Six Seasons of a Student Leader Year
Most students get to serve in a student leadership position for one year. One year! The Six Seasons of a Student Leader Year is a roadmap that helps student leaders navigate through the ups and downs, the good times and bad that a year of student leadership can bring. This model gives student leaders a way to step back and see the Big Picture. If you know what the seasons are, then you'll be better prepared for what each season will bring.
Overview of the Six Seasons
There are seasons in a student leadership year. They flow
from one into the other. Sometimes they are more intense and dramatic,
other times they seem to come and go without much notice. There may be
some overlapping and even some signs of moving back into a previous
season. They express the flow of each year. And each student leader
experiences these seasons at different levels. Some feel them more
than others because of their own temperament, personality, and
leadership situation.
For the most part, these seasons happen in the order that I list them here. There is movement in a student leader year with high points and low points. That’s why it's important for each student leader to get a sense of the big picture. If you understand ahead of time when and where the seasons (both good and bad) might be, you’ll be better prepared to handle them when they come.
Anticipation - This is the season of looking ahead. Deciding to apply, planning a campaign, looking ahead to what one will attempt to change, maintain, and accomplish throughout the upcoming year.
Implementation - This is the season of moving into action. All the plans and dreams are put into motion. A student leader quickly finds that he or she is kneedeep in their position, putting their strengths to work, building relationships, and having fun.
Fluctuation - This is the season of overcoming obstacles. Student leaders discover that things don't always go as planned, conflicts arise, certain realities begin to push aside one's idealism.
Evaluation - This is the season of the gut check. Working through the fluctuation season, one discovers that the year may turn out differently than anticipated, that everything planned may not happen. A student leader must take the time to figure out what's most important or risk their success.
Determination - This is the season of staying the course. A student leader will come to a crossroads - to persevere or to walk away (before their done...before the year is over). It is during this season that student leaders must decide that there is still work left to be done and if they stick with it, they' discover a whole new level of leadership.
Separation - This is the season of letting go. Every student leader leaves, the question is when? A student leader who stays the course will leave a lasting legacy that other student leaders can follow. How a student leader prepares the next generation of student leaders is vital to the health of the organization.
SCLT Leadership Lessons These lessons are designed to help students learn how to navigate through the Six Seasons. They work in conjunction with the Student Leader's Backpack.
The 5 Things You Need To Carry In Your Student Leadership Backpack
The
Student Leadership Backpack (SLB) contains the core skills that you'll
need to be successful throughout your student leadership year. Each of
these five core leadership characteristics can be learned and
developed.
1. Lead Yourself First - The Student Leader's Hardest Task: Leaders start with themselves. Character, self-discipline, and personal organization skills determine what kind of leader a person will be. Leaders must serve as an example to those who put their trust and loyalty in them. Leadership starts off as an inside job.
2. Develop Your Influence With Others - The Student Leader's Biggest Asset: Influence allows a leader to lead. A leader knows how to move people in a certain direction through mission, vision, and values.
3. Make A Difference Mindset - The Student Leader's Noblest Cause: The leader understands that there is a moment between a person's need and their ideal future and helps them achieve that. A leader knows that participating in this moment is the opportunity to be the difference that people are looking for.
4. Clear Communication - The Student Leader's Strongest Skill: The ability to communicate is often overlooked in leadership. But clear communication is what motivates and moves people. A leader must be able to keep people informed and focused on what's most important for the organization. A successful leader will provide clarity and not confusion.
5. Get Others Involved - The Student Leader's Highest Investment: By definition, a leader is one who has people following him or her. If all a student does is accomplish tasks, he or she is a student worker. But if a student focuses on getting others involved and spends time equipping them, he or she is a student leader.
