studentlinc

Studentlinc Audio - Listen And Learn

I'm ready to expand into the world of audio.

I know...I'm a little late to the game. But I think it's been worth the wait.

My first offering is the audio version of my most popular ebook - Touching All Four: Living Leadership One Base At A Time. I'm offering the audio version FREE.

You can listen to the audio file right on this page by clicking the play button on the player in the right column.

You may also download the audio file (mp3) to listen on your own iPod or mp3 player.

Download Touching All Four (mp3.25:15)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you find that listening to something helps you learn as much as reading something does?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Do you want to see more audio files from studentlinc? Let me know in the comments below.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net

An Open Letter To Teachers

I work with student leaders and the topics surrounding student leadership on a daily basis. Imagine my excitement and enthusiasm when two of my own children (sixth & eighth graders) signed up to run for a student leadership position at their schools.

Unfortunately, my eighth grader was disqualified from running. While I can't go into the details on this blog (because many involved read it), I am simply going to post the letter I wrote to those involved.

Dear Teachers:

There's something unique about student leadership. For one thing, we call it "student" leadership for a reason. These young people are students. They are learning about math, language, history, etc. In this situation, they're learning about leadership.

Often, we don't know what "students" are capable of until we give them an opportunity to test out, try out their leadership skills. In many ways, student leadership is more like a laboratory of leadership. It's a chance for them to learn, grow, develop, and become better leaders. More often than not, students will learn what it means to be leaders through the mistakes they make more then the successes. That's why there are advisors and adults that walk through the process with them. That's why it's more like a laboratory - because they get to try things and see if they work or not. It's how they LEARN to be leaders.

Of course, some students will exhibit more natural leadership abilities than others, but that doesn't mean that a student who doesn't show a natural bent can't learn how to be a better leader. Perhaps that greatest qualification for someone interested in student leadership is willingness. A willingness to try, a willingness to get involved, a willingness to sacrifice something else for the opportunity to serve in a leadership position.

When I look for potential student leaders, I look for:
· willingness
· teachability
· confidence
· good attitude

Most of the things that student leaders do can be taught, such as:
· running meetings
· delegating
· follow through
· communicating well
· getting other students involved

I personally believe that one cannot objectively judge an eighth grader on his or her personal capabilities or potential toward leadership. They are still very young and in the unique process of "becoming." To limit their opportunities when they express willingness, teachability, confidence, and a good attitude only serves as a detriment to this young adolescent's development and personal growth.

If you are a teacher, I encourage you to not limit opportunities for your students. Especially if those students are straight "A" students, with a track record of exceptional citizenship, and loaded with potential (like my daughter, for example).

PS....my sixth grader won his election. He's definitely got a little bit of his old man in him!

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Do you create opportunities for people or put obstacles in the way of people?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What would you use to judge whether or not a student is capable of running for a student leadership position?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net

BLOG ACTION DAY

Blog Action Day is Monday, October 15, 2007. It's a day that people are joining together to write about an important topic - the environment.

One of the biggest issues facing our world is the need for clean drinking water in many poverty-sticken countries. I know how easy it is for me to get a drink of water, to purchase bottled water, and to use an enormous amount of water everyday.

Check out this quote [which I first read on the Made To Stick blog]:

In San Francisco, the municipal water comes from inside Yosemite National Park. It’s so good the EPA doesn’t require San Francisco to filter it. If you bought and drank a bottle of Evian, you could refill that bottle once a day for 10 years, 5 months, and 21 days with San Francisco tap water before that water would cost $1.35.

The report went on to say that if we paid our water bills based on what we pay for bottled water, our bills would total over $9000 a month.

Does it seem that something is out of balance here?

The difficulty with embracing an environmental cause is that it appears so large and ominous people question whether they can actually do anything to make a difference.

The answer is YES...you can.

While I haven't completely sworn off bottled water, I have begun REFILLING my bottles with water from the tap. By doing this, I am saving money and using less resources.

Ultimately, the goal of any environmental cause is for individuals to create a smaller footprint on the earth. To use less, conserve more, and reuse more (ie, recycling). This way, there'll be more for those who actually need it.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: What is something you can use less of? How can you create a smaller footprint on the earth?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: In what ways are you taking care of the environment? Share your efforts in the comments below.

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net

Your Event Is Not Over

...until you do a few things.

This post is about those things. I've talked about them before. But I find that redundancy (yeah, redundancy) is a great tool in the utility belt of improvement.

So here's the few things:

1. Your event is not over until you've cleaned everything up.
Typically, I define cleanup as the space that you used looks like you never used it. Or else it looks better than when you arrived (that one will get you a star next to your name). And everything gets put away...in its place...so we can find it when we need it again.

