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Is there an individual who doesn't seem to relate well with anybody? Are you looking for more ways to get people involved?I think it comes down to learning to interact with people in some of these basic ways. Thus, I didn't have to overcome a language barrier. They had many of the same basic needs and desires that I encounter here in the US. While they experience those things in different contexts, there is a common thread of humanity that ties us all together.People like it when you listen.People like it when you show concern for their needs.People like it when you are authentic.People like it when you relate to them where they're at.People don't like it when you're arrogant.Leaders understand that there are some basic human needs that all of us share. It was amazing to hear all of the different dialects and observe their cultural idiosyncrasies. It didn't matter the culture, heritage, or birthright of any of the students. We all like to feel special and significant. People are people. Even though each of us lives these types of commonalities out in a million different ways - there's something basic about working with people.Is there a group of students that you're having difficulty connecting with on your campus? For the purpose of this post, I simply want to focus on one simple observation… Ultimately, it's about learning how to treat each of the people you come into contact with as a person. Although I did try to do my best not to be too American in the words and phrases I used (slang!). As I write the title of this post I immediately start humming the Depeche Mode song in my head. I came away from the trip with a lot of great memories. I just returned recently from Vienna, Austria where I spoke to a Christian International School there. In order to cure that so you can focus on the remainder of this post, enjoy the Youtube video below… Fortunately, for me, everyone spoke English. There were students from over 30 countries and a wide variety of nationalities. We all want to do something that's special and significant.

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As a student leader, you will encounter a lot of problems and difficulties. If you don't spend time reflecting, you won't have the capacity to put your thumb on things. Have you ever heard someone say this…"We've got something wrong here, but we just can't put our thumb on what it is."If you hear this, red flags should immediately pop up. 3. Visit the doctor and after the check-up the doctor says, "I know you're fighting something here, I just can't put my thumb on it." Now you're worried. You have a leadership issue. 1. Or if you try and run in the other direction, you'll find that the problems are still there when they turn around. The student who recognizes and names the problem for what it is (puts his or her thumb on it) is the one who raises their level of influence in the problem-solving process. Think about this… Who is active in your group that seems to have this ability - someone who seems to have a good handle on things when you ask "What's wrong?"Spend some time with them asking for their feedback and impressions. Leaders have the ability to name a situation, to identify what's going wrong, to recognize what needs to change in order for the organization to move forward. 2. It is the responsibility of a leader to put his or her thumb on it. Are there problems that your group or organization are facing and no one is sure what to do about them?Maybe it's time to start putting a name to it and identifying the obstacles so you can better solve them. When was the last time you looked past the symptoms of a problem and thought long and hard about the core issues?A leader is a thinker. Let me keep it overnight." At that point, expect to be writing a $1700 check in the next 24 hours. For example, take your car to a mechanic and after a brief look over the mechanic says, "I know there's a problem but I just can't put my thumb on it. When you name something, you are better able to offer a prognosis. If there's a problem and no one can name it - then no one will know how to best deal with it. Your ability to identify the very things that are holding your group or organization back is a leadership trait. You forfeit your leadership opportunity when you try to ignore these problems in hopes that they'll go away.

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What one group sees as an obstacle…the next group sees as an opportunity. A leader emerges when the challenge appears. The Challenge Test is most evident for me around the time that we begin to transition our student leaders each year. Maybe at first they are. Then sit back and watch their reactions. Not only do they want to accomplish something personally, but they realize they can't accomplish something great on their own. Think about your own response to the challenges that lie before you. It won't be difficult to identify the leaders (those who think and act as leaders) as they emerge. The challenge has been issued…I'm just wondering if you'll be the one to lead. Next time you're in a meeting or engaged with a group of people who all claim to be leaders - raise the bar…offer a challenge. It's called The Challenge Test. Leaders are drawn to a challenge. Gather a group of people who all claim to be excited and motivated and on board with the team and show them the mountain they have to climb, the problem they have to solve, and the level of excellence they're required to perform at. If someone raised the bar would you rise to the challenge? Others aren't so enthusiastic. One by one, each person will show their true leadership colors. Those who are leaving their student leadership positions are ready to move on (to the next challenge) and often begin to communicate some of the things they are frustrated with in their current position. You simply raise the bar and watch for those who work hard to get over it amongst everyone else who runs from it (or complains about it, or argues with it, or offers excuses against it). Are you growing more and more comfortable in your student leadership role? Are you a problem solver? …now we'll step back and see who the real leaders are. But after awhile - the heightened expectations, the necessity to stretch and grow, the venture into places they've never been before - it becomes too much for them and they bow out. Part of it is simply the natural process of the transition each year. But the principle is still there… What's remarkable is to hear from the students who are getting ready to move into these positions of leadership. They are motivated, excited, and full of solutions to the very issues that are frustrating the outgoing leadership. Try it out yourself. It's not that they can't make the journey…they're just not the ones you want leading it. It's a simple test, really. Do you hope that someone else will raise their hand when a difficult situation confronts your team? They see a challenge and start to find ways to bring the right people around that will meet the challenge head on.

