February 5, 2012

CampusTalkBlog posts by Dave "Gonzo" Kelly, America's Student Leadership Trainer™

About Dave "Gonzo" Kelly

Dave "Gonzo" Kelly, America's Student Leadership Trainer™, has been working with students on leadership development since he was a student himself. As an experienced college speaker and trainer his programs maximize student retention by linking student success through extra-curricular activities.

The ‘no-chairs’ method to campus club and organization recruiting

By
Dave Kelly - Recruiting with no Chairs

Listen to Dave discuss this topic on The College Speaker Series on the CampusTalkRadio Network.   "The program designed to teach you 3 things in 30 minutes. Guaranteed!" As a former student leader myself, and as a long-time college student leadership trainer, I have run more than 100 recruitment tables at campus activities fairs and club days and have seen what works and a lot of what doesn't. Something that I do not think works is for members to sit behind a table waiting for students to come talk to them. Unless your club’s name really jumps out at a student, they will not come to talk to you if you are sitting behind the table. Plus, it is very easy for you to not convey interest, excitement, and energy about your organization while you are sitting. Get rid of your chairs! Give … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: ,

I Missed Your Student Leadership Presentation, Can You Still Help Me?

By
Dave Kelly - The Experience

The answer is a resounding,“YES!” I spoke at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in late March of 2011. Daniel Hastings is a student at the school who was unable to attend my student leadership presentation. He emailed me with some questions and, after I responded to him, gave me permission to share his questions and my answers in this blog. Daniel Hastings: What suggestions would you give in leading a work group or team? Dave Kelly: I try to instill leaders, whether students, employees, managers, etc. with this concept: Don't think about what's in it for you, think about what's in it for them. If you can meet the needs of your fellow students (or employees) and accomplish the objective of your projects or organization, then you are going to have more motivated people who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Everyday Leadership at Lincoln University

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Dave Kelly - Everyday Leadership at Lincoln University

Saturday, March 19, 2011 was a beautiful, sunny day in southeastern Pennsylvania. I had spent the night before near the Philadelphia airport and took the short drive to Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, in Lincoln University, PA. As I drove up to the gates of this Historically Black University (HBU), I was impressed with the beauty of the campus and the contrast of the grand, older buildings dating back to 1854 and the newer construction reflective of more current times. I was on campus to lead the afternoon portion of the Emerging Leaders Conference for approximately 60 outstanding students. They had done group interactions including bonding and get-out-of-your-comfort-zone activities in the morning and I was there to present my “Everyday Leadership” program. We were able to get … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

“They”

By
Dave Kelly - They

“They” are always trying to tell us something “they” think we need to hear. “They” have our best interests at heart, and “they” don’t want to see us fail, get hurt, or be disappointed. “They” will make sure to tell you that you really can’t do what you want to, are probably not good enough to succeed, and are not possibly smart enough to figure out something that no one else ever has. “They” know everything. “They” are your enemies. Oh, “they” might look like family, friends, or co-workers, but make no mistake, “they” will discourage you and try to let you down easy. “They” love you and want you to wait to pursue your dreams until all of the circumstances are perfect. But, secretly, “they” know there are no perfect moments, so if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life

Elvis, Leadership, and You: Putting Fun into Campus Activities at TVCC

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Dave Kelly - Elivs Leadership and You

  While attending the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) National Advisors Institute in Las Vegas this past January (2-4, 2011), I caught up with one of my long-time friends, Justin Core. Justin is the Director of Student Programs and Residence Life at Treasure Valley Community College (TVCC) in Ontario, OR. Ontario is just over the border from Idaho, along the Snake River, about an hour west of Boise. He is also a fellow past Circle K International President and we have had some fun and interesting times over the years! Justin is a great guy who is very devoted to his students. He is a bit of a renaissance man as well, producing projects in Hollywood and hob knobbing with the elite of the entertainment industry. I have been blessed to come to his school … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Community Service and Campus Events Go Hand in Hand

By
Dave Kelly - Community Service and Campus Activities

Listen to Dave discuss this topic on The College Speaker Series on the CampusTalkRadio Network.   "The program designed to teach you 3 things in 30 minutes. Guaranteed!" I have been a member of the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA) since 2005. I have really enjoyed all of the great people I have met and the opportunities that I have had to speak and train at APCA member campuses. But I felt like there was something missing, something more that APCA could do. So, I approached Executive Director Eric Lambert about the idea of incorporating community service into the 2011 APCA National Conference, which was held in Atlanta March 23-26. Eric was enthusiastic about this idea and incredibly supportive. He had great ideas of how to make this work within … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With:

You will do great things!

By
Dave Kelly - You Will Do Great Things

On March 2, I celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday by reading to my kindergarten students at William Scott Elementary School in Atlanta.  It was so fun! One of the books I read was “Oh, the Places You Will Go”. When was the last time you read that book? It really is prescient about life and how things will go—as long as we persevere. The book tells us how everything is going to go our way. How awesome we will become. And we are going to accomplish great things and go far… “Except when you don’t, because sometimes you won’t.” Um, I’m sorry, good doctor. What do you mean sometimes I WON’T. Isn’t this book about me accomplishing good things? “Yes. And sometimes you will be in a ‘slump’”. OK, stop that, Dr. Seuss! I only want to hear about how … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With:

Never Fear, Service is Here!

By
Dave Kelly - Never Fear, Service is Here

I stood there frozen with fear. I was about to go out in front of an audience that was not willing to sit still. They squirmed. They were talking amongst themselves. They were ready for a show and I was going to have to give it to them. Why, oh why did I agree to this? Was I crazy? Did I have a death wish? I was going to have to keep an audience of 25 entertained for up to half an hour. I wasn’t sure I could do it. Did I bring the right materials? Would my voice hold out? Would they like me? “And now,” I heard from inside the room, “boys and girls, please welcome Mr. Kelly!” I walked around the corner to face that most volatile and hostile of all audiences. Five-year-olds. I didn’t feel like I had much on my side. My giant stature caused audible gasps … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With:

“I’ll Do It!” – Say it and make the most of your opportunities

By
Dave Kelly - I'll Do It

I have been involved in the Kiwanis Family, an organization dedication to community service for 35 years. I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and I joined the Key Club (high school level) at my high school when I was a sophomore because I liked the advisor and I decided that if he thought it was worthwhile, then I wanted to be a part of it. I did some projects and was pretty active, but I didn’t have a clue about the whole Key Club universe. That changed in the spring of my junior year I found out about a convention being held in Green Bay. I thought it would be cool to spend the weekend there, so I signed up I had no idea that there was anything beyond our little club and then I got to Green Bay and I was one of 600 high school students there! The first night, we sat in our caucus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With:

Spring time is orientation leader training time

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Dave Kelly - Sprint Time is Orientation Leader Training Time

Did you know that the success or failure of new students on campus lies in the hands of your Orientation Leaders? It’s true. And how they are prepared for their responsibilities will determine if those new students are successful during their collegiate career. When I arrived on campus, my college orientation consisted of getting handed a Student Handbook with an envelope of coupons from local vendors and about a 30-minute session of going around a circle with 10 new students talking about ourselves. “Assessment” was our ‘orientation leader’ asking us if we met any new people. He was no more equipped to help me succeed as a student than I was as a timid first-year. The training that you provide for your Orientation Leaders needs to be intentional. It should allow them to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: ,

Commitment to service is a winning habit

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I had the pleasure and honor of presenting at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy a few years ago. After my program, I was treated to a tour of the campus by 2nd Class Cadet Victoria “Tory” Stevens. The Academy has a beautiful campus with a chapel, museum, quarters, and a deck within the collegiate equivalent of the administration building. They have some neat and moving traditions, including saluting the flag and the Coast Guard officers on the deck. There was a rotunda in the administration building and around it were the words of the cadet honor code, “He who reveres honor, honors duty.” As Tory was showing me around campus, she occasionally would bend down and pick up a scrap of paper. This happened four or five times when curiosity got the better of me. I asked her if this was one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

Begin and experience the power of boldness

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The impetus for this blog post comes from a quote that has hung on my office wall for 25 years. “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”- Johnann Wolfgang von Goethe: What Goethe is telling us is that whatever it may be that we desire, wish for, or dream to have real in our lives, we should go for it! There is so much in life that we all want to make happen and so few people seem to really reach for their dreams. Why is this? I think it is because the accomplishment of the dream seems to be a far off thing, and many times it is. That can be discouraging when we want it now. Perhaps we do not see the steps that we need to take to get from here to there. That’s OK. There is only one step you really need to be concerned with… … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life

Day of Service at Georgian Court University

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“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I had the honor of working with over 100 women at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ on January 17, 2011, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It was the third annual leadership conference for the students and the focus was on community service. It was a fun and exciting event and the enthusiasm of the women warmed up a cold January day! My part of the program was to present “Building Leaders Through Service®” as an interactive, two-hour leadership seminar in the morning. My approach was to get the women thinking about servant leadership and what role(s) it could play in their lives. I presented personal stories and encounters … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

Dave ‘Gonzo’ Kelly’s handy list of places to serve your community

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Looking for ways for individual students, or volunteer groups to get involved in serving the community in and around your campus? Here's a list of reputable organizations - big and small - to help you start your search. Many of these are national organizations but have thriving local chapters or offices that are impacting live and communities near you. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive nor is any listing an implied endorsement.  Carefully research any organization you choose to work with at the Better Business Bureau for Charities and Donors or through local sources such as newspapers and the public library.  You'll want to determine if the organization is having positive impact within your community and that your involvement will reflect well on you, your organization and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

A community service project for everybody!

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Recently I was approached with a question similar to the one following and I thought that others who are coordinating orientation events may find it interesting and helpful. “What ideas do you have for a service project during New Student Orientation that would work with 1,200 or more students in a rural community and on a tight budget?” Getting students involved in community service during orientation is a great idea; however, coordinating a single project that gets 1,200 involved at one time is a challenge. You want to ensure everyone participates and gets their hands “dirty,” but how do you engage that many people at one time? I suggest trying a variety of projects and activities that get everyone involved at once and on the same day, which will give you a better chance of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

Inspiring something new in higher education

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Leah Cassellia, director of Student Union and Involvement Services at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, asked me to come back to her campus again. I spoke there in May 2008, and it was so cool to hear she wanted to bring me back! When she contacted me, she sent me a couple of pages of comments that were made about my last program and I was blown away! I did a two-hour session first thing in the morning for advisors and they loved it, and the student leadership training in the afternoon was also a huge hit! The question is: how was this year’s program different? Much of the direction I gave them previously, they took to heart. For example, they have monthly club advisor meetings, regular programming updates and they also do a program in the fall on recruitment tabling called “The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Integrity is not negotiable! Who sez that? I sez that!

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Brian Davis is one of my newest heroes. He should be one of yours, too. “I’m sorry, Dave, who?” Brian Davis is a golfer on the PGA Tour. On Sunday, April 18, 2010, he was playing at the Verizon Heritage event in South Carolina and gave up a possible win—his first on the tour— when he called a penalty on himself, in a playoff, for disturbing a stray weed on his back swing. [Hitting any material during your back swing constitutes a two-swing penalty]. Davis called the penalty on himself, conceding the victory to Jim Furyk who walked away with $1.03 million for the win. Davis did take second and got a $615,000 check, but more importantly he can hold his head up high knowing he did the honorable thing, the expected thing and the right thing. Would you have done the same … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership, Success In College and In Life

A Week in the Life of a Believer in Service

By
kindergarden

Some people call them "random acts of kindness"… others "simply being polite." To me, it is all about serving others. Service to others is one of the best and easiest things we can do. And when we practice it often, it becomes a habit and a lifelong commitment to serving others. I learned about having a service commitment when I was young, through the Scouts and through high school and collegiate organizations. I have continued that involvement in both formal and informal ways. I am a member of a civic organization that focuses on service, Kiwanis International, and I do work through my church. But, I also take time to serve in other ways. When I see trash on the ground, I pick it up. When I see someone in need, I help. In fact, I think my attitude is rubbing off on others. As I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

Gonzo’s Great Gold Quest – Part 2

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Ok, here’s the thing… I like reaching goals. I am an achievement junkie. I am really into setting an objective, quantifying it, putting together a plan, and then going after it with everything that I have. That is cool to me. It gives me energy and excitement. Provides purpose. When I was in elementary school, I set a goal of being 6’3” tall. I am 6’2”. Not bad. Almost got there. Betcha didn’t know height is controlled by goal setting! Are you short? Raise the bar, set a higher goal! Sometimes, though, it makes me do goofy things. Take for example, “Gonzo’s Great Gold Quest”. This was my attempt to achieve my goal of qualifying as a Gold Medallion member of Delta Airlines Sky Miles program. Why was that important? Because I had missed it by only … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life Tagged With:

Building Leaders Through Community Service Pt. 2

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In part 1 of this blog post, I discussed five of my reasons why you should want to get students involved in community service. But how do you get students to be involved in service to others? Here are five ways that have worked for me: Five Hows 1) Install a community service requirement for all campus organizations, Emerging Leaders and Honors program participants, scholarship recipients, and SGA officers and senators, etc. This is pretty straight forward, but be prepared for push-back. Students will tell you they don’t have enough time to do community service, and that they are too busy with their leadership roles and other involvements. They may even use going to class as an excuse! Don’t buy it! I was fortunate to work with a student in Circle K from Georgia Tech who showed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement

Building Leaders Through Community Service, Pt. 1

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I am a professional speaker because my dad used to toss beer cans out of the window of his car. (letting that sink in) I grew up in Wisconsin, at a time when drinking while driving, or even riding, was not the taboo it is today. I always thought there was something wrong with my dad littering like that. Then I saw a TV commercial with a Native American shedding a tear while looking at garbage along a highway. I knew then that I wanted to make a difference in all of the trash that I was seeing, and later in the world. So, I joined the Scouts and when I got into high school, I joined a student organization dedicated to community service. It was in these organizations that I had my first formal leadership experiences. I found that through serving others, I was learning more about myself … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With: ,

A Leadership Boot Camp done right at Georgia Southern University

By
KELLY-GA-Southern-bootcamp3

This past September, I was recruited for combat duty by the Georgia Southern University Leadership Boot Camp. My job was to turn students into a well-oiled, combat-ready leadership machine. Ok, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but I was the keynote speaker (“10 Steps to a Winning Mental Attitude”) and a break-out session presenter (“Making the Most of Your 24/7” and “Everyday Leadership”). However, this blog entry is about what I saw the Georgia Southern people doing right and some ideas for you to use on your campus. Success Tactic #1- The event was put together by Mandie Thacker, the leadership coordinator of the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement, with the assistance of a committee of active, engaged students. This was the 46th annual fall conference! That … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Creating a Culture of Student Leadership on Your Campus

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At the start of the academic year or the semester many colleges and universities conduct leadership programs and retreats for student government officers, members of the campus programming board, emerging leaders programs, and residence life. Many of these programs include a variety of topics including servant leadership and developing effective communication between team members. Usually, there is a team building element to these events where students get to know each other better and make connections that will hopefully make the year a success. There is another large pool of student leaders on your campus who sometimes get overlooked and who also need to develop their leadership skills. Those are the officers and prominent members of other campus organizations. A half- or full-day … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Be a glass polisher

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I have had a lot of mentors in my life, people that I look up to, people who encouraged and supported me. They could have easily pushed me aside or told me I was never going to succeed, but they took an interest in me, and that has made all of the difference in my life. My friend, Dr. Jeanine C. Long, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of Career Placement and Development at Southwest Georgia Technical College in Thomasville, GA has had a similar experience. She sent me the following in response to my on-going request for people to send in their own stories of success, mentors, triumphs and more. Glass Beach used to be a public dump. Refuge was thrown off the cliff and into the ocean including old cars, household garbage, and a lot of glass. In 1967, the dump, located in Ft. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life

Gonzo’s Great Gold Quest: Delta Airlines and Me

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Here’s your motivation tip: Avoid routines, do something unusual Are you in a rut, bunky? Feeling like every day is like the day before? And you are certain that you are not caught up in a “Star Trek” or “Groundhog Day” like time loop? I have an idea for you! Change things up! Do something impulsive, unusual, or out of your world. Go for a bike ride, take a dance class, or apply to be an astronaut. An astronaut? Sure! You might not make it, but would it not be cool to go through the interview process? Or take a trip. As a professional speaker, I travel a lot. My primary airline is Delta Airlines, since I travel from Atlanta, and I annually qualify as a “Silver Medallion” frequent flyer (25,000 miles flown in a calendar year). Each of the past three years I have … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life Tagged With:

Finding Glee in “Glee!”

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OK, I admit it, like many of you I love the TV show, “Glee!” I love the music, the stories, the ironies, and definitely Jane Lynch, as Sue Sylvester, who is the most amazing character actress around. Why do I love it so? Well, it is about high school, and I went to high school. It is about athletes, and I was an athlete as a prep (8 letters in 3 sports-most in my class, thank you!). And it is about show choir, which I was a member of. In fact, the Horace Mann High Schoolswing choir went to state two of the three years that I was involved. The one year we did not make it was because of a prima donna guy who messed up everything for everyone. The first year, when I was a sophomore, we won at state with a combo of “Cry Me a River” and “All For The Best” from the Broadway show … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life

Serving during Welcome Week at Cuyahoga Community College

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In early September I traveled for six days to make three speaking/training engagements. I started out on September 8 flying to LAX from Atlanta, changed planes, and then on to Boise, ID. From there, I drove for roughly an hour across the Snake River into Oregon and to Ontario, OR. I did a leadership/team building day for SGA leaders, Residence Life, and college Ambassadors. When I was done, I drove back to Boise, flew to LAX, and then flew all night, Wednesday into Thursday, to Atlanta. Oh no, I did not get to go home, instead I changed planes and flew to Cleveland. I stayed in Cleveland Thursday night and then drove to Erie, PA and an advisor’s program on Friday afternoon followed by a packed house of around 140 students at Gannon University for a full day leadership retreat. It was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community Service Involvement Tagged With:

Tummy HA HA… Laugh your way to team building

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I took this video in Orlando in July, 2009 during a leadership retreat for the SGA leaders of four of Valencia Community College's campuses. This is a team building exercise called "Tummy HA HA". It is a fun activity that helps with a number of the steps or "building blocks" in team building. My role as the facilitator is to determine the size of the groups, explain the rules, moderate the action, encourage open participation, and make sure that the teams play fair in determining a winner. You will hear me calling out one of the team members who busted out laughing and making his team start over. The idea is for the members of the team to have a shared experience, something they can relate to later, joke about, etc. This activity also gets the members of the team out of their comfort … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With:

Climbing the Mountain of Student Success

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“George, the Drobble” is a story for people of all ages. It features a character named George who seeks the secret of life, which can only be found at the top of a mountain near his village. You can watch me perform the story by clicking on the video link above. It was shot by a student at Houston Community College in late June at an SGA leadership retreat. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Success In College and In Life Tagged With:

New Student Orientation Programs: The Key to Student Success!

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http://www.campustalkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/davekelly-leadership03.jpg

I remember my new student orientation program as though it were yesterday (it wasn’t). All of the incoming freshmen—yes, once upon a time, new students were called freshmen (not First Years, New Students, Post-Secondary Initiates, etc)—gathered in Albee Hall on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. We were given some basic rules and “do nots” of the university and then were organized into groups of ten with an experienced student -- I don’t think he was even called Orientation Leader-- who had us sit in a circle outside on the grass. He prompted us to introduce ourselves to each other, with our name, hometown, major, and, I think, the number of pets we grew up with. We then adjourned to the student activities fair with dunk tanks, ball toss, and other carnival … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: ,
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