable.
That is why our follow-up session moved from time ownership to response ownership. We used another quote:
“You’ll find peace when you stop running from discomfort and start mastering it.”
Students understand discomfort. They may not call it that, but they know what it feels like.
It shows up when a group project stalls.
It shows up when one student takes over.
It shows up when someone feels left out.
It shows up when an answer is wrong, a teammate disagrees, or the task feels too big.
In those moments, many of us default to one of three moves. We run. We react. We freeze.
Running looks like checking out or hoping someone else handles it.
Reacting looks like snapping, blaming, or taking over.
Freezing looks like staying silent even when we have something useful to offer.
The goal is not to shame any student for those reactions. Adults do the same things. The goal is to notice the pattern before the pattern leads the moment.
That is where the leadership tool came in. I simplified the GiANT tool Know Yourself to Lead Yourself into student language:
Notice what you usually do when pressure shows up. Choose a response that helps the group.
We gave students three words they can use the same day:
Pause.
Name it.
Choose.
Pause before the reaction owns the room.
Name what is happening: I feel nervous. We are stuck. We have not heard from everyone yet. We are running out of time.
Choose the next helpful move.
That move does not have to be dramatic. It may sound like:
“What are we trying to solve?”
“What have we not heard yet?”
“Who has an idea we have not considered?”
“What is the next small step?”
That is leadership. Not noise. Not control. Not pretending to have every answer. Just a clear response that helps the group move forward.
Parents, this is worth reinforcing at home.
When your student talks about the summit, ask them where they saw leadership show up. Ask them when they felt nervous, frustrated, left out, or unsure. Then ask this:
“What response helped the group?”
That question teaches more than a lecture.
Students, here is your challenge.
Before the day ends, practice one better response. Ask one question. Invite one voice. Take one next step. Repair one moment. Encourage one teammate.
You will not get every moment right. None of us do. Growth starts when you notice the moment and choose to lead it better.
You can download the Student Reflection Sheet here: Student Reflection Sheet
You can also read the original blog that shaped the follow-up session here: Find Peace by Mastering Discomfort: A Guide for Leaders
The summit gave students real tasks, real people, real teamwork, and real growth. My hope is that every student left knowing this:
You can own the next ten minutes.
You can master the moment in front of you.
You can lead by choosing a response that helps the group.
About the Author
Shawn Collins
Shawn Collins is a leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of EXTEND GROUP. Since 1997, he has helped organizations strengthen leadership, improve communication, and build cultures that drive performance. As a GiANT-certified consultant in 5 Voices, 100X Leader, and 5 Voices for Teams, Shawn equips leaders with practical tools to create alignment, increase retention, and make strategy stick.
