AI and Teaching Leadership

by Jeremy LaCasse, Executive Director, gcLi; Assistant Head of School for Student Life, Taft School in Watertown, CT

The advent of language-based artificial intelligence offers many interesting possibilities and no small number of issues and concerns. As with so many aspects of education and learning, the questions abound about how AI might influence how we effectively teach leadership. In this post, I am going to call on AI in several different ways as they relate to the pedagogy of leadership. 

First, I am going to ask AI to provide a structure or approach for teaching leadership in a particular situation. Second, I am going to outline a case study and ask AI to provide some coaching and guidance on how I might approach a given situation. Finally, I am going to ask AI to provide some guidance to me as if I were a student leader engaged in solving a problem with a group of peers. After each of these, I will provide a brief critique of what AI offers – both the good and the bad. Please see the AI prompts, responses, and my critiques below.

These three prompts each offer a component of the Pedagogy of Leadership®. AI offers a resource worthy of both consideration and utilization. The strengths of AI are the ability to draw in a range of ideas and perspectives, helping all parties see both the complexity of the problem and potential approaches to addressing it. The output of AI is only as good as what we, the humans, put into it, and AI never, ever gets emotional or tired, something not true of any human being ever. We can use that to our advantage in teaching leadership. 

The limitation of AI is that one might consider it offering a formula for leading. Leadership of a group is ever evolving and never formulaic, and we can’t each be running our current situation through AI to see the next step in the formula. If we did that, I am pretty sure we would begin to see the trap into which many leaders fall–the recursive and not always forward progressing reality of a group attempting to solve a novel problem. At the end of the day, the people need to do the learning necessary to solve the problem. 

I hope this review of AI provides a point of departure as we each think about its role in the teaching of leadership. As with any tool, it has its purposes and limitations. Understanding both is critical to getting the most out of AI while minimizing the inherent risks. As ever, I appreciate your thoughts and feedback about this blog, about how you are using AI, and how you are teaching leadership. Thank you for helping students learn to lead and be well. 

AI Prompts, Responses, and Critiques:

1. AI providing a structure or approach for teaching leadership for a middle school science classroom. Prompt for Google Gemini: I teach seventh grade science and am looking for ways to help my students learn to lead through their experience in my classroom. What do you think I should do?

Gemini’s Response – “That’s a fantastic goal! Science offers a rich environment for developing leadership skills. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Inquiry-Based Learning:

• Student-Driven Questions: Encourage students to develop their own research questions. This fosters curiosity and problem-solving skills, essential for leadership.
• Group Projects: Assign group projects where students must collaborate, delegate tasks, and reach consensus.
• Presentation Opportunities: Have students present their findings to the class, building confidence and communication skills.

2. Collaborative Learning:

• Peer Teaching: Pair stronger students with those who need extra support. This develops empathy, patience, and instructional skills.
• Group Discussions: Facilitate open-ended discussions where students can share ideas and perspectives, building respect and teamwork.

3. Real-World Problem-Solving:

• Community Projects: Tackle local environmental issues or conduct science-based community service projects.
• Science Fairs: Offer opportunities for students to independently research and present their findings.

4. Developing Leadership Skills:

• Explicit Teaching: Teach leadership concepts, such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking.
• Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their leadership experiences, identifying strengths and areas for growth.
• Mentorship: Pair students with mentors, either older students or community leaders, to provide guidance.

5. Creating a Supportive Environment:

• Positive Reinforcement: Celebrate student successes and provide constructive feedback.
• Risk-Taking: Encourage students to take risks and learn from mistakes, fostering resilience.
• Empowerment: Give students autonomy in decision-making, building confidence and responsibility.

Additional Tips:

• Model Leadership: Demonstrate leadership qualities in your own teaching.
• Offer Diverse Roles: Provide opportunities for students to take on different leadership roles within the classroom.
• Celebrate Diversity: Encourage students to appreciate different perspectives and backgrounds, fostering inclusivity.

By incorporating these strategies, you can create a classroom environment where students not only learn science but also develop the essential skills to become effective leaders.

