A model for intensive leadership training

Group, Nov/Dec 2002 by Sietsema, Erik

THE BASICS OF STUDENT LEADERSHIP

If you're looking to forever transform your impact in kids' lives, use this four-month leadership training model that has a proven track record

Andy Schultz is a high school junior who teaches a Sunday school class for junior highers at our church. The kids pay close attention to him, and some are even awed by his interest in their lives. Wes McGinnis and Bobby Wotring are sixth-graders who help research and plan weekly activities for our youth group. Allie Bozovski and Jennifer Anderson are high school freshmen who serve as chaper-- ones at outreach events.

Combined, these five students are responsible for bringing more than 30 kids into our group, and many are now regulars. What's their secret? Each of them is a graduate of our leadership training program.

At the end of my first year as youth minister at my current church, we had a strong base of young people but few adult leaders. So our leadership team decided it was time to develop new student leaders. We picked our strongest kids, then walked them through an intense leadership-- training program.

We emphasize classic leadership skills instead of how-to tips for specic leadership roles. Our training regimen draws from some of the biggest names in leadership development: John Maxwell, Peter Drucker, Stephen Covey, and others. And we use portions of classic books on leadership, including Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (Fawcett Books), How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (Mass Market), Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell (Thomas Nelson), and Corps Business: The 30 Management Principles of the US Marines by David Freedman (Harper-- Business).

Each training phase focuses on key leadership practices, including decentralized empowerment, people skills, igniting a burning desire for mission, vision casting, and commissioning. Along the way, we emphasize the key roles our kids are about to move into.

Today, I know our ministry is far more effective and impactful because of our fourmonth training program.

phase one: commitment

We start with a phase on commitment. I want kids to know leadership training is going to be hard work, but they'll be helping change lives for Jesus. We intentionally set the bar high because kids will never accomplish more than we expect of them.

So we encourage them to push toward improvement all along the way. We tell them real growth happens in small increments, and the biggest satisfaction comes at the end of a long run. And we give them weekly homework assignments that require them to read Bible passages that cover the basics of the faith, then journal their thoughts on at least one verse.4

phase two: empowerment

Decentralized decision-making is key to leadership training in the Marine Corps. That's why we use the leadership training material found in the book Corps Business. The Marines have discovered the power of empowerment-it speeds up decision-making and promotes creative thinking. You'd be surprised what empowered students can accomplish, and how well they fulfill their responsibilities.

One morning I arrived at work and discovered some of my student leaders had started a youth worship team. I didn't have to make it happen-my leaders did it more quickly (and probably better) than I could've.

We also go over the rights and responsibilities inherent in leadership. I want kids who will make decisions and aren't afraid to learn from their mistakes.

phase three: people skills

In high school I was a social misfit. I didn't know how to talk to my peers, I wasn't friendly, and I had no influence on those around me. During my sophomore year a friend (yes, I had one) gave me a copy of How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Talk about a hint! The book was a godsend, and I've since read it several times. It helped me learn how to relate well to others.

You have kids in your group who are just like I was in high school, and some of them would make excellent leaders. They just need someone who can help them with their people skills. John Maxwell, in his book Developing the Leader Within You, emphasizes people skills as a key to building a foundation for leadership. I use this book as the basis for our four-week, phase three training. We cover topics such as how to talk to people, meeting the needs of others, and how to build leadership qualities with others.

phase four: igniting desire

Leaders who accomplish great things have "the eye of the tiger"-they don't give up until they succeed. Abraham Lincoln lost many election campaigns, but still won the presidency. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before successfully inventing the light bulb. If your leadership kids don't hunger and thirst after success, they'll never work through their failures.

In Think and Grow Rich, author Napoleon Hill says desire is crucial to success. In this phase, I give each of my student leaders a journal. In each one, I include a very personal note that details their strengths and potentials. I ask kids to use their journals to help them set personal life objectives. I hand out the journals in a special ceremony.