Leadership, Risks, and Comfort Zones: Classroom Leadership Opportunities
by Lorraine Connell founder of Peers not Fears, Teen Leadership Coach
As a teacher, one of my primary goals was to engage my students in learning and provide opportunities for them to step into leadership. I believed deeply in empowering students, and giving them chances to lead in the classroom, whether through small tasks or group projects. But reflecting on those years, I’ve realized that despite my best efforts, the opportunities I created were not always accessible to every student.
This realization weighed on me. How could someone so dedicated to empowering students from day one miss opportunities to truly engage all students? It became clear that even with the best intentions, we don’t always succeed in creating space for everyone to lead. This understanding now shapes my approach to leadership development—not just for teens but for anyone building an inclusive and effective leadership style.
Stepping Out of Comfort Zones—But How Far?
We hear the phrase “step outside your comfort zone” often—at work, school, and in daily life. It’s become almost cliché. But rarely do we talk about stepping too far outside that comfort zone. We seldom acknowledge that pushing too hard can lead to overwhelm and discouragement, halting growth instead of fostering it.
In my teaching career, I focused on creating an environment where challenge was safe. I wanted students to be comfortable with discomfort, seeing mistakes not as the end but as a necessary part of the learning journey. This approach was rooted in my own love for chemistry, where my teachers emphasized that failure was part of the process. They made sure I didn’t fear my mistakes, but instead embraced them as learning opportunities.
One of my students once told me, “The fear of failure motivates me.” When I asked if he saw failure and mistakes as the same thing, he responded, “I know they’re different in my head, but the feelings that come with them are the same.” His insight was profound, especially for a 14-year-old. It made me realize how many of us still equate mistakes with failure, even though we know better logically.
Supporting Risk in Leadership
As educators, we operate in systems that often punish mistakes. We say things like, “You learn best when you make mistakes,” but then we assign grades that penalize those very mistakes. I didn’t fully grasp the contradiction until the end of my teaching career. How could I expect students to embrace mistakes when the consequence was a lower grade? This creates a culture where both students and teachers are afraid to take risks, and without risk, there’s no growth.
Here’s an example: One day, I needed copies of a worksheet for the next class but couldn’t leave the room. I had to choose a student to help. I wanted to pick someone reliable because if something went wrong, it would reflect poorly on me. So, I chose a student I trusted.
At the time, I didn’t realize that I was always choosing the same students for tasks like this. I wasn’t giving other students a chance to rise to the occasion, and I was afraid of how their mistakes might reflect on me. But leadership requires risk, and if we don’t take risks ourselves, we can’t develop leadership in others.
The Balance Between Challenge and Comfort
One of my favorite activities to illustrate risk and reward is a simple game of tag. In this game, students can either stay safely on base or take a risk and step out. The risk, of course, is that they might get tagged and be “out.” At first, most students hesitate. But once one person takes a risk, others follow. By the end, those who took risks have more fun than those who played it safe.
This activity shows an important truth: Sometimes, the reward for taking a risk isn’t just success but the experience itself. Not all risks are fun, but if we never take them, we remain stagnant. And with risk comes failure—but that failure leads to growth and, eventually, success.
Recognizing Leadership in Everyday Tasks
Fostering leadership in the classroom doesn’t always require a major shift—sometimes, it’s just about recognizing leadership when it happens. When I paired students for group work, I often paired stronger students with those who needed more help. What I didn’t realize was that both students were displaying leadership. The stronger student led by teaching, and the student needing help led by asking questions, which sharpened the stronger student’s communication skills.
Leadership is about more than knowing content; it’s about communicating effectively. Next time, try pairing students based on their communication skills instead of academic performance. Communication, like chemistry or math, is a skill that can be practiced and improved upon. By focusing on these everyday leadership opportunities, we can foster both content mastery and personal growth.
Comfort, Challenge, and Risk Zones in the Classroom
I love using the concepts of comfort, challenge, and risk zones with students. These concepts show that everyone faces challenges, even when it seems like they don’t. I often used this during review sessions. I’d ask students to place themselves along a continuum representing their comfort level with various topics, giving me a visual representation of who needed support and who was ready to challenge themselves.
This approach also showed students they weren’t alone in their struggles. Those who felt confident could work with those who needed help, finding that sweet spot of challenge where real growth happens.
Building Communication and Leadership
Encouraging students to communicate openly with one another is one of the most valuable leadership skills we can teach. When students realize they’re not alone in their challenges, it builds confidence. Assumptions about others’ abilities can lead to isolation, but fostering open communication helps break those barriers and encourages leadership.
In the end, building leadership doesn’t require huge changes. It starts with recognizing the opportunities for leadership already present and encouraging students to take small, meaningful risks. By creating a safe space for failure, we give students the freedom to grow into their leadership potential.
This blogpost was originally posted here!
Learn more about and how to work with Lorraine Connell here!
Please note that the blogpost above does not represent the thoughts or opinions of Fresh Start Registry and solely represents the original author’s perspective.