How can I encourage excellent student leadership as an Activities Director?

I ask myself that question every few months, and one of the most effective tools I’ve discovered is Daily Themes! Highly successful and productive people, including Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey, suggest creating daily themes to maximize both time and focus.

If you’re in the beginning stages of implementing daily themes, feel free to use these ideas:

• Motivation Monday:  every Monday I show a motivational video clip, or share a motivational story to set the tone for the week ahead.

• Training Tuesday:  each Tuesday, I teach a specific lesson focusing on leadership development.

• Worth It Wednesday:  on Wednesday, I schedule meetings with a few leaders (different leaders each week) to point out positive things they are doing in the area of leadership. Positive reinforcement is extremely important!

• Team Building Thursday:  every Thursday, I have student leaders engage in a team building activity specifically designed to strengthen the bond between one another and reinforce the leadership lessons from Tuesday.

• Family Friday:  every Friday, a different student leader shares their story of opportunities and obstacles.

• Here’s a sample you can check out!

Themes are a simple addition to your schedule, and will result in a greater leadership experience for your students and thus, a better overall program. Stick to it, and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box! Also, feel free to check out my blog for even more posts on leadership development.