Outdoor Leadership

I am currently working on my Capstone project to finish a Masters in organizational leadership. You will probably read a few posts from me about this over the next few months.

I was doing some research last week. Do you know how many articles and books there are available on leadership?! Hundreds. Topics range from leadership, to recognizing it, being a better leader, leading change, leaders during problems, leading in crisis, leading teams, leadership development, etc. While there are various topics and themes to the research, there is an underlying message in each – leadership is important.

While businesses want to hire young employees who show potential as strong leaders and colleges are looking for students who will be leaders in the community, I could not find a lot about leadership opportunities for high school students, especially in Colorado.

Why is this? There are national programs and conferences that students can go to, many times to represent their school. These programs typically last for a week with the goal to give students the resources to be leaders when they get home. There is something lacking with these programs though. They are indoors in classroom settings. I disagree with this teaching method.

Leadership is experiential. Yes, there is a need to understand certain principals and methods that can be taught in the classroom, but this is not enough. To best learn to be a leader, young adults need to interact with others and practice being leaders.

I think it is the best way to learn. I have worked with high school students from various backgrounds and experiences and have watched them all demonstrate stronger leadership traits than they thought possible while leading outside.

Can you think of ways to teach young adults to be future leaders in the outdoors?

Learning Responsibility at Camp

“I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself. Every single one of you has something that you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.” -From the remarks by The President in a national address to America’s schoolchildren

In conjunction with President Barack Obama’s remarks, the US Department of Education is launching an “I Am What I Learn” video contest later this month where students will respond to the president's challenge by creating videos, up to two minutes in length, describing the steps they will take to improve their education and the role education will play in fulfilling their dreams. As the following images demonstrate, many of our campers began taking those steps long before they stepped foot in their classrooms this fall.

“You become good at things through hard work.”



“Being successful is hard.”



“Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”



“You can't let your failures define you -- you have to let your failures teach you.”



“But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.”



Each of our campers discovers something he or she is good at while at camp. From leading a group to the summit of a mountain, to comforting a friend, to overcoming fears, to pointing out the beauty of a sunset, our campers build on personal strengths and take pride in their unique gifts. A summer at camp brings out the best in each child, and allows each individual to flourish in a safe, supportive, nurturing environment where questions are welcomed, successes are celebrated and failures are opportunities for growth.

The SOLE (Sanborn Outdoor Leadership Experience) and the CORE (Community OutReach Experience) are two programs designed to specifically teach leadership and backcountry skills to our oldest campers. Through these programs we see a dramatic increase in our campers’ sense of personal responsibility, in their understanding and commitment to service, a new-found confidence in their abilities and strength, and the knowledge (and desire) to be truly successful.

Leadership

I'm going to expand on what Ryan wrote a few days ago, about impressions and impacts. Ryan wrote, "How we live, determines how we lead, which will determine the impact we make." This seems to be a simple statement. But, it is also quite complicated. Have you ever thought about how you live? Or how you lead? Or the impact that you make? More importantly, have you thought about the connection between these?

I don't think I can say I have. Yes, I have thought about my life and my abilities as a leader from time to time. I like to believe that I am making an impact on children's lives. There are times I question my effectiveness as a leader and if I'm truly living my life as the leader I want to be. 

I am in the Organizational Leadership program at the University of Denver right now and have learned some interesting and useful leadership and team techniques. In one of my classes we read The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner. They have created a simple model of the 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership. These 5 steps inspired me. I printed the model out and put it above my desk. Everyday I look at it and ask myself if I'm following the steps. While they are straightforward practices, I still must challenge myself to follow them in my everyday work. I believe that if I continue to read them and try to incorporate them into my everyday LIFE, this will improve my LEADING abilities, and in turn, allow me to make a bigger IMPACT. 

5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership

1. Model the Way 

Clarify Values: find your voice and affirm shared values 

Set the Example: personify the shared values and teach others to model the values

2. Inspire a Shared Vision

Envision the Future: imagine the possibilities and find a common purpose

Enlist Others: appeal of common ideals and animate the vision

3. Challenge the Process

Search for Opportunities: seize the initiative and exercise outsight

Experiment and Take Risks: generate small wins and learn from experience

4. Enable Others to Act

Foster Collaboration: create a climate of trust and facilitate relationships

Strengthen Others: enhance self-determination and develop competence and confidence

5. Encourage the Heart

Recognize Contributions: expect the best and personalize recognition

Celebrate the Value and Victories: create a spirit of community and be personally involved

I challenge you to follow these 5 practices. Share them with a friend. How can you live, lead, and make an impact? 

Do we make an impact or an impression at Summer Camp?

im⋅pact   [n. im-pakt; v. im-pakt]

influence; effect: the impact of Einstein on modern physics.        

To have an impact or effect on; influence; alter: The decision may impact your whole career. The auto industry will be impacted by the new labor agreements.

im⋅pres⋅sion   [im-presh-uhn]

The first and immediate effect of an experience or perception upon the mind; sensation.

 

About a year ago several of us had the opportunity to attend the ACA National conference, held in Nashville, TN.  One of the many people that connected to me was a keynote speaker named Dr. Rick Rigsby. This link will provide you with the last four minuets of the keynote. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn2-VTNFOUk

Dr. Rigsby spoke about character, values-based leadership, and how theses two, most important traits are vital to making an IMPACT  rather than an impression.   How we live determines how we lead which will determine the impact me make.  Impression, is what we do when children first arrive at camp.  Impact, is what we did that is visible in their lives 20 years later.    Camp creates lifelong Impacts!

“Our greatest endeavor must be to transform this generation by living authentic lives that impact rather than impress!” -Dr. Rick Rigsby

" The Meaning of Summer Camp"   

Leadership from the Outdoors

I recently "Googled" high school leadership and received back over 17 million hits, youth leadership opportunities returned over 2 million hits, and organizational leadership found almost 3 million hits. There were Web sites for schools, leadership workshops, job opportunities, and organizations. The number of leadership opportunities available to children, high school students, and even adults is astonishing. Leadership skills are essential to one's success, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

There are different ways a person can further develop his or her own leadership skills. Options include reading books and articles, attending classes and workshops, and through practice. While the first two options will help people learn new techniques and skills, I don't think anyone can truly improve his or her leadership abilities without practice. The greatest leaders do not attribute their success to anyone or anything. To them, being an effective leader is just something they do.

Spending time in the outdoors is one way to practice these skills. This might be a confusing connection, but here is my logic. When a child (or anyone really) spends time exploring in the outdoors s/he becomes more independent. S/he doesn't need a screen to be entertained, s/he doesn't need to go to a parent complaining of being bored, and s/he can use her/his imagination to stay active. When you are independent, you tend to have more self-confidence. With confidence, the child feels s/he can accomplish anything. When confronted with an obstacle, s/he doesn't give up, but rather conquers it without question. Independence and confidence are two characteristics of great leaders. S/he isn't worried about what other people think, s/he does not second-guess her/himself, and s/he is willing to go the extra mile to achieve success.

How do you try to improve upon your leadership skills?