For Zach Keene, leadership isn’t about rank or recognition — it’s about responsibility. And in the halls of Macomb High School, where Keene teaches health, physical education, and a course called simply Leadership, students are learning that leadership can be lived, not just claimed.

The seed for the class was planted in 2019, when Keene — then head coach of the girls’ basketball team — began noticing something missing among his players. “We were competing well, but there were gaps in communication, accountability, and confidence,” he said. “We needed more leaders — not captains with titles, but teammates who would step up when it mattered.”

So he started small: lunch meetings on Wednesdays, inspired by Brett Ledbetter’s What Drives Winning. “We’d meet, eat, talk, and reflect,” he recalled. “It wasn’t mandatory, but we had 40 or 50 kids showing up. That’s when I knew there was a hunger for it.” What began as “Winning Wednesdays” evolved into a semester-long class now open to sophomores through seniors — a place where students explore leadership through practice, not theory.

“Every day, kids are put in situations where they can lead,” Keene said. “They just don’t always realize it. You don’t have to be the captain, the student-council president, or the manager. You can lead by helping someone else, by setting the tone, or by doing the small things that make others better.”

To help students remember what authentic leadership looks like, Keene keeps a bright yellow sticky note taped to his desk — a simple acronym that now defines the course: CLASS — Character, Lead by example, Accountability, Servant Leader, Step-up. Each word represents both a personal challenge and a shared expectation. “It’s who we’re trying to become,” he said. “It’s not a checklist; it’s a mindset. If you have character, lead with integrity, hold yourself accountable, serve others, and step up when things get hard — you’re already leading.”

The class blends team-building, problem-solving, and communication exercises — from designing cardboard-boat races to organizing community-service projects. Students rotate leadership roles, learning what it means to guide a group, to follow well, and to recover when things don’t go as planned. “We talk a lot about failure,” Keene said. “If you don’t learn to fail, you’ll never learn to overcome adversity. Some of our best discussions happen after things go wrong.”

He smiles when he describes the projects that have grown from the course. One group identified a lack of affordable Bomber apparel in town and decided to create a student-run spirit-wear shop. “They collect gently used gear, print new shirts and sweatshirts, and keep everything under twenty bucks,” Keene said. “The goal was simple — every kid should be able to wear Macomb colors with pride.”

Another group developed a clothes closet for students in need, stocking it with hats, gloves, and everyday items. Others have organized tailgates, raised money for Thanksgiving baskets, and volunteered at school events. “It’s not about checking a box for service hours,” Keene said. “It’s about seeing a need and filling it. That’s leadership.”

Perhaps most striking is how diverse the classroom has become. “It started with mostly athletes,” Keene said. “Now we’ve got kids from band, art, theater — you name it. Everyone brings something different, and they all learn how to work together.” He intentionally mixes the groups to ensure students collaborate with peers outside their usual circles. “That’s real life,” he said. “You don’t get to choose your team out there. You have to learn to adapt.”

Keene’s own experience helps anchor the lessons. Before teaching, he worked in several area districts and spent years coaching multiple sports. His wife — a former Western Illinois University women’s golf coach and now a National Senior Human Resources Specialist at Aramark — shares his commitment to mentorship, and their two sons are products of the same principles he teaches. His oldest, Justice, graduated two years ago and now serves as one of the youngest school-board members in Illinois, while also running the Bomber Sports Network, a student-founded media outlet he started in seventh grade. His younger son, Cameron, is a sophomore and current student in the leadership class — “a lead-by-example kind of kid,” Keene said proudly.

Those family dynamics shape the way Keene talks about growth and confidence. “Some students come in quiet, hesitant to speak up,” he said. “But by the end of the semester, they’ve found their voice. That’s what this class does — it builds confidence.”

He’s quick to emphasize that being a good leader also means being a good follower. “We teach followership,” he explained. “What does it mean to support others, to know when to step back? Leadership isn’t about being loud — it’s about being effective.”

Keene envisions expanding the program with a Leadership II course, one that pushes students into deeper community involvement. “The next step is mentorship,” he said. “We’d love to see students shadow local leaders, volunteer more, maybe even develop initiatives outside the school. The demand is there — kids want to make an impact.”

That mindset is rippling across the community. “These kids are changing the culture,” Keene said. “They’re learning that leadership isn’t about power — it’s about service. They’re setting the tone for what Macomb can be.”

He pauses before adding, “There’s so much good happening here — in our schools, in our community, in our kids. People don’t always see it, but I get to see it every day.”

For Keene, that’s what makes it all worthwhile — not the titles, not the wins, but the quiet victories that happen when a student who once stood in the back of the room finally steps forward to lead.