Ideas in Motion, Leadership in Motion

he Grade 7 Leadership Induction at St Mary’s DSG marked a meaningful milestone in our Junior School calendar, as we celebrated the leadership potential already alive within our young girls.

The morning began with a reminder that leadership is not about titles, badges, or positions, but about recognising the ideas, values, and responsibility that already live within each student. Leadership, we were reminded, begins with an idea, but only truly matters when those ideas are put into action through everyday choices.

At St Mary’s DSG, leadership is intentionally nurtured and guided. The Grade 7 Eagle Leadership Programme is aligned with the Leader in Me philosophy, a whole-school leadership and life-skills approach based on Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Through this programme, our girls learn that leadership is a way of thinking, acting, and serving others, not a position to be held.

The Leader in Me habits encourage students to lead themselves first: to take responsibility, set goals, manage priorities, work collaboratively, listen with empathy, and care for their overall wellbeing. These ideas were explored practically during last week’s Grade 7 Leadership Workshop, where students engaged in discussions and activities centred on school values and the understanding that leadership is demonstrated in everyday actions, in kindness, teamwork, and resilience.

Each Grade 7 student has now been placed into an ambassador committee, where leadership will be lived out through service, teamwork, and responsibility. With the guidance of their teachers, these roles offer opportunities for our girls to grow in confidence and purpose as they contribute meaningfully to the school community.

Students were reminded that good leadership is not about perfection. Balanced leaders care for their whole selves, finding time for academics, sport, and cultural activities, ensuring they remain healthy, happy, and grounded. Parents and guardians were thanked for their ongoing partnership and trust, while colleagues were acknowledged for the powerful example they set daily, because leadership is caught as much as it is taught.

The induction was further enriched by the presence of our guest speaker, Dr Bongiwe Tlailane, whose life story embodied the theme of leadership in motion. Dr Tlailane is a mother of two, and her daughter is currently a Grade 5 student at St Mary’s DSG. Dr Tlailane qualified as a Medical Doctor in 2006 from MEDUNSA (now Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University) and has been working at 1 Military Hospital since 2016 in the fields of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as well as Psychiatry.

A passionate mental health advocate, Dr Tlailane obtained a Diploma in Mental Health in 2018 and is the author of two mental health books for families and young people: A New Me – A Motivational Guide for Teens and Just Bee… Authentic!, written for readers aged ten years and older. In 2025, she was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo as a healthcare worker, where she served as a soldier supporting health services.

Importantly, Dr Tlailane’s leadership journey began in her own school years. She was Junior School Head Girl at St Dominican Convent and later served as Deputy Head Girl at St Teresa’s Convent in Rosebank, offering our students a powerful reminder that leadership cultivated in school can grow and evolve into service far beyond the classroom.

As the leadership year begins, our Grade 7s were encouraged to lead with courage, kindness, and integrity, to keep their ideas in motion and to use their leadership to make a positive difference wherever they go.