Leadership Traits

Overview

In this first lesson of four, students explore what effective leadership looks like in everyday life. They use discussion and short role-plays to identify leadership traits and practice respectful, safer ways to express ideas.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify traits of effective leaders and explain why they matter.
• WALT recognise how leadership choices can support safer, more confident decisions for self and others.
• WALT use a simple decision-making and communication approach during role-play.
• WALT reflect on leadership traits using examples from real-life situations.

Success criteria

• I can list three leadership traits (e.g., fairness, honesty, responsibility).
• I can share an example for each trait that shows what a leader does.
• I can participate in role-play respectfully and use “kind, clear, and calm” language.
• I can listen to a partner and add one additional example or refinement.

Curriculum links

• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Self and others: role-play and reflective discussion to build safer, more confident decisions and self-awareness.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Self and others: exploring how role models shape behaviour, values, and everyday choices.
• Te Mātaiaho Health and PE — Years 7–10: connecting what students know with how they act in managing wellbeing and participating fully.
• Key competencies (NZC): thinking (making meaning from scenarios), relating to others (listening, respectful communication), managing self (self-control during discussion).

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook. Teacher writes on the board: “A leader makes things better—how?” and shows 2 quick prompts (one school-related, one community-related). Students do a quick “thumbs” vote and share one-word responses.

2. 5–12 min · Direct teach (trait focus). Teacher introduces three core traits and keeps language simple:

• Responsibility (doing the right thing even when no one is watching)
• Fairness (includes others, follows agreed rules)
• Empathy (noticing feelings; choosing respectful words/actions) Teacher models how to connect a trait to a behaviour using one brief example. Students record traits in their books under a table titled “Trait → What it looks like”.

3. 12–22 min · Role-play set-up (guided). Teacher explains the role-play purpose: practice applying traits, not “winning”. Students work in groups of three (Leader, Supporter, Observer) for one scenario and rotate roles once. Scenario A (school): A class group task starts—someone is left out and blamed; another student wants to ignore it. Teacher gives a simple communication scaffold on the board: “I notice… I think we could… Are you okay with…?” Students rehearse 60 seconds.

4. 22–30 min · Role-play (short, structured). Groups perform for 1 minute each while the observer uses an “Observer checklist”:

• Did the leader use one respectful sentence?
• Did the leader show fairness, responsibility, or empathy?
• Did the leader make the situation safer for others? Teacher circulates, prompts students who get stuck (“What trait are you showing? What behaviour matches it?”), and stops any unsafe escalation by reframing to calm, respectful language.

5. 30–37 min · Pair share + examples. Students pair up (not the same group for all) and choose three leadership traits total from class discussion. Each student shares one example linked to a trait. The partner adds one “Because…” sentence to deepen the explanation. Teacher calls for 2–3 pairs to share their “three traits” summary.

6. 37–40 min · Exit ticket (checking understanding). Students complete a quick ticket:

• Write three leadership traits.
• For one trait, write one example from the role-play or school/community. Teacher collects to inform the next lesson.

Resources

• Student notebooks or lesson worksheet: “Trait → What it looks like”
• Scenario cards (at least 8 copies: Scenario A, plus additional prompts teacher can read out)
• Observer checklist strips for each group of three
• Timer (visible)
• Board markers/chalk and projector/visual display (optional)
• Empathy/fairness/responsibility sentence scaffold printed or on the board
• Exit ticket slips or half-page paper

Assessment

• Formative observation during role-play: teacher checks use of respectful language and identification of traits.
• Pair-share listening check: teacher monitors whether students can connect “trait → behaviour → effect on others”.
• Exit ticket: confirms students list three traits and provide at least one example.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for role-play (“I notice…”, “I think we could…”, “Let’s include…”), and a word bank of traits and behaviours.
• Support for students needing structure: give observer checklist with two yes/no items and one “example” prompt.
• Extension: invite students to add a “leadership choice” that reduces risk (e.g., “pause and ask for a turn before blaming”).
• EAL/SEN considerations: allow students to rehearse privately with the scaffold; accept non-verbal demonstrations for one part of the role-play while still naming the trait.

Extension (optional)

• Skip for now.