Leadership Is Not a Job Title: Why Universities Should Give Students Real Responsibility

By newspaperport on October 26, 2026 • ( Leave a comment )

An award-winning initiative in India offers a compelling lesson for universities worldwide: leadership is not something students should only study. It is something they should experience.

A leadership revolution begins in medical education

In October 2026, a medical college in India received international recognition for an educational innovation built around a deceptively simple idea: give students the opportunity to lead.

Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women, located in Haryana, won the IMU-Ron Harden Innovation in Medical Education Award 2026 for its Network of Student Leaders (NEST) initiative.

The award was presented on 11 October at the 19th International Medical Education Conference, hosted by IMU University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It marked the first time an Indian institution had received the award since its establishment in 2008.

But the real significance of this achievement lies beyond the trophy.

The NEST programme has provided leadership training to 278 medical students from 11 colleges across India. Together, these students have led 63 community-oriented projects, addressing issues such as menstrual hygiene, cervical cancer awareness, child marriage and drug abuse.

These are not theoretical classroom exercises. They are practical initiatives involving real people, real challenges and real responsibilities.

And that distinction matters.

Universities teach leadership. But do they allow students to lead?

Leadership has become one of the most frequently used words in higher education.

Universities offer leadership certificates, management courses, entrepreneurship programmes and professional development workshops. Students learn about communication, strategic thinking, ethical decision-making and organisational behaviour.

Yet an important question remains largely unanswered:

Can someone truly learn to lead without ever being given responsibility?

A student may understand every major leadership theory and still struggle when confronted with an uncooperative team, an unexpected obstacle or a difficult decision.

Leadership requires more than knowledge.

It requires judgment, initiative, accountability and the ability to work with others when outcomes are uncertain.

These qualities cannot be developed through lectures alone.

They emerge when individuals are trusted to act.

From classroom exercises to real-world impact

The NEST initiative provides an interesting example of experiential leadership education.

Rather than treating students merely as recipients of knowledge, the programme encourages them to become organisers, problem-solvers and initiators of change.

Its projects illustrate the diversity of challenges that student leaders can address.

One initiative, Ritual Reset, explores misconceptions surrounding maternal and child healthcare through documentary filmmaking and community awareness activities.

Another, Project ResQ, focuses on improving awareness of emergency codes and preparedness in hospital environments.

A further project, Naari-Ujjwal, supports entrepreneurship and self-reliance among rural women.

These initiatives differ in subject matter, but they share a common educational principle: students learn by taking responsibility for something that matters beyond the university.

The experience can involve planning, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and engagement with communities.

It also introduces students to something that traditional education often attempts to minimise: uncertainty.

Not every project unfolds as planned. Not every idea works immediately. Not every team agrees.

But learning to navigate those difficulties is itself an essential part of leadership development.

The difference between authority and leadership

One of the most persistent misconceptions about leadership is that it begins with a position.

People are often encouraged to imagine leadership as something that happens after graduation, promotion or appointment.

First, acquire qualifications. Then gain experience. Eventually, become a manager or director.

Only then, supposedly, does leadership begin.

But leadership and formal authority are not the same thing.

A student organising a community health initiative may demonstrate greater leadership than a senior executive who merely exercises institutional power.

A young entrepreneur assembling a team around an unfamiliar idea may develop leadership capabilities long before establishing a successful company.

And a university student who identifies a problem and persuades others to address it is already practising leadership, regardless of age or title.

Leadership begins when someone accepts responsibility for creating a better outcome.

That responsibility does not require permission from a corporate hierarchy.

It requires initiative.

What universities can learn from NEST

The lesson from the Indian programme is not that every university should establish an identical network.

Nor does an international award automatically prove that one educational model is superior to all others.

The broader lesson is that leadership development becomes more meaningful when students are given opportunities to make decisions and experience their consequences.

Universities could apply this principle across disciplines.

Engineering students might lead projects addressing local infrastructure challenges.

Business students could establish and operate small ventures with real customers and financial responsibilities.

Humanities students might organise public debates, cultural initiatives or community research projects.

Students in technology programmes could develop practical solutions for schools, charities or local businesses.

The important feature is not the subject.

It is the transfer of responsibility from educator to student.

Teachers and professors remain essential, but their role evolves.

Instead of providing every answer, they become mentors who help students evaluate decisions, reflect on mistakes and develop independent judgment.

This does not mean abandoning academic rigour. It means connecting knowledge with action.

Why employers should pay attention

The implications extend beyond universities.

Employers frequently say they want graduates who can communicate effectively, solve problems, collaborate across disciplines and take initiative.

Yet recruitment processes often focus primarily on qualifications, grades and institutional prestige.

Those indicators may reveal academic achievement, but they provide only part of the picture.

A graduate who has managed a student-led project may have encountered difficult stakeholders, conflicting priorities, limited resources and unexpected setbacks.

Such experiences can provide valuable evidence of practical capabilities.

For employers, the question should therefore not be limited to what candidates have studied.

It should also include:

What have they taken responsibility for?

What problems have they attempted to solve?

How did they respond when something went wrong?

What did they learn from working with people who disagreed with them?

These questions can reveal dimensions of leadership potential that academic transcripts alone cannot capture.

Leadership education needs a change of perspective

The traditional educational model often assumes that responsibility should follow competence.

Students must first learn, then demonstrate mastery and only afterwards be trusted with consequential decisions.

There is an understandable logic to this approach, particularly in professions where mistakes can have serious consequences.

But responsibility can also be part of how competence develops.

With appropriate supervision, clear safeguards and meaningful feedback, students can learn through action without being left unsupported.

The challenge for universities is to find the right balance between guidance and autonomy.

Too much control leaves little room for initiative.

Too little guidance can expose students and communities to unnecessary risks.

Effective leadership education requires both trust and accountability.

The NEST initiative is noteworthy because it brings these questions into practical focus.

The next generation of leaders is already here

The recognition of NEST offers an encouraging reminder that educational innovation does not always require expensive technology or radical institutional restructuring.

Sometimes, it begins with a change in expectations.

Students are not simply future professionals waiting to enter the real world.

They are already capable of contributing to it.

Universities that recognise this potential can become more than institutions that transmit knowledge.

They can become environments in which young people develop the confidence, judgment and responsibility needed to shape society.

The most important question may therefore no longer be how universities can teach more leadership theory.

It may be how they can create more opportunities for students to lead.

Because the next generation of leaders will not emerge simply from studying leadership.

They will emerge from practising it.

Future Leadership Question

If universities want to develop the leaders of tomorrow, should every student be required to lead at least one meaningful real-world project before graduating?