What I’ve learned in my first 90-ish days as President

It’s been 90-ish days since I became President of Camp Fire after 10 years at the organization. This decision evolved from our organizational commitment to distributed leadership and from practicing what we preach, embodying the age-old Positive Youth Development practice of taking an asset-based approach to? leadership and talent at National Headquarters in order to best leverage everyone’s strengths.?

In that amount of time, I’ve flown on a lot of airplanes, met with a lot of incredibly dedicated people and organizations doing important work to support young people when growing up is especially hard, and I’ve felt A LOT of feelings. Here’s why.

In that same window of time, my grandmother (and last living grandparent) passed away, I became a soccer fan at Megan Rapinoe’s last home game in the National Women's Soccer League, and have been closely following the news on the violence occurring in Israel and Palestine.?

This might feel like a tangent but stay with me. I have a favorite line of my bio. It? is “From Sesame Street to the Middle East, Shawna brings…” When I give a keynote, I always advocate for including it because it reminds me that for as long as I’ve served in youth development (15+ years), I have worked for organizations that help young people make sense of and learn from what’s happening in their lives and in the world around them.?

In this spirit, I want to share some of my reflections on leadership while trying to make sense of and learning from what’s happened in my world over the past 90-ish days.

1. It’s all about relationships.

This one might seem obvious, but building relationships with people is one of the main parts of my job. In eulogizing my grandma, I quoted a Mary Oliver poem in which she wrote: “I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as singular…” In the days and weeks since, it struck me that relationships are also perfectly summarized in this same way. I meet a lot of people in any given week and yet each relationship is only as strong as the trust and unique connection that’s built between two individuals or two organizations. The work hinges on relationships and relationships take work. Just as my grandmother was remembered for never missing a birthday or anniversary, for the hour long phone conversations to hear what’s going on in our lives as we get older and moved away, or the thank you message after a dinner or party, I am reminded that each relationship must be thought of as singular as a flower.?

2. I don’t have to do it all and I don’t have to do it how it has always been done.

In light of the tragedies unfolding in Israel and Palestine, I’ve also been thinking a lot about one of my first jobs after college as a Camp Counselor at Seeds of Peace. A bit about Seeds of Peace: Each summer, hundreds of young people engage with each other across lines of conflict and difference—sharing meals, living spaces, and learning experiences in a traditional summer camp program. It is here that personal and interpersonal change begins, as perceptions and attitudes shift in the face of a new reality they create at Camp.

At Seeds, I gained many of the same outcomes they aim for young people to take home with them: confidence, trust, respect, and empathy. My experience there changed my worldview and challenged my understanding of the narratives I grew up with as a Jewish American. I remember so badly wanting to do it all, to fix it all in order to create a more peaceful future for these young people I cared so deeply about, And yet, I wondered where to start. As the latest violence broke out, I was instantly reminded of this feeling and the leadership lessons it provides.

My new role comes with significant responsibility, but that doesn’t mean I do everything. In fact, it’s imperative that I don’t. Likewise, I am learning that I also don’t have to do things the way they have always been done. I am looking for opportunities to distribute responsibilities and leadership across more of the organization. It’s not about being a hero. It’s about getting the most important work done in the most effective way possible.

3. Take a break… to think, to laugh, to rest.

One of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to make is to give myself a break, whether it be from meetings or social media in order to take time to reflect. ?I have been reminded by my coaches, mentors, and even conference tablemates, that 30-50% of my time in this new role as President should be dedicated to reflection and big picture thinking; that is what is required to move the organization forward in new ways, with sustainability, creativity, and partnerships in mind.

I am obviously a firm believer in Camp Fire’s mission which centers connection. It states: Camp Fire connects young people to the outdoors, to others and to themselves. Since taking on this role, I am also reminded of the importance of connection with my colleagues at Camp Fire. It’s easy to be in “go mode” all the time but the moments we have collectively paused to connect through laughter and fun have made us a more effective and productive team. (If you want to learn how to play virtual “apples to apples” with your team, let me know.)

It also means that I draw boundaries around when I work and still take time away from work for things like family vacations. Doing this important job is more sustainable when I do everything I can to maintain work-life balance.

4. Being myself is crucial to the work.

Megan Rapinoe’s last home game before retirement seemed like a historical moment to witness. With that, we bought tickets to the final OL Reign home game of the season along with 34,000 others (a NWSL attendance record). In the days leading up to the match, I read both Cleat Cute and Rapinoe’s One Life and I was hooked. Cleat Cute begins with a quote from Rapinoe, “You can’t win a championship without gays on your team. It’s never been done before, ever. That’s science, right there.” I’ve learned more about womens soccer from the standings to the tea and I’m loving it. Why? In many ways because representation matters.

That’s why who I am and what I care about gets incorporated into my role. It doesn’t get set aside. Rapinoe’s words resonate with me and the leadership lesson I take from my newfound fangirl status, “Putting yourself out there is hard, but it’s so worth it. I don’t think anyone who have ever spoken up, or stood up, or had a brave moment, has regretted it. It’s empowering and confidence-building and inspiring. Not only to other people, but to yourself.”?

That means I am looking to lead by example because I know it matters to younger women and LGBTQ2S+ folks in our programs, in our organization, and in our field.?

I’m sure the next 90 days and beyond will bring new learning and discovery about my role and about myself. I’m grateful to have experienced leaders in my corner and respected colleagues on my team. I feel confident that, together, we will drive important evolution in our organization and beyond.?