Would you like to focus on a specific area, such as developing student-led projects or incorporating leadership into your curriculum?”

My critique of Gemini’s response – Gemini offered some helpful starting points to consider, and offered generalities about how leadership gets taught. For example, the age-old challenge of group assignments is around how the team works together. Often, because students are focused on grades, the strongest/most driven student does the preponderance of the work and “carries” the other students. 

Gemini could have gone significantly further into looking at how to structure and frame those experiences so that all students would be more aware of the impact of their actions on the function and learning of the group and their individual contribution to it. As teachers, we often think of the structure of a project as Gemini did, and we forget about how we create the interactions between students that influence learning about leadership and about, in this case, seventh grade science. 

For those who have used AI with some regularity, one can always ask follow-up questions – Gemini offered a potential line at the end of the suggestions – that may help the AI delve deeper into a particular area of focus. In this case, I might ask Gemini to offer suggestions about how to enhance the types of interactions students have, with a focus on building their leadership skills. This might provide other helpful suggestions. As ever, AI is only as helpful as what we put in. Correspondingly, the goal is to have AI help us think more broadly about topics and situations that often cause us to dwell in our biases and not consider the rich range of alternatives. 

1. AI response to the following case study. Prompt for Microsoft Copilot: I am a fifth grade teacher and I work with students in a community service club. The student leaders of the club are having trouble engaging peers to engage in meaningful community service. They find their peers have lots of ideas and little impetus to bring those ideas to meaningfully positive outcomes for the community. How do I help the student leaders work effectively with their peers to improve the function of the group and, by extension, the service provided to the community? 

Copilot’s Response – “It’s wonderful that you’re supporting your students in such a meaningful way! Here are some strategies to help your student leaders engage their peers more effectively:

1. Develop Leadership Competencies

Encourage your student leaders to build essential leadership skills such as effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. These competencies can help them inspire and guide their peers more effectively1.

2. Peer-to-Peer Mentorship

Implement a peer-to-peer mentorship program where older or more experienced students mentor younger or less experienced ones. This can foster a sense of responsibility and accountability among students2.

3. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Help the student leaders set clear, achievable goals for their projects. Breaking down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks can make the work seem less daunting and more achievable3.

4. Create a Sense of Belonging

Foster a sense of community and belonging within the club. When students feel they are part of a supportive community, they are more likely to participate actively4.

5. Recognize and Celebrate Achievements

Regularly recognize and celebrate the achievements of the students, no matter how small. This can boost morale and motivate others to contribute5.

6. Engage in Reflective Practices

Encourage students to reflect on their experiences and the impact of their work. This can help them see the value of their contributions and motivate them to continue their efforts6.

7. Provide Resources and Support

Ensure that student leaders have access to the resources and support they need to succeed. This might include training sessions, materials, or even just a space to meet and plan1.

8. Involve the Community

Engage with the broader community to gather support and resources. This can also help students see the real-world impact of their efforts3.

By implementing these strategies, you can help your student leaders become more effective in engaging their peers and making a positive impact on the community. How do you think your students would respond to these ideas?”

My critique of Copilot’s response – As with the first question for Gemini, Copilot offers some broad considerations about teaching leadership. Certainly, these things may help with engagement, but, as any of us who have led any group of people to solve an adaptive problem, that work quickly becomes particular to the group and the individuals who make up the group, and Copilot does not offer much about how gather feedback about the experience of others and how that can guide the leader in the work of successfully helping the group to solve this meaningful problem. As with Gemini, we could certainly ask more pointed questions that could help it better serve our needs. 

As with the question about teaching science, the root of the question here is about how a teacher can go about structuring an experience to teach leadership. We have all seen samples of AI-created class plans, and that is something that can be asked of Copilot here. The value, as I see it, for the teacher from this type of engagement with AI is to get ideas that may expand the teacher’s perspective and approaches. The teacher is still central to knowing the students who are involved, the situation in which they find themselves, and the goals for learning and of the group. AI offers both the possibility of a window and a mirror as the teacher thinks about their work. 