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Here's what I'm taking away from this experience:

1. 2. It basically said:"Remember that time we sat down and talked about how I should best be using my time. The good news - Remember it or not, it had a positive and LASTING impact on this person. A student whom I had contact with many years ago popped up on my Facebook account and left me a short message. But here was
somebody else recalling something I said that is helping them. I need to send a couple of notes to thank some people who've spoken wisdom into my life. I must admit that I had a kind of good news/bad news reaction when I read it. 4. I need to be saying the kinds of things that people might thank me for later. I can remember a
lot of conversations with people that have helped to shape me, made a
positive impact on me, helped me in my situations. I may not remember everything I say, but somebody might. I'll never truly know the impact that my words and actions will have - the ripples that flow from each experience. I thought about that again today and it is helping me with an important decision. Thanks!"

I was a bit humbled and taken aback by the message. 3. 5. …causes ripples that you don't have control over once you say it - for good or for bad. Here's an example of the good… The bad news first - I don't for the life of me remember having this conversation with this student. Facebook is a great way to connect and reconnect.

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He is adept at connecting appropriate lessons from the lives we encounter in Scripture to the lives we are living today.In this book, he addresses the fears that people face: fear of not mattering, fear of not protecting my kids, fear of life's final moments, fear of what's next, and many more. In fact, the book includes a study guide in the back for use in a small group setting.Published by Thomas Nelson, a portion of the book is available as a small, paperback booklet. Max Lucado has provided his readers with another book of inspiration and encouragement with the release of Fearless - Imagine Your Life Without Fear.The timing of this release is noteworthy. Each chapter stands alone and serves as the basis for a great conversation around the specific fear that's addressed. It includes portions from five of the chapters and is a great tool to introduce someone to the concepts offered in the complete text. In a season where people are nervous about the economy, wary of the threat of terrorism, and apprehensive about one's own position in life, this book comes to us with some much needed assurance and hope.The premise of the book is simple: If we trust God more, we can fear less.Lucado is a master at painting a word picture and making the reader feel like you're sitting down with him in a coffeeshop, listening to his stories and relating your own life circumstances within each narrative.

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What are the two or three things on that list that only you should be doing?3. I've narrowed it down to two key areas:1. It's the person who focuses on people - allowing them and empowering them - to accomplish the tasks at hand that moves a student into the realm of leadership. List out all of the tasks you need to accomplish.2. TasksThere are a lot of tasks that you have to accomplish right at the start. People2. The advisors, directors, and staff on your campus may call you student leaders, but you don't actually become one until you get people involved in the process…until you make people your focus.Here's a quick exercise:1. As a student leader arriving back on campus and getting ready for the start of a new school year, it's important to determine where your focus will lie. There's a lot to get done. But being in a student leadership "position" and focusing on the tasks doesn't make you a student leader. Who are the people that you can give the rest of the tasks to?Answer this question: Why do you feel like you have to accomplish your entire list yourself?

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I tweet because it adds a whole new level of interaction around big
events that I'm actually experiencing or experiencing through Twitter. I also have a couple of search terms
that I always have open in a column to listen to what people are
talking about.I designed the background on my twitter homepage and created a
special landing page on my studentlinc site for people to visit that
follow my link from my twitter homepage (http://studentlinc.typepad.com/studentlinc/timage_twitter.html). On my iPhone I use a combination of TweetDeck,
Tweetie, and iTwitter. 5. I tweet because it is another unique way to let people know what
I'm doing, what I'm interested in, and what has my attention (thanks
Michael Hyatt for that last one).9. Since I tend to be an early
adopter in both of those areas I dive in with both feet. How do you manage it?That's a great question that I get asked A LOT. 8. 4. 2. I tweet because there are a lot of interesting people tweeting and I don't want to miss out. 10. I tweet because it's a great place to get questions answered and research information in REAL TIME. I tweet because it is another way to increase my influence in the world (read this great article by Michael Hyatt - http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/07/twitter-as-a-leadership-tool.html). Why should I? I also include my twitter name in my email signature. I use columns and create groups of people that I
want to listen to specifically. Once people who don't use twitter find out that I do use it…and I use it often…they start asking questions. If someone asked you why or how you use Twitter, what would you say? I tweet because it gives me access to people and information
that I wouldn't normally have access to through other channels of
communication.3. I tweet because it helps me stay in contact with people.6. I tweet because it exposes me to a lot of various thoughts and ideas I might not know about otherwise.7. So I thought I'd post my response to Kirsten here on studentlinc.10 Reasons Why I Tweet…1. I tweet because it's the next evolution of social media and
communication through emerging technology. Kirsten Olsen asked me: Why do you
tweet? I tweet because the only way you understand, learn, get better
at, develop your voice, and immerse yourself in Twitter is to actually
TWEET!I also added the following in case your curious about how I include Twitter into my workflow:Right now I use Seesmic Desktop as my main Twitter app on my work PC
and my personal MAC.

