The Impact of One Generous Leader
Leading up to “Giving Tuesday” and Thanksgiving this year, we thought we’d do something different. I plan to post simple stories of leaders I know who’ve encountered generous people during their lifetime. This first is from my friend, Glen Jackson who tells of his first encounter with Truett Cathy. Our series is called: “The Art of Generosity.” I first met Truett Cathy,
Changing the Way We Communicate with Generation Z
Did you know that public educators are quitting their jobs at a faster rate than some schools can replace them? As of last year, “public education employees are leaving their jobs faster than ever recorded,” reports government data reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “Teachers, janitors and other education professionals departed their jobs at an ‘average rate of 83 per 10,000 a month’ in
The Benefits of Preparing Your Students to Think Like Leaders
Almost everywhere I travel, I meet everyday students who are doing extraordinary things. They are teens who’ve caught a vision to do something beyond making good grades or staying out of trouble, and their communities benefit as a result. I love the students at Kennesaw Mountain High School who years ago decided they would host a prom night for special needs
Three Ingredients That Influence Students to Take Action
Any parent, teacher, or coach has experienced the frustration of attempting to motivate an unmotivated student to act. Don’t forget to apply for that scholarship. Please pick up your clothes in your room. Have you interviewed for any jobs this summer? When are you going to write that paper? Millions of teens are notorious for apathy—and they have been for centuries,
Two Paradoxes Every Leader Faces
I was asked to observe student leaders in action on a university campus last spring. My goal was to watch them facilitate a service project and offer helpful feedback afterward. As you can imagine, I watched the students work with great passion. I saw them making attempts to find their own style and rhythm, and I watched them attempt to communicate
Three Ideas to Enable Students to Build Bridges in the Internet Age
Today’s blog is from Andrew McPeak. Andrew is a next gen researcher, speaker and the Vice President of Content for Growing Leaders. He is also the co-author of Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population. In your conversations with friends or in discussions online, you’ve probably heard a term that is increasingly used to describe the effects
Excellence Fatigue: The Normalization of Defects
I am pleased to post a brief, but relevant article today from our new president at Growing Leaders: Steve Moore. I have known Steve for over three decades and he is one of the finest leaders I know. He now leads the operations at Growing Leaders, bringing a wealth of experience and insight from his career. Enjoy. If you’ve talked with
Six Strategies for Building Perseverance in Students
I recently listened to an interview between two neuroscientists and a group of elderly people, all over the age of 80. In the conversation, it became clear that some of these elders were losing their short-term memories and even experiencing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. They spoke to the brain specialists about what they could do to maintain optimal brain
Four Things You Should Watch to Better Understand Generation Z
Today’s blog is from Andrew McPeak. Andrew is a next gen researcher, speaker and the Vice President of Content for Growing Leaders. He is also the co-author of Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population. When I’m on the road and in conversations with leaders of various backgrounds across the country, I find that two perspectives
10 Visible Signs of Stress in Students—and How to Spot Them
I listened in on a conversation between young women recently. The girls were from various high schools and colleges, and they were talking about surviving school. I was struck by how much they used the term stressed out. It was the most frequently verbalized term in their discussion. Today, students suffer from distress (being stressed out) more frequently than previous
Five Sources of Stress in Teens
Chad lives with his grandparents whose income is so low they live well below the poverty line in his school district. Because the school is understaffed and has only one counselor, Chad is consistently living in distress, possessing no coping skills. Sara is bullied and sexually harassed as a middle school student. Her grades and demeanor reflect the poor school climate
It’s Finally Here: Generation Z Unfiltered
Do you know the students in front of you each day? I know you think you do because you know their names, their families, and how well they’re doing in your class or in sports. But this generation is more private, more anxious, more restless, more tech-friendly, more entrepreneurial, and more redemptive than previous generations. Below are three brief stories
The State of Today’s Students Around the World
Three years ago, our organization, Growing Leaders, hosted focus groups of international leaders called Global Voices Gatherings. More than 30 leaders of youth organizations and educational institutions from 10 countries (including Singapore, Great Britain, Brazil, Ethiopia, Mexico, Canada, Egypt, South Africa, Italy, and the United States) joined us in Atlanta. Over the course of three days, I was consistently surprised by
The Truth and Myths About Student Learning Styles
Judy Furlich has taught high school students for 18 years. She still considers herself a “young educator” even though she’s older than the millennials. She told me for the first decade of her teaching career, she felt connected to her students. She was able to engage them in classroom discussion and elicit good performance from them. At some point in her
Three Leadership Topics to Discuss with Your Team
Since the beginning of this year, I have experienced new territory as a leader. Change is in the wind. Major change. Our organization, Growing Leaders, endured a plateau in its growth, and some team members moved out of state. It forced our leadership’s team members to examine ourselves in fresh ways. We hired some incredible new people (including a new