Student leadership teams are UNFAIR

Has a parent or a sr. pastor ever said something like this to you ….

“Student leadership teams are unfair because not every student gets to participate.”

“The application process implies that some students are not good enough.”

“The selection process seems unfair. Aren’t you just picking the students you like?”

“Why do you have to make it exclusive? Why can’t it just be open to everyone?”

I believe student leadership teams can be unfair – but who ever said the goal of student leadership development was to be fair? The goal is to take students that have shown a desire for growth and challenge them with additional leadership responsibilities in an effort to strengthen them in peer-to-peer ministry. If you think student ministry is the ministry of the church to students then you would be right –student leadership is unfair. However, if the goal of the student ministry is to help students minister to their world and if students can be ministers (I believe they can) then using the Biblical model of giving more responsibility to those who have shown responsibility makes sense.

Student leadership teams have a number of perception problems. Some may think that only the good kids, the youth pastors’ favorites, or the kids who do everything are included. This leads to a strong reaction that the teams are unfair. We need to understand these perceptions before we start our leadership program. We need to be clear in communicating the purpose and goals of having a student leadership team. Remember most parents just want their students to belong. Belonging that includes leadership opportunities is even better. What parent doesn’t want their student to be labeled a leader? Most youth workers want more for student leaders than just a label – we want them to lead.

To battle this negative perception issue, help your student leaders understand the power of service. We have to be sure we are not creating a leadership position instead of servant leaders. We run the risk of having a leadership team that is all show and no serve. We have to be honest with students and tell them that leadership will cost them more than they want to spend and it will be harder than anything that have ever done. I like to describe leadership as living in an upside down pyramid. We are not on top. We serve from the bottom, holding everything in place by our willingness to be last.

It’s easy to give into the negative pressure and scrap the whole leadership development program. Before you do, remember that the cost is worth the outcome. When you hear the argument that student leadership is unfair, remember the other person’s perspective. Leadership is a big deal to adults. Clarify your purpose and communicate the focus of the program. Explain to them what you’re looking for in students. If their student doesn’t measure up, offer to create a plan with them to help their student reach the criteria. What could be better than you and parents working together to teach students servant leadership?