This is a guest post by Micheal Walley. Micheal served as a Camp Director with CentriKid in 2013, and we asked him to share with us a few tips that he learned about leading well.
As leaders, we sometimes expect ourselves to be some kind of superheroes who should be able to do everything to set a great example for our team. As a first-time director this past summer, I quickly learned that one of my major roles as a leader was not to do every task by myself, but to equip others to lead as well.
I saw major leadership potential in my teammates last year. I made it a priority to give those staffers responsibilities and opportunities to grow as leaders. From distributing walkie-talkies to organizing our Adult Resource table to filling up water coolers each night, the staffers took ownership of those tasks and I saw their leadership skills grow!
As a camp director, I would love to see people from my team be leaders whether at camp or in everyday life. The people you lead now are the future leaders of your team, ministry, or organization.
Here are three simple ways to help equip others to lead:
1. Use their strengths.
This past summer, two of my staffers loved getting the team pumped up for OMC day, so I gave them the opportunity to lead a staff warm-up during staff meeting each Thursday. They did an incredible job and it gave them a chance to develop their leadership.
Maybe you have someone on your team who is gifted in presentation software or organizing name tags. Giving them responsibilities that use their strengths will show them that you value them as a leader.
2. Take them with you.
This is one of the first pieces of leadership advice Jeremy Echols gave to me way before I even considered being a camp director, and it is one I have used ever since. When you take someone with you, it is the perfect opportunity to show and teach them what you do as a leader. This may mean taking them along on a hospital visit or asking for help while you put up this season’s bulletin board. Also, it is a great opportunity to build relationships with those you lead.
3. Encourage their leadership potential.
If you think someone on your team would make a great leader, tell them! I do not know if I would have dared considered being a camp director or having various leadership roles at my college if not for my former leaders encouraging me. Under your leadership right now could be future kid’s ministers, business leaders, and valuable volunteers. Take some time and thank them for their service and encourage the leadership potential that you see.
Intentionally find ways that you can equip those under your leadership to be the leaders of tomorrow!