Creating a leadership skills course for High School students using the Solutionary Framework

Abstract

With rapid technological advancements, continued development of globalization and the ever-increasing speed with which professional fields are changing, educational institutions face the need to equip students with both hard and soft skills for future success. This paper explores the development of a student leadership program at Munich International School (MIS), grounded in the Solutionary Framework, which emphasizes the cultivation of leadership competencies through real-world problem-solving. Based on literary review, surveys of and interviews with different stakeholder groups, the study investigates the necessity for leadership education at the high school level, highlighting a gap in formal leadership training opportunities for students. By aligning the proposed course with the mission and vision of MIS, the research is used to create a course that allows students to develop essential leadership skills such as self-management, planningning, decision making, teamwork and critical thinking. Through collaboration with the Global Impact Diploma subgroup focusing on the development of the leadership course, this initiative creates a prototype course that not only enhances students' leadership capabilities but also prepares them for the complexities of the 21st-century workforce and adapts it to the specific needs and goals at Munich International School. The findings underscore the importance of structured leadership training in fostering empathetic, innovative leaders equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.