Kids are going back to school. Leadership matters, especially for high schoolers interested in getting accepted by a top college or university.
As college admissions become increasingly competitive—and for many kids, increasingly uncertain—college prep counselors everywhere are encouraging their students to emphasize leadership to distinguish themselves from their peers.
It’s good advice. Members of clubs and teams are a dime a dozen. But the leaders of those groups are harder to find. Colleges want leaders, not just because the colleges know leadership behaviors and skills can improve success in the classroom, but because they believe that leaders have a greater opportunity to succeed in life. Colleges want successful alumni who will give back through donations and improve the college’s reputation.
Unfortunately, many high schoolers don’t understand what leadership is about. Because of that, the students fail to appreciate the importance of leadership and have trouble learning what it takes to be a leader. When they do reach out for advice (something that teens are not known for), they often receive little practical help from their parents, coaches, teachers or college prep advisors. Of course, teen attention spans are short to begin with.
I created this free Quick Guide to Leadership for Young Adults as an initial step in helping teens and other young adults learn to lead. You can download and print or forward the PDF directly from this post or this page on the site. At two pages, it’s crisp enough for any attention span, teen or adult.
Although obviously short on details, the Quick Guide is a solid, succinct overview of key principles and some important Do’s and Don’t’s. It’s also an inspiration for those who want to learn more.
I based this Quick Guide on Ticket to Lead – Young Adult Edition, a short book I released this summer as a “pay it forward” project in honor of all the people who helped me learn to lead. You can find the paperback and Kindle eBook formats on Amazon.com and the eBook formats on Apple Books and at BN.com, all at low “pay it forward” prices.
Although targeted at teens and young adults, both the Quick Guide and the book are valuable resources for parents, coaches, teachers and counselors who are interested in helping our young people learn to lead.
Leadership can change kids’ lives. For many, it can be a “ticket out” from a difficult environment. Whether you use these tools or others, do what you can to help our young people learn about leadership and help them learn to lead.
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