1. AI response for coaching from a student leader. Prompt for ChatGPT: I am a high school student who is the president of my school debate club. Our last debate did not go as well as any of us would have liked, with our group largely fractured and our members engaging in infighting, rather than working collaboratively to put forward well researched and sound arguments that would have helped us be more competitive. I need help in approaches for interacting with my peers, particularly ones who are the same grade as I am as they often are resistant to my suggestions and guidance. I perceive that is because of my title, but I can’t be sure. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. 

ChatGPT’s Response – “It’s challenging when peers are resistant, but there are several strategies you can use to foster better collaboration and improve the club’s dynamics:

1. Promote Open Communication:
   • Create an environment where everyone feels heard. Encourage members to voice their opinions and concerns openly.
   • Hold regular meetings where everyone can share their thoughts on how to improve the club.
2. Lead by Example:
   • Demonstrate the behavior and attitude you expect from others. Show respect, listen actively, and stay calm during disagreements.
   • Be approachable and open to feedback, showing that you value everyone’s contributions equally.
3. Team Building Activities:
   • Organize activities that can help build trust and camaraderie among members. These can be fun and unrelated to debate, like team games or outings.
   • Consider small group exercises where members work together on a specific task, fostering collaboration and reducing the focus on individual titles.
4. Delegate Responsibilities:
   • Give members specific roles or tasks to make them feel more involved and responsible for the club’s success.
   • Rotate leadership roles for different projects or debates to give everyone a chance to lead and follow.
5. Focus on Common Goals:
   • Remind the team of your shared objectives and the importance of working together to achieve them.
   • Emphasize the value of each person’s contribution to the overall success of the team.
6. Conflict Resolution:
   • Address conflicts directly and calmly. Facilitate discussions to resolve issues and find common ground.
   • Set clear guidelines for respectful communication and behavior during debates and meetings.
7. Encourage Mutual Respect:
   • Promote an understanding that the title of president is not about authority but about coordination and support for the team’s goals.
   • Highlight the strengths and positive qualities of each member, fostering mutual respect and appreciation.
8. Seek Feedback:
   • Regularly ask for feedback on your leadership and the club’s activities. This shows that you are committed to improvement and value the members’ opinions.
   • Implement constructive suggestions to demonstrate that their feedback leads to positive changes.

By implementing these strategies, you can create a more cohesive and collaborative environment in your debate club.”

My critique of ChatGPT’s response – Here, AI offers an opportunity for a student to gather feedback from an emotionally detached source that can help the student think critically about the situation. Any teacher of leadership has had any number of these types of conversations with students as they think about the group, the goals of the group, and how the actions and behaviors of the people involved have either aided or inhibited progress toward those goals. I don’t see AI totally replacing teachers in this role because of the emotional nature of leadership. Teachers often act as a student’s prefrontal context in moments like this, helping the student manage emotions and make sound decisions. 

AI is unlikely to fill that role anytime soon. Instead, it offers both teachers and students ways of considering alternative perspectives and approaches. So often, students see leadership as a regimented, nearly formulaic, process. AI offers students a way of considering other avenues of action and provides teachers and students with helpful, unemotional perspectives on the situation. Teachers need to help students appropriately utilize AI in this situation, seeing AI as offering alternatives for consideration, rather than direction to be followed. 

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Jeremy LaCasse, Executive Director of The Gardner Carney Leadership Institute, is currently Assistant Head of School for Student Life at the Taft School. LaCasse held the Shotwell Chair for Leadership and Character Development at Berkshire School. He also directed the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program; served as Dean of the sixth and fourth forms; taught European history and Medieval history; and coached the ski and crew programs. Following his time at Berkshire, he served as the Dean of Students at Fountain Valley School of Colorado, and following FVS, he was the Head of senior school at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, PA; the Head of Kents Hill School in Kents Hill, ME; and the Assistant Head of School at Cheshire Academy, in Cheshire, CT. He graduated with a B.A. in History from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine and earned an M.A. in private school leadership from the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College at Columbia University.