7 Steps to Being a Good Leader Without Being “Bossy”

Give Praise No one wants to hear what they did wrong all the time. While it is good to help someone correct their mistakes, tell people what they did good. Not only will it help them build confidence in their work, but it will also make them enjoy the class a little bit more. Remember, the relationship between you and your staff is important. If you act like a dictator, your staff will be much less likely to want to help you and do work.

Do Work With Them If you think you’re above writing stories or getting interviews or designing yearbook spreads now that you’re an editor- you’re wrong. If anything, you should be working on this MORE than others. This may require you to stay after school, but being a good leader will require you to put in extra work outside of class. If people see that you think you’re too good to do the work they’re doing, then they wont do that work either.

Do Not Call People Out People make mistakes. It is a fact of life. When one of your staffers makes an error, don’t call them out in front of everyone. This will embarrass them and make them dislike you. Think of what you would want done in that situation. Take them into the office, let them know what they did wrong, show them the correct way to do it, and move on. When people get yelled at in front of a crowd, it not only builds tension between you and the individual, but it builds tension in the rest of the room.

Don’t Gossip About Others Being a leader, you may not always agree with everything that a reporter or co-leader or even Mrs. Russ does, but that doesn’t mean you go and talk about that person behind their back. Journalism works as one unit, and what you say about that person will surely get back to them eventually, and then relationships get ruined. If you must rant, rant to a parent, significant other, or friend (as long as they are not in journalism)

Edit Honestly, But Not Harshly No writer is going to come out of J1 with a Pultizer Prize winning article. And nothing is more degrading than getting a first draft back with red ink all over the paper. Instead of marking everything at once, work with them on it. Go one step at a time until the story is where it needs to be. This may be more tedious with some than others, but it will make you a better leader, and it will make them a better writer.

Lead By Example If you are pushing people to meet their deadlines, yet you spend the entire class on the computer or talking to your friends, then people aren’t going to take you seriously, or they’ll just get mad. Make sure you follow the rules you enforce, and lead by example. Remember, you’re the person that the younger staffers look up to, and they will do exactly what they see you doing. If you’re working hard so will they; if you slack off, so will they.

Invite Staff to Events! While you may not think about hanging out with staffers outside of school, taking the time to do so will benefit within the classroom. If you feel uncomfortable just hanging out with you and a staffer, make it a group journalism event; go to the movies, go bowling, or have a game night. At the end of the day, everyone will have had fun and be closer because of it. Relationships are one of the biggest parts of journalism, and a good one with the staff will see better quality articles, and in turn, better quality publications.