Back to School Leaders



Fifty years ago, I attended a high school leadership camp. It was designed to be a mixture of fun and instructive activities that would help us be school leaders. Staff planned things for us to do from sunrise to the late evening campfires.


I’m not the best leadership material, although a teacher at my school thought I might be and nominated me for this week of non-stop activity.


The first day was filled with get-to-know-each other “ice-breakers” that gave me anxiety.


To this day, I have a hard time with ice-breakers. But I digress.


By mid-week, I knew the names of those in my group—where they came from—and what they hoped to do once they returned home. And I could tell they were leaders.


But could I really return to my school and unite the cliques? Could I really be the one to lead others? I knew I wasn’t.


As we were walking back to our cabins after our final meeting, my group leader asked me how I was going to make a difference in my school. I shook my head in doubt.


“Hey, we all have things we can do. Leadership is not just being up front. Take your positive attitude and put that to work.” 


He was right. Being positive was something I could do. As I headed back to school, I knew that others would be the leaders, but being positive and encouraging was another way to be supportive. And I had fun doing it.


As students head back to school, I hope they will find their place—as a leader up front, or an encourager alongside. We need both.





 

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