Brighton School Abu Dhabi Becomes Pioneer of The Leader In Me Program In the UAE

March 24, 2015: Brighton School Abu Dhabi, one of the Gulf’s leading British curriculum schools becomes the first “The Leader in Me” school in the United Arab Emirates based on the highly acclaimed book by Dr. Stephen Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  The announcement was made during Sean Covey’s visit to the school as part of his first tour to the Middle East region on 24th March 2015.

“The Leader in Me” process is designed to be integrated into a school’s core curriculum and daily language so that it becomes the school’s operating system. A school culture is created where every student is encouraged to set and achieve meaningful goals, to be a positive influence on others and to use his or her individual gifts to better the world. ‘The Leader in Me’ process strives ‘to build leaders, one child at a time.’

Sean said, “The Leader In Me utilizes a number of leadership and educational models and processes, including content from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the bestselling book authored by Dr Stephen R Covey, which has sold 25 million copies in 52 languages. The process focuses on improving culture, leadership and academics”.

Vanessa Robitaille, Head of the Prep School at Brighton College, said: “We are thrilled and honored to bring ‘The Leader in Me’ program to our young pupils here in Abu Dhabi. The new skills that they will learn from the ‘7 Habits’ will not only prepare them for the 21st Century but will also give them a highly competitive advantage when it comes to learning and to be the best that they can be whilst making the most out of their school experiences”.

The Brighton College Head Master, Alun Yorath also added that the program is expected to play a key role as the children develop into mature individuals; “The Leader in Me” program will allow these pupils to enjoy their time at school whilst developing into responsible, caring and reliable young adults. To be able to see Sean Covey reach out to the children was fabulous as the Covey’s have been an inspiration to many people - children and adults alike. All of us here at Brighton are very happy to be a part of this as these young minds move towards becoming the leaders of tomorrow.”

Today’s changing world has a whole new set of rules, to which youth will need to adapt. Key skills that businesses and educators identified, as vital to the futures of today’s students, are developed within The Leader in Me process. These skills include: leadership, responsibility, accountability, problem-solving, adaptability, initiative and self-direction, self-confidence, cross-cultural skills, communication, creativity and teamwork.

Along with internalizing the 7 Habits, the leadership model empowers students to take ownership over their development and growth. Through the 7Habits, students learn the skills needed to be successful not only in school, but also in the workplace. The skills learned through ‘The Leader In Me’ are all highly sought after in today’s competitive workplace.

Sean Covey is the Executive Vice President of Global Solutions and Partnerships and Education Practice Leader at FranklinCovey (a global public company that specializes in performance improvement) and a popular speaker to youth and adult groups on topics such as leadership. The American author and motivational speaker also provide business leadership and time management educational tools for organizations and individuals.

Sean graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a degree in English and later earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has written several books, including The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make, The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, which has been translated into 20 languages and sold over 4 million copies worldwide. As FranklinCovey’s Education Practice Leader, he is devoted to transforming education around the globe through bringing leadership principles and skills to students, educators, administrators, and parents alike.