What We Can Learn About Collaboration from Young Leaders

One of my passions is helping student-leader organizations in high schools to develop their leadership, collaboration, and marketing skills. Recently, I had the pleasure to share a little knowledge with more than 60 outstanding student council leaders and their administrators at the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology in Conyers, Georgia during their annual Leadership Council Conference. ?

Many of these leaders are at the top of their class academically and some come from underprivileged areas and families. The Magnet school provides these students an opportunity each day to step out of traditional high school classes and collaborate to solve complex problems and create an engaging learning environment.

I provide this background to say....

I want to recognize this great group of high school student-leaders and do so by showing how all organizations – from schools to professional services firms to the largest of companies – are facing similar leadership and collaboration challenges.

These amazing leaders have the awareness and passion to tackle big leadership and collaboration issues. They proved it with the preliminary questions they drafted for me at the start of the session. I was blown away after reading them!

It became clear quickly why Rockdale Magnet is a nationally-recognized student council year-after-year. I told them they should be proud of their awareness and efforts and not discouraged, because their same questions are also being raised and grappled with by leaders of the largest organizations.

To recognize these students (many are 9th and 10th graders!), I want to share a few of the questions they asked...copied straight from their submissions:

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• What are some ways to improve teamwork/small things that can be done to let a team member know that their work is appreciated?
• How can many ideas or goals be narrowed down to one main goal to focus on?
• What are some good ways to distribute work so that everyone is equally participating?
• What kind of skills do you think are more/most important for a leader?
• What are ways you can manage a conflict situation?
• What are the most important decisions you make as a leader??
• What are the best ways that leaders can support other leaders?
• How can we continue to build school spirit?
• What should we do about hosting/ advertising events if students constantly ignore reminders or bulletin boards?
• How to start a conversation? How to fill the silence in the room? We are not very good at talking to each other socially. Makes for very long, quiet times when we are together.
• What are some crucial steps needed to ensure that all planned events flow properly and managed well to where each deadline is met?
• How do you motivate your team members to do their job during a group project?
• What motivation or encouragement can you offer to someone who is taking on a leadership role?
• Which leadership style works best to make sure that everyone does their part in a group assignment?
• How do you as a leader communicate with people who have different personality types?
• What leadership qualities do you use now, and did you use previously to get into the position you have?

I had a blast conducting a presentation for this group, which included key concepts from the new book Smarter Collaboration: A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work. We then sat down (on a gym floor??) to talk about their questions.

Here are the takeaways…

First, these leaders are amazing. Any college or university will be privileged to have them. The future is bright for all of us if these students and students like them are collaborating to tackle our biggest challenges. ???

Second, is your organization asking the same questions these students are asking? The art and science of collaborating effectively and orchestrating a collaborative culture is, or soon will be, at the top of the agenda for all organizations (It’s probably one of your stated values already). This is especially true for professional services organizations that have expanded greatly with talent and offices over the past few years but are not collaborating in ways their clients are experiencing expanded value, the firm is seeing financial growth, and there is a greater level of employee engagement in “One Firm.”

Leaders would benefit to look at their organizations through the lens of “collaboration.”

Just as businesses have gone through waves of management philosophies by which they look at their organizations through a different lens for strategic advantage, such as being “client-centered,” “innovative,” or “digital,” leaders would benefit to look at their organizations through the lens of “collaboration.” The lens of collaboration can determine where smarter collaboration can help their professionals maximize their firm’s collective and diverse capabilities to enhance the value provided to clients, colleagues, and the organization.

And hire a Rockdale Magnet student in a few years to really supercharge your smart collaboration!

If you want to give

I have established a small library of recommended business and self-improvement books at the Rockdale Magnet School.?If you would like to contribute, contact Susan Powell at [email protected].?Thank you.

#studentcouncil #studentleaders #collaboration #smartercollaboration #smartcollaboration @SouthernStuCo @gastuco @NatStuCo @lasc