WAVE Blog

Effective youth development programs give young people opportunities to learn and practice leadership. Good educators and youth professionals know that leadership is not reserved for the captain of the high school cheerleading squad or the debate team. Just think about the leadership skills required to run a gang. The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disabilities says “all effective youth programs have youth development at their core.” The American Youth Policy Forum lists youth leadership development as a non-negotiable component of high-impact programs for youth at risk.

WAVE can help you develop a structured leadership component to any youth program — just read up on the WAVE Leadership Association. But that’s not the real point of this post.

As leaders of education and youth development programs, we too must hone our leadership knowledge and skills. To the youth we serve, we must exemplify good leadership.

Setting a good leadership example means developing leadership in other staff members. It means designing and delivering a system and processes in your organization that are in line with your mission and values, as well as apt to deliver the highest impact for youth. Good leaders are fair, goal-oriented, organized, compassionate, and take 100% responsibility for their actions.

Here is a resource that will help you think differently about leadership and become a more effective leader: subscribe to Dr. Steve Arneson’s Leadership Articles on Examiner.com. Steve founded Arneson Leadership Consulting after serving as the head of Leadership Development at Capital One, AOL, Time Warner Cable, and a division of PepsiCo. He’s also a strong supporter of WAVE programs that help disadvantaged young people build the skills they need to effectively lead themselves and others in a positive direction.

The principles in Steve’s articles are just as applicable to school or nonprofit leaders as they are to corporate executives. Just like leaders in the business world, you face critical challenges daily. Steve points out that, “of all the variables that impact your company, one stands out as the single best indicator of your success – the quality of your leaders. You need leaders at all levels of your organization to spark innovation, drive productivity, and motivate and empower employees (Zenger & Folkman, 2002).

Leadership definitely matters. Decide today to make your own leadership development a priority, for the benefit of yourself, your organization, your coworkers, your employees, and the youth you serve.

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