Leader in Me-Inspired Classroom Ideas for Girls Empowerment Clubs

Build Confidence, Character & Leadership—One Empowered Habit at a Time

When you combine the Leader in Me habits with a girls empowerment mindset, you create something truly powerful: a space where girls learn to lead not just with achievement—but with authenticity, empathy, and courage.

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, counselor, or after-school group leader, these activities are designed to bring The 7 Habits to life in ways that speak directly to the hearts of tween and teen girls—helping them build leadership skills from the inside out.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Girls thrive when leadership is taught through connection and character

• These ideas align with The 7 Habits and core empowerment values like voice, confidence & kindness

• Activities can be used in class, lunch groups, or weekly empowerment club meetings

• All ideas are flexible, low-prep, and focused on reflection + real-world skills

• The goal: help girls see themselves as leaders—in their own unique way

🌟 1. “Habit + Hero” Reflection Journals

Inspired by: Habit 1 – Be Proactive
Give girls weekly prompts that connect each habit to leadership in their real lives.

Example:

• “What’s one thing I can do today to take the lead in my own life?”

• “Who’s a girl or woman I admire who models this habit?”

• “How can I be the kind of leader my younger self needed?”

📝 Why it works: Journaling builds self-awareness, voice, and proactive thinking—plus, girls love seeing how they can be the hero in their own story.

💬 2. Compliment Circles with “Habit Highlights”

Inspired by: Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
At the end of each session, create a “Shine Circle” where each girl gives a compliment or shout-out based on how someone showed up as a leader.

Example:

“You really listened to me today.”
“You helped solve that conflict peacefully.”
“You stood up for someone—so brave.”

📝 Why it works: This practice builds empathy, listening, and emotional intelligence—essential leadership skills that often get overlooked.

🌀 3. “Circle of Control” Art + Discussion

Inspired by: Habit 1 – Be Proactive
Have girls draw two circles—inside are things they can control (attitude, effort, kindness), and outside are things they can’t (others’ opinions, mistakes, the past).

Discuss how real leaders focus their energy on what they can influence—and let go of what they can’t.

📝 Why it works: Helps girls manage stress, comparison, and self-doubt by focusing on their inner power.

🎯 4. Goal-Setting with Heart (Not Just Hustle)

Inspired by: Habit 2 – Begin with the End in Mind
Guide girls through setting values-based goals, not just achievement-based ones.

Try this structure:

• Goal: What do I want to do?

• Why: Why does this matter to me?

• How I’ll stay kind to myself if I mess up: ___

• How I’ll celebrate when I take a brave step: ___

📝 Why it works: Girls learn to connect goals with meaning—not pressure—and develop resilience along the way.

🧠 5. Habit-Based Leadership Stations

Inspired by: Habit 6 – Synergize
Set up small group “leadership stations” where girls rotate through different activities that align with The 7 Habits.

Examples:

• Habit 4: Role-play setting boundaries in a kind, respectful way

• Habit 5: Partner listening game (mirror your partner’s story before responding)

• Habit 6: Team challenge that requires collaboration and creativity

📝 Why it works: Girls get to explore leadership through multiple lenses—communication, teamwork, reflection—and discover what feels most natural for them.

🪞 6. Leadership Mirror Affirmations

Inspired by: Habit 7 – Sharpen the Saw
Create an affirmation station or mirror where girls write messages to themselves like:

“I am a leader because I lift others up.”
“I can lead with heart, not just with answers.”
“My voice matters.”

Girls can add to the mirror each week or decorate cards to keep in their journals.

📝 Why it works: Reinforces the idea that self-care, self-worth, and leadership go hand in hand.

💗 7. “Lead Like a Girl” Showcase

Inspired by: All 7 Habits in Action
Celebrate the end of your girls empowerment club or leadership circle with a special event where each girl shares:

• A leadership habit she practiced

• A challenge she faced and overcame

• One way she helped someone else grow

This can be a bulletin board, a reflection circle, or a mini presentation.

📝 Why it works: Girls own their leadership story and realize they’ve grown more than they thought—while lifting each other up.

Want Done-For-You Empowerment Tools That Pair Perfectly with Leader in Me?

The FearlesslyGiRL Program Kits include weekly empowerment sessions, confidence-building journaling pages, group leadership activities, and facilitator scripts that align beautifully with the values behind Leader in Me. Whether you’re running a club, mentoring group, or classroom circle—these kits make leading easy, impactful, and fun.

Because every girl is already a leader.
We’re just here to remind her—and help her rise into it.

You’ve got this, and I’m cheering you on every step of the way.

– Kate