Writer and humorist David Sedaris admits he is “obsessed” when it comes to picking up litter. In fact, he is such a prolific rubbish picker-upper that his local council in West Sussex has named a refuse truck after him.

David’s community-spirited exploits recently came to mind when someone asked me if it was possible to recognise a young leader of tomorrow. I immediately thought of a member of Year 8 whom I had spotted earlier that day bending down to pick up a piece of litter from the path and put it in the bin.

This small act might appear a somewhat flimsy indicator of a person’s leadership potential, but, for me, her efforts spoke volumes. It showed that she cares enough about the world she lives in to help shape it and maintain it. There was no “I didn’t drop it, so why should I pick it up?” attitude; no fanfare about her actions; just a seemingly personal appreciation that everyone should “do their bit”.

Pondering this led me to reflect about how, as educators, we go about identifying, nurturing and inspiring future leaders.

‘Catalyst kids’

We can all pick out our so-called “catalysts kids”; most schools have a cabal of outgoing and popular teenagers who aspire to leadership roles - and I am sure many of these confident self-starters will go on to be the future heads of commerce and industry or make a career in politics.

Just think how many former presidents of the Cambridge or Oxford unions have occupied, and continue to occupy, the great offices of state. But it is also important to recognise that the less flamboyant, more reserved types - those who do the jobs behind the scenes - can also be leaders in their own ways.

You don’t always have to be in the public eye; you can lead from behind; you can lead through organisational skills; you can do it by wrapping up shoeboxes to send to charity; you do not have to be the one standing up and talking about things.

We need to make sure that we provide opportunities for less demonstrative students to learn how to lead.

It’s less an ‘If I ruled the world’ and more a ‘What I can do for the world?’ mentality

At my own school, the chance to take responsibility from an early age is very much part of our culture; there is the prefect structure and we have pupil heads of houses, sports captains, and buddy and mentor schemes that pair commanding pupils with less extrovert students.

Pupils have the opportunity to observe and listen to others, to experiment and practise leadership; to look at things from another person’s point of view.

It is about helping them to focus on the outcomes of their actions; helping them to talk about what they have done, rather than what they plan to do - less of the “If I ruled the world” and more of the “What I can do for the world?” mentality.

We must demonstrate to young people that they are answerable to the world around them; that they have an element of power to influence future events; that they must be able to take responsibility for their own actions and those of others when the need arises.

But this is not something that should be inculcated. We should never impose leadership roles on a child: some children will never be natural self-promoters. Rather, our job is to help inspire youngsters to think for themselves, to solve their own problems and invest commitment and energy into doing something positive.

So if you spot a student picking up a piece of litter from a pathway, then celebrate; you may just be doing something right.

Sue Freestone is headteacher of King’s Ely in Cambridgeshire