Developing young leaders is one of most important responsibilities of a camp director. Much of our success depends on the effective leadership of the young people who serve as front line leaders at our camps.Stephanie Lischke and Joel Wright from the Center for Creative Leadership recently wrote about four messages that young leaders need to hear.
- Think "process," not "position." Leadership is a process rather than a position.Young leaders need to lead, regardless of their position in the camp. They need to ask themselves how can I contribute to the camp's leadership process.
- Understand your leadership brand. Like a product, leaders have a brand. It reflects who they are perceived to be as a leader. It develops through the way leaders behave and interact with others. Young leaders need to be aware of and monitor their leadership brand.
- Take control. Young leaders need to recognize they are in charge of their leadership brand. They need to know how they can change their brand. They should look for opportunities both at camp and beyond to identify opportunities to learn as grow as a leader..
- Know you can make a difference. Young leaders need to know that their leadership matters. It matters to the camp staff they lead and to the camp as a whole. It matters to the success they'll have in their careers. It will matter, however, only if they choose to exercise that leadership.
