3 Mistakes of Student Leadership Teams

Apr 20 2010 Author: Doug Franklin Filed under: Student leadership, Youth Ministry

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Student leadership teams are relevant, powerful and necessary. Leadership teams are a great way to develop students because when students are on teams they will face communication problems, team work obstacles and all kinds of struggles that will lead to growth. I have noticed when leadership teams go wrong they are often because of the same issues. Here are the most common mistakes youth workers make when leading a student leadership team.

1. Studying books written for adults
Most youth workers don’t have a student leadership curriculum so they have students read books by mega-church pastors. This is not a good idea because students can’t relate to many of the topics in these books. Students need to focus on learning the basic leadership principles; this will give them a healthy start in leadership.

2. Adult volunteers who don’t get student leadership
Many youth workers will ask an involved adult volunteer to help with the student leadership team but won’t tell the volunteer of the importance of letting students lead. This will create a divide in the vision for the student leadership team. One adult will be giving away leadership and letting students fail and one will be rescuing them to make sure they always look good. A divided house will not stand.

3. No structure
Youth workers have a team but it meets sometimes but not always. When it does meet, it goes over a random topic. Some students leave after one semester because of sports or drama team or any other reason. The team is a mess. Without structure the student leadership team will fail and will become a black eye for the youth worker. Leadership teams require time, focus, intentionality and purpose. Make sure you have all of these before you start.

Have a question about these mistake and how to overcome them? Give a call, let’s talk. I will be happy to discuss them with you.

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One Response to “3 Mistakes of Student Leadership Teams”

Angie Franklin
April 22nd, 2010 at 3:27 pm

I love this post. I think you’re right about where Student Leadership Teams go wrong, but I also think they sometimes go wrong in our mindset before they go wrong in function. Its so easy to assume the least of students, rather than the greatest. Its easy to give students small or no leadership experiences, because even though we usually base our view of students higher than culture’s view, it doesn’t compare to God’s view. I think student leadership teams have a great chance of succeeding when we develop our students from the perspective of what God views their abilities to be and what He dreams for them. Not what we think they can do when they are seniors, after high school, or upon college graduation… but their abilities and Kingdom potential right now as high school students. When we come at student leadership from that perspective, its more urgent, it involves the heart, it gives students compelling opportunities, and it makes them builders in God’s kingdom.

My name is Doug Franklin and I serve youth workers through a ministry called LeaderTreks. I love youth ministry and the people who serve in it. I work with an incredible team creating tools and resources enabling youth workers to develop students into leaders. I want to influence youth workers to challenge students and prepare them for leadership in the kingdom of God.
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