Q: What are the most important skills students need in order to be effective leaders?
A: “There’s a big movement now away from the concept of the three R’s — reading, writing and arithmetic and math — and moving more toward the four C’s,” says Flo Brett, founder of the Effective Leadership Academy. “Those are creative problem solving, communication, critical thinking and collaboration skills. Giving students the 21st-century skills of thinking outside of the box for creative problem solving, being an effective communicator, thinking critically and [knowing] how to collaborate more effectively in a team will allow them to walk out of school as effective leaders. When we’re preparing and giving young people these skills, these are what their future employers are really looking for, not necessarily the reading, writing, arithmetic and math. It’s an educational shift.”