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List out the very next thing you need to do once you put the pen down and step away from the table. Here's my learning tip for you: Take out a sheet of paper and create a list. Sometimes I'll look at a project that I'm involved in and I'll suddenly feel overwhelmed. We view things in the light of completion. As a result of all the sun and fun you might be experiencing it might be a little difficult to get back into the mode of knocking out your assignments and responsibilities. This is different than asking what I need to do to get the project DONE. If you're anything like me, I can sometimes get into a productivity rut. Students are in unique rhythm of life. But it helps (a lot) if I can take the project and begin to ask myself: What is the very NEXT thing I need to do with this project? But it is something that those of us who have deadlines, projects, and assignments must be reminded of. We can write down all of the things that we need to do, but we never answer the question: What do I need to do NEXT? When I begin to feel overwhelmed by the workload, I step back for a minute and do one thing:I tell myself to spend five minutes on the NEXT thing I have to do.This starts to create the momentum I need to move forward and I have increased energy and I start to move back into productive mode. This may not be anything new to some of you and it certainly isn't my own idea. But it won't take as much if we only consider what needs to happen NEXT. That's where so many of us get stuck. But don't make it a TO DO list. I know what needs to get done, but I don't seem to get anywhere when I start to try to do it. There's so much to it. Right now we're in the biggest of them all: summer. They get natural breaks throughout their academic year. This is not a happy place (like Disneyland…but even then there's all those lines). And slowly (or more quickly than you realize) each NEXT step adds up and you find that your project is moving closer and closer to DONE. For me, the very next thing I need to do right now is hit "Publish" on this post…Flickr Photo Credit: mikemendel I find that I start to do all of the things that are urgent and don't spend the necessary time on the things that are important (until they become urgent). But there's one word that has helped me zero in on what needs to get done and helps me move forward in a positive direction…NextThink about it. Instead, make it a TO NEXT list. Sometimes it takes a LOT of time and a LOT of energy to get an entire project done.

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The only problem is that people aren't listening to you. Stacy was getting frustrated. Have you ever been in this type of situation? One of the core leadership characteristics I encourage student leaders to develop is their ability to influence others. Move back from the front of the room and start in the back of the room by approaching different people and simply asking: How may I help you? Listening to someone. Affirming someone. No one was paying attention. "Excuse me! If you don't have it, you'll soon find yourself standing in front of a room full of people with no one listening to you even though you're shouting at them. I tell students that they must do the hard work of building a bridge with someone before they can ever ask that person to cross it with them.It starts with you (the leader) and what you do (the way you add value to someone else).Before you rush to the front of the room because you are the one in the student leadership position, take some time to earn the trust and gain the influence of those whom you wish to lead. Encouraging someone. Empowering someone. They all focus on meeting the needs of someone else before you seek to accomplish anything through someone else. I need everyone's attention!!"

Nobody was listening. You can do this by:

Serving someone. You are the leader (whether by name or by position or by your own choice) and you have to get the group moving in a certain direction. So step away from the microphone for a moment. Do you see the common thread that runs through each of those tasks in the list? Making a sacrifice for someone. Giving to someone. They must find a way to do something for someone else before they ask them to do something for them. "May I have your attention please!"

The dull roar of the crowd started to subside but then quickly swelled back to it's original levels. You aren't influencing anyone. Stacy stood at the front of the room and raised her voice above the crowd of students gathered there. One of the first things I tell student leaders about gaining and growing influence amongst their peers is that they have to make the first move. If you have it, people will begin to trust you and then they'll begin to follow you. Helping someone. Your influence will be the fuel and motivation behind your leadership.

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