The Last Word

By Harry Bezett | Posted: Tuesday July 22, 2025

When we hear the word leader, most of us think of someone commanding attention, loud, confident, always speaking first.

But, I’ve come to believe that true leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about being the clearest, the calmest, and often, the quietest.

At Otago Boys’, we wear a crest that represents more than tradition. It represents responsibility to ourselves, to each other, and to those who came before us. But leadership here doesn’t start when you’re given a title. It starts in the small, quiet moments when no one’s watching.

It’s easy to lead when everyone’s listening, when you’ve got a microphone or a captain’s armband. But real leadership is how you carry yourself off the stage, in the changing room, in the classroom, and in the way you treat the people around you. It’s helping the junior boy who’s struggling, standing up for someone when it’s an unpopular reaction, or admitting when you’ve got it wrong.

Some of the most influential leaders in this school aren’t always the loudest. They lead by example through consistency and trust. They’re the ones you go to when things are tough, because they don’t just talk, they listen.

In a world that often rewards volume over value, we need to remind ourselves that leadership isn’t about dominating. It’s about serving. It’s about earning respect, not demanding it.

As senior boys, we each have a role to play. Whether you're out on the sports field, in the classroom, or just finding your way, how you lead now will shape the man you become. So, let your actions be louder than your voice, and lead in a way that lifts others, not just yourself, because leadership isn’t about how loudly you speak, it’s about what people hear after you’ve spoken.

Finally, I’ll finish with a quote that sums leadership up perfectly "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams.