Are My Students Ready?

By Doug Franklin November 1, 2011

Youth workers seem to think there is a magical time when students are ready for leadership development. Like you have to cross some line of maturity before you can start to be a leader. Why? Who made up this rule? Where is this line and how do you know when you have reached it? I have been doing student leadership development for 20 years and I don’t know where this line is or what it looks like. The very term leadership development means developing as a leader from where you are at. There is no magical line you must cross. We have only saved leadership development for the students we feel are already successful leaders. Leadership should be for everyone, yet the truth is we’ve made student leadership into something special and elite. What would it look like if it was common, everyday and standard? Our churches would be full of leaders and the kingdom of God would grow. Join me in making leadership available to every student!