The Case for Studen Leadership – part 3 What should we teach concerning student leadership?

By Doug Franklin July 1, 2009

We must teach the universal truths of leadership. I think for youth pastors, this is when leadership development gets a little scary.  Most youth pastors may not feel like they know enough about how leadership works to teach it to students. They may live it out everyday personally, but it’s tough to explain it to students. I believe this is why youth pastors sometimes focus on character development and less on leadership.

The truths about leadership are well documented.  Warren Bennis, John Maxwell, and many others have all have pointed us to the truths about leadership. LeaderTreks believes it’s essential for youth ministries to agree on a common approach to student leadership development so we can design tools and training events to help students develop as leaders.

To help youth workers, LeaderTreks has identified seven key components of a comprehensive student leadership development program. These components constitute what students need to know and be able to do to become effective Christian leaders.

1.    Students must have a definition of leadership and must understand the basic premise that leadership can be learned.

2.    Students must understand that leadership is a set of principles that can be applied to any situation.

3.    Students must understand who leaders are, what leaders need, and what leaders do.

4.    Students must understand there are two sides to leadership: doing and being. Doing and being must be in balance for leadership to be effective.

5.    Students must understand “self leadership”. They must have a clear understanding of their gifts, talents, and unique abilities.

6.    Students must understand “team leadership”. They must have a clear understanding of how to lead followers.

7.    Students must understand that leadership can change everything. They must have a clear understanding of the power of leadership.

By studying and learning these components students will have the tool to lead now. These seven building blocks will give students a strong foundation of knowledge and practice of leadership.