2. Your event is not over until you've thanked those who made it possible.
Write a note, send a text message, do something. Make sure THEY know that YOU know that it couldn't have happened as successfully as it did without THEM.

...and there's one more that I'd like to add...

3. Your event is not over until you've reflected on what you learned from the event.
Why go through all that effort, planning, preparation, and execution - and just walk away at the end? You've got EXPERIENCE now. So take a few moments and jot down some thoughts about what you learned from the whole thing
    - What went well?
    - What went wrong?
    - What would you have done differently or the same?
    - How well did you lead others?
    - What advice would you give another student leader who might lead the same event  again next year?

Everyone can have an experience. It's only those who take the time to evaluate their experience that actually learn something from it.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Did you ask yourself any of the questions above following your event?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: What's another good question to ask that can help someone learn something from an experience?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant & Speaker
www.studentlinc.net

If You Wanted To Measure Leadership

...you would read the book, Measure of a Leader.

Here's just a sampling of some of the practical and useful leadership insights I'm writing down:

You receive what you reinforce.

An effective leader celebrates the ordinary.

You don't lead by results, you lead to results; and only behavior will get you there.

Leadership is most obvious (by its presence or absence) in the face of adversity.

If you know the behavior you want you can measure it. And if you can measure it, you can change it.

Haven't read Measure of a Leader yet? I recommend adding it to your list.

Working On a Picture Header

With the new layout of the studentlinc blog, I'd like to include a picture header at the beginning of each post. I'm simply using this post to experiment with size and look. You won't be able to see the changes because I am editing this post with different looks and republishing the post.

What you see above is what I like the best. By the way, the girl in the picture is one of my student leaders named Amy.

Weekly Schedule Task Planner UPDATED

I recently updated the Weekly STP with some changes that increase it's usability. I have tried using a daily sheet for my organizational tool and felt like it was too redundant for my needs. With this recent edit, I've done the following:

· Moved the schedule boxes from a vertical view down the left side of the page to a horizontal view across the top.

· Reorganized the task lists into three columns instead of two.

· Removed the squares at the end of each task line to create more space for writing down each task.

· Switched the alphabet letters with rounded squares to help organize the free space (notes, ideas, space).

I've enjoyed working with this worksheet a little bit more after making these changes. I continue to offer it as a FREE download to my readers. Enjoy!

Download the Weekly Schedule Task Planner (WSTP)

I Ruined My Candle When I Blew It Out

At least that's what I've been told.

I guess I did a couple of things wrong.

1. I blew my candle out.
Some people who are candle "experts" say that you should extinguish your flame by other means than blowing. Blowing damages the wick and also may splatter the melted wax. If I adopt this kind of thinking it will really change the atmosphere at birthday parties when it's time to make a wish and "extinguish" the candles.

2. I didn't let the candle burn long enough...didn't let it burn to the edge.
This one was new to me. Did you know that candles have memories? (I guess if someone lit me on fire, I'd probably remember it too.) The rule is the first time you light a candle (glass jar, votive style...like beanpod or american) you need to let it burn until the melted wax pool reaches the side of the jar. Otherwise, your candle will only burn down within the size of the first melted pool, leaving all that wax wasted on the edges.

Wow...did you realize all this thought and science went into candles?!?

So my $8.99 investment was ruined in a matter of minutes (although they say there's a way to tweak the candle's memory by tilting the candle...but who's got time for all of this). I didn't realize that I had messed up my candle's potential.

And here's the teachable moment...

The people you work with (the people I work with) have potential as well. If we don't take the time to get to know what that is, we're probably missing out on a good portion of their expertise. To keep the metaphor going -- we're leaving a lot of wax on the edges.

What's the remedy here?

I think, much like the candle, we need to let people go. Let them burn to their edge. Let's see how far they can take things. Let's give them a task, a project, a job and see what they can do.

As a leader, you empower your people by telling them the result that needs to take place, but giving them the freedom to get there through their own means. You tell them what, they decide how. That's gives them the chance to burn to their edge.

I think people get frustrated if they never get a chance to see what they're capable of. As a student leader, you may never realize the potential someone has until you provide them an opportunity to take charge and get something done.

But what if they go to far?

Well, my candle's in a glass jar...and it even comes with a lid. So set your boundaries. Make your values and mission clear. Just make sure the people you set loose to get things done have some elbow room to exercise their potential.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Have you allowed those you lead to exercise their fullest potential?

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Are there any other proper candle-burning guidelines I should be aware of?

: : : :

Tim Milburn
Student Leadership Consultant and Speaker
www.studentlinc.net