Leadership

Leadership is a huge area of research and activity with literally tens of thousands of books and articles written on the topic. It’s also a life-long quest if you’re serious about leadership, so the challenge is to be curious and explore and see what models and competencies speak to you.

Leadership can be large or small, quiet or very obvious. Just be curious and look for opportunities.

What follows are examples of articles, books and programs on teen leadership. There are also lots of camps and institutes you can go to.

Examples of Teen Leadership Models

Wisconsin Youth Leadership Certificate

See Appendix A, p.13 for an assessment that lays out a pretty specific model of leadership

New York City Youth Development

Clear models on social skills and leadership competencies in the second half of the article.

National Alliance for Secondary Education and Transition

Short article with their standards at the bottom (the standards clearly indicate the competencies and capabilities that they see as important).

Examples of Books on Teen Leadership

Everyday Leadership

Mariam G. MacGregor
Twenty-one sessions designed to be used in a group with a facilitator, but the topics are easy to understand and an individual can use the book without a group (always best in a group). Lots of specific actions.

The Student Leadership Challenge

James Kouzes and Barry Posner
This parallels their work on corporate leadership with five core practices—model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the heart. Can get the book, a workbook, assessment tools, etc.

Organizations that Have Major Leadership Programs

You can search for leadership programs in your area or look at the leadership programs/models of national organizations. No direct links here.

• 4-H
• FFA
• YMCA
• Girl Scouts
• Boy Scouts
• Multiple State and City programs