Resources for Enhancing Your Leadership Skills This Summer

Learn how to command a room, streamline project processes, and effectively communicate with a group of your peers – all before you head back to school! Here are the most note-worthy resources for developing your leadership skills this summer:

Books

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens – Perhaps you’ve heard of the similarly titled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In the same vein as his father’s work, author Sean Covey gives teens a guide to achieving self-esteem, success, and lasting friendships through insightful ideas and relatable stories. Pick up a copy of this book if you want to develop productivity, life perspective, and communication skills, or if you just need a little help navigating through the challenges of high school.

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us – This book centers on the idea of taking charge of a group of your peers through a common idea. If you’re on the shy side and don’t particular like being at the center of projects, then this book will inspire you to go outside your comfort zone where you will learn that anyone can be an efficient leader.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action – Although this book mainly touches on corporations, the concepts can be applied to any stage of your academic life by examining why some people (and businesses) are more innovative, successful, and influential than others and how you can also get to that point.

Apps

Slack – Slack is a team communication based app. Perfect for establishing effective communication within a team setting for your next project, use Slack to keep everyone organized, and your ideas all in one place.

MindNode – Also useful for keeping your team on track, MindNode is a popular brainstorming tool that maps out your ideas intuitively. Starting with simply your ideas and growing them organically, this is a great way to visually organize your thoughts, especially convenient for preparing for your next big speech.

Evernote – A handy collaboration tool, use this app to compile and access all of your notes, articles, and presentation photos in one device. You can even communicate, assign tasks, and present your findings to your peers without leaving the app!

Joining a leadership camp is also a great way to expose yourself to critical skills needed for leadership, while networking with your peers. Learn more about ways to build confidence in your leadership ability and develop communication skills by attending youth our leadership programs.