What we mean by a leader
You are already a member, and you have done your member onboarding. This series sits on top of that. It is about the extra thing you have been asked to do: to help others belong, play well, and keep going, and to do it the way Christ taught, by serving rather than by ruling.
Two ideas run through everything here. First, character comes before position: people follow who you are long before they follow what you say. Second, you lead best by lifting others: your job is not to be the most impressive person in the room, but to help the room become better together.
Leading the AChA way
The heart of it, why you lead and how you carry yourself:
- The Kind of Leader Christ Asks You to Be, leading by serving, not by rank.
- Character Is Your First Instrument, who you are when no one is watching.
- Leading People Who Are Also Your Friends, influence, not bