Student Leadership

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...]

Moving from Pratically There to There… Practically!

The great motivator and orator Zig Ziglar once said that it is our “attitude that determines our altitude.” The first step in moving from 'Practically There' to 'There Practically' is realizing your thoughts and attitude towards your pursuits have a tremendous impact on your results. Why are there so many people talking about improving, enhancing, or changing your attitude? Why is the Self-Help and Personal Motivation section packed in your chain bookstores? It’s because if we are honest, most of our attitudes, at one time or another, could use a tune up. As great as our vision may be, it is in our nature to not only think critically but also be critical of the vision. To fully realize your potential as a student leader you must first adopt a grateful attitude. I say adopt because … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Do you know what your goals look like?

If we are defined by what we do and what we do is shaped by our goals, the process of goal-setting is vital to our path to greatness. Often we set goals and don't know what they look like. We say things like "I will do better next time," or "everyday I'll get better." But what does better look like? How do you know when you're better, and how much better is good enough? Before you huff and puff about the goal setting acronym you think is on the way, save it!! I am going to propose a different way to think about goal setting. I propose that we take the time to visualize our goals. I mean really see them. I'm talking HD, 3D, Blu-Ray see them. Imagine the hard work, the right work, the setbacks, and the achievements. So often goals are simply notches on our belt, or necessary evils for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Bigger and Better with Miracle G.R.O.W.

Whether you are richer or poorer, in the penthouse or the projects, running the yard or getting run off of it, we all want to GROW! We all want bigger and better. Indiscriminate to our inspirations, all of us want to experience growth; as it is a key element to doing bigger and better. It does not matter if you are working your way back from financial ruin like Dave Ramsey (Google him, his story is amazing), relinquishing your wealth to help save the world like Bill Gates & Warren Buffet, a student leader trying to capitalize on a great event, or an organization trying to bounce back from a poor year, our sights are set on bigger and better. Regardless of where we stand on the totem pole, growth is difficult, and that is why everyone is not doing bigger and better. However, the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

What you mean the class is full?

Managing 4 of the most common back to school issues. No matter where you are on your college journey, the start of the fall semester is a busy time. Some of you are celebrating a return to freedom after a summer bid at home with your parents (just know they are just as ready for you to leave), others taking a deep breath before they start college for the first time, and then you have the seniors exhaling because it’s their last time enjoying fall on campus. One common theme in starting a new school year is the unexpected. And today I want to deal with a few of he most common issues faced and how avoid drama in the future. Class is FULL!! “What!? You have got to be kidding me, I can’t believe that my class is full, I need this class to graduate or stay on my degree … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

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

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

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

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

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

Calling All Student Leaders—How student leaders should use the summer to prepare for the fall

Tawan Perry - Calling All Student Leaders

Honesty is the best policy If you were a part of your SGA last year, have an open and honest discussion about what worked last year and what didn’t work so well. This should not be used as a time to play the blame game but rather a time to respectfully discuss where you would like to see the organization go this upcoming year. From past experience, I can tell you that nothing will be more important than honesty as you move forward. Brainstorm, brainstorm I cannot begin to tell you about the magic that can happen if you use this “slow time” to brainstorm every possibility. As student leaders, you are not just ceremonial leaders—in other words, its okay to think outside of the traditional norms of your school. Sure there will be many things that the administration will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Connect 5 College Completion

How to boost attendance at your leadership conference (and increase your active student leader base)

Troy Stende - Get Your Student Leaders Involved!

In my years of speaking at leadership conferences around the country, I’ve seen many different ways to create high attendance and many ways to crash and burn. Recently, I spoke at Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. They used one of my favorite models for getting attendance and student buy in... the Nomination model. Here's how it works. Faculty or staff nominate students who they think are up-and-coming leaders, students who are showing promise/potential. These students aren’t necessarily involved in anything yet. Think more like emerging leader. For this model, have the faculty/staff do one of two things: Write a letter saying why the student should be allowed to go to the conference. An easier way, but less special, is to have the nominator just submit a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership

Progression – A Sure-Fire Icebreaker

This is another icebreaker in the “Sure-fire Icebreaker” series. Below is a full script of an amazing icebreaker. I created such an extensive description because I've found that it can be difficult to do a great icebreaker from a three-sentence description. Being a professional speaker and student leader trainer, I’m on college campuses often doing leadership retreats and orientations. Over the past decade, working with tens of thousands of students, I've learned the hard way what works and what doesn't. Most icebreakers flop because the students don’t fully understand the directions or they feel corny or awkward doing it. It ends up being a lot of work and not a lot of play. Follow my script and you can skip the learning curve and move right into awesomeness! This is a very low … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Sure-Fire Icebreaker

More than one way to cut the cost of bringing a speaker to your campus

Cut the cost of bringing a speaker to your campus - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

Every CAB in the land is looking for ways to stretch the student activities budget to its limits. As the country goes, so goes the campus. Believe it or not, your speaker can help. By coordinating a few things in advance and taking a few minutes to work with the speaker or their rep, you might be able to cut a pretty sweet deal. Try throwing a few of the ideas below into your standard negotiations and over the course of a budget year you'll see the difference. Book waaaay in advance - The further the better. This has several advantages. Number one, like everyonme else as speakers grow in knowledge and experience they tend to raise their rates from year to year. By booking as soon as your budget becomes available you may avoid next year's increases. Number two, it gives the speaker a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Spring time is orientation leader training time

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: Campus Activities, Student Orientation

7 ways to turn your campus speaker into a promotional machine

Promotional Machine - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

Because your students sit in classes much of the day, attracting a crowd to your lecture or speaker-based event can pose an extra challenge for your campus activities board. Whether you're on the student activities staff or you're a volunteer student leader you can use all the help you can get to make your events worth the fees most college speakers charge. Even facing this challenge, most activities boards overlook the most qualified expert on their team - THE SPEAKER themselves! Believe it or not your speaker cares whether or not you get a good turn-out for your event. Believe me when I tell you that because a standing-room-only event makes both of you look good many speakers are willing to get involved and help you promote your event to students, faculty, staff and the local … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and tell ‘em again for a successful campus event

Tell em, Tell em, Tell em - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

In the speaking business there's a school of thought that says you always tell your audience everything three times. How do you do that without being redundant? 1) You tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em 2) You tell 'em, and 3) You tell 'em what you told 'em! No, that's not just a clever line in a movie or the punchline to a joke. It really works when you want to drive home your message and make it stick. If you have access to a student email list on your campus, you can put this same strategy to efficient use. By composing a three-part email campaign to promote your campus lecture or event everybody will get the details about your event in logical intervals. Your message will be remembered without being annoying. Conducting this three part campaign is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Tell … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

So you wanna be a Resident Assistant?

One of the best experiences I had in college was becoming a Resident Assistant (RA). It was rewarding because I had a direct impact on the campus community as a mentor, resource provider, friend, detective, counselor, policy enforcer, intervention specialist, programmer, student leader, educator, etc. The key is being aware of what you are getting yourself into before you sign up for the job. If you are only in it for the free room and board or other perks, it isn’t worth it. However, if you want to impact your campus community in a positive way or give back in ways that you thought unimaginable then this might be your calling. In my opinion, having been both a Resident Assistant and Residence Director, I think it takes a special kind of person to be an RA — much like it takes a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Connect 5 College Completion

8 Ways – including bribery – to get faculty support for your campus events

Gain Faculty Support - Photo copyright 2010 Rick sherrell

One way to really rev up your next campus event is to get as much support from faculty as you can! If the topic of your guest lecturer or the theme of your event matches an area of interest for them, you can really be in luck. They'll pull out the stops to help you spread the word and get people to attend. I'm sure your activities board usually expends lots of effort trying to get students to attend, but what if you got professors, staff and advisers totally on board?! Break down some resistance with these simple tips: 1. Be considerate when you ask for help. Even the smallest amount of time, space, materials and effort that people expend on your behalf is valuable. Be the diplomat in gaining their cooperation, be appreciative of what they can do and understanding of what they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

6 teamwork tips for leading student activities

6 Teamwork Tips - Photo Copyright 2010 Rick Sherrell

Working in campus activities, when the outcome is on you, you might feel pulled in a thousand directions dealing with all the details, disruptions, headaches and nightmares of your next campus event. Dealing with the details is necessary, but I'm sure you can do without the 'disruptions, headaches and nightmares' part. Instead, I suggest you go for teamwork, smooth sailing, and 'a good time was had by all.' You do that by grabbing the leadership bull by the horns and making sure your team functions as a team. Here's six ways to do that that will make both you and your team stand out. Include your team in the planning - Have planning meetings early in the process so you and your team can brainstorm all the details. You'll create a sense of ownership by getting others involved early- … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Contact these people to pack the house at your next campus event

Contact These People - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

It can be hard to get students to come to a speaker-based event - no matter how well you've planned it. You've got to overcome that fact that they've been sitting in class all week and WILL NOT come to another boring lecture. First, don't pick a boring speaker and secondly, making sure EVERYONE on campus and around town knows about your event can have a huge impact on the attendance. Consider adding these to your Campus Activities Board contact list to help you spread the word. Student leaders. Contact the leaders in student government and the leaders of campus clubs and organizations. Ask them to pass the information along their members. Think majors. Contact all of the majors/departments related to your event/speaker or lecture. Let them know that a topic related to their area of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Cultivating leadership and leaving a lasting legacy

Tawan Perry - Cultivating Leadership - Connect-5

One of the biggest mistakes many graduating student leaders make is not looking at their position as an opportunity to mentor rising student leaders. Furthermore, student leaders often fall victim to a “do it all myself” attitude. One of the best ways to mentor rising campus leaders is to help them gain experience. If your mentees are not given an opportunity to lead at some level, how can they become effective campus leaders? A leader’s legacy is sometimes defined by what they've done when they are no longer present not what they accomplished while they were there. Although the next administration may have their own ideas about how to lead the campus, your challenge as the incumbent leader is to help guide and nurture future leaders of your organization or campus. This is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Connect 5 College Completion

Start the buzz with a campus activities ‘marketing street team’

Marketing Street Team - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

If your Campus Activities Board doesn't have a Marketing Street Team form one now! With every campus event they should hit the ground running - and I do literally mean get their feet out on the streets of your campus and your community and make sure EVERYBODY knows. Their job is to spread the word, start the chatter, stir up the buzz, get everybody talking and make sure you can't go anywhere without knowing about this event. Pick some people for your street team who are enthusiastic, bold, gregarious, outgoing, friendly and fun so they can connect to people places and things without being annoying or obnoxious. They also have to make sure that people feel good about your event and know that if they show up the event will be at least fun and that they might even learn … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Inspiring something new in higher education

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

High 5 Paired Shares – A Sure-Fire Icebreaker

Troy Stende - Sure-Fire Icebreaker - High 5

This is another icebreaker in the “Sure-fire Icebreaker” series. Below is a full script of an amazing icebreaker. I created such an extensive description because I’ve found that it can be difficult to do a great icebreaker from a three-sentence description. Being a professional speaker and student leadership trainer, I’m on college campuses and at leadership retreats and orientations a lot. Over the past decade, working with tens of thousands of students, I’ve learned the hard way what works and what doesn’t. Most icebreakers flop because the students don’t fully understand the directions or they feel corny or awkward doing it. It ends up being a lot of work and not a lot of play. Follow my script and you can skip the learning curve I had to take and move right into … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Sure-Fire Icebreaker

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

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

10 Leadership Lessons for a Connected Life

Tawan Perry - Leadership Lessons - Connect-5

In many ways, your college journey is only the first of many step that can lead you to a long and prosperous life. Check these 10 real-world lessons for leadership and for life. They are intended to get you focused on your real goals and deal with the rapid-fire changes that college is throwing at you. Stop drowning in the details for a minute, breathe, settle down and take a minute to connect, or reconnect with some things that will keep your feet on the ground. Lesson 1: Lead an inspired life.Did you hear that? Let me repeat it. "Lead an Inspired Life!" Whatever your calling, find it and embrace it with passion. Life can be pretty lackluster if you always look to others to inspire you. Lesson 2: If you are going through hell, don’t stop to take pictures. Keep moving forward. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Connect 5 College Completion

Market your campus event like an 800-Pound Desktop Gorilla

800 Pound Desktop - Photo Copyright 2011 Rick Sherrell

Getting people to show up to your campus event, or almost any event for that matter, is an age-old marketing conundrum - on campus or off. But these days, a seven pound computer can turn you into an 800-pound desktop gorilla if you know the marketing steps to take that are right at your fingertips. A click here and a click there and student, novice or pro, you can have the word streaming to hundreds of desktops near you. Okay. Here's where the warning flag goes up! An 800-pound gorilla can be a real nuisance, so he'd better be housebroken. In other words, there's a fine line between aggressive marketing and spamming so tread lightly - or as light as an 800-pound gorilla can be anyway. After all, our goal is to put butts in the seats, not to be one. Get your activities board, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Campus Activities

Categorie – A Sure-Fire Icebreaker

[showtime] Here’s the next edition in the Sure-Fire Icebreaker series. This is a quick icebreaker that is very low gradient and an easy way to meet a lot of people you don’t know and learn random information about them. As a bonus, I often use this icebreaker to get large groups into smaller groups in the last round. Set up Have them stand up and get into a large bunched up group. “I’ll say a number and a category. I might say the number is 4, and the category is ‘people born in the same month as you.’ The music will come on and you will go find 3 other people to make a group of 4 who were born in the same month as you.” You might get people starting to talk and look around for people born in their same month. If that happens I say; “I might say that, but I’m not … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Sure-Fire Icebreaker

Giants, Wizards & Elves – A Sure-Fire Icebreaker

[showtime] To start this icebreaker, split everyone into two groups. Have them form two lines facing each other in the center of the room with their team standing shoulder to shoulder. Your instruction to the two teams goes as follows: “Welcome to a new planet! On this world there are only three creatures and they are at WAR. Let me introduce the creatures. First, there is the giant. It looks and sounds like this, ‘ROAR!’ Do this with me, 1,2,3, ‘ROAR!’ “Then there’s the wizard. It looks and sounds like this, ‘SSSSS!’ Do this with me, 1,2,3, ‘SSSSS!’ “And finally, there are the elves. They look and sound like this, ‘WeWeWeWe!’ [done with a high pitch] Do this with me, 1,2,3, ‘WeWeWeWe!’ “These creatures are at war! Here’s how it works- it’s … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Student Leadership Tagged With: Sure-Fire Icebreaker

Translating student retention numbers to the bottom line