Ready to Lead
We equip the rising generation for impact.
Founded in 2012, Leader.org sponsored the implementation of FranklinCovey’s Leader in Me in nearly 1,000 underserved public inner-city and rural schools, profoundly impacting the lives and future of over 1 million children and youth in the United States and the Middle East.
The Leader in Me has now reached
8,000+ schools
in 70+ countries
Our Story
In 1999, the new principal of A.B. Combs Elementary, an underperforming school in the USA, was told by her district superintendent they would need to reinvent themselves or have their program shut down.
She was given one week to come up with a unique new school theme and a plan. The principal immediately started interviewing teachers, parents, and business leaders in the communities for input.
First, she asked business leaders:
“What skills and traits do you need most in those you are hiring that you are NOT seeing in the young people coming out of our school system?”
Their answers were very consistent. Generally, they were concerned about how unprepared many young people are to compete, contribute, and innovate in the global economy.
Second, she reflected on the training she had recently received by Dr. Stephen R. Covey in a seminar based on the international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book which has sold over 40 million copies and was named “the most influential business book of the 20th Century.”
The principal noticed compelling alignment between the qualities the business owners needed most and the leadership principles taught by Dr. Covey:
During the last break in the seminar, the principal gathered the courage to go backstage to ask Dr. Covey, “Do you believe children—young children—can learn the principles you are teaching?”
He thought for a moment, smiled, and responded, “I don’t know why not. Let me know if you do something with it.”
She gathered the teachers and staff in her school and shared a summary of the feedback from business leaders and parents. Then she outlined Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. They, too, saw the alignment.
Teachers also observed that Covey’s work and the feedback from parents and business leaders were validated by research on social-emotional learning—specifically, that Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which is made up of personal competence and social competence, is a better predictor of both academic and life success than IQ.
All their findings pointed to one thing: leadership. In other words, what if the main purpose of our school was to develop leaders? Leaders of high competence and high character. Not just future leaders, but leaders now.
This vision energized and unified the whole school. The principal presented their plan to the district superintendent. He was surprised and inspired by the freshness and boldness of their thinking and plan. He told them, “Okay. You’ve got one year to turn around the school. And you get no additional funding or staff. Good luck!”
So they got to work.
The principal pulled together enough money to train all teachers and staff in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.- The teachers started creating lesson plans that integrated the leadership habits into everything they were teaching in math, reading, writing, science, history, music, etc.
- They organized a lighthouse team of teachers to lead the ongoing implementation of their plan, evaluate results, and recommend improvements.
- They created a reinforcing environment of signs and quotes and posters in the classrooms and halls to remind and inspire the students of the habits.
- They created leadership notebooks for each student to write down personal and academic goals, track their performance and results, and evaluate and adapt their goals.
They created leadership roles for each student based on their interests and talents.
- greeting and welcoming to the classroom
- safety (no bullying)
- daily announcements
- music and art
- reading
- assistant teaching in the classroom
- public speaking
- school tours for visitors
- service
- international understanding
- tutoring and mentoring younger students
- making the schoolyard beautiful
Soon they experienced a true transformation.
And in 2006, they were honored as the #1 magnet school in America.
- Student confidence increased.
- Discipline problems and bullying decreased significantly.
- Students took ownership of their learning in the classroom.
- At home, students would do their homework before playing.
- Students started cleaning their rooms and helping with chores around the house without being asked.
- Students taught the leadership habits they were learning to their younger and older siblings and parents.
- They solved arguments at home and on the playground.
- Students organized and led service projects to help those in need in the community.
- Academic scores increased, with the percentage of students passing grade-level tests going from only 66% of students passing grade-level tests to 94% and then 97%.
- Parent and teacher engagement increased.
- Students started planning and setting goals for future education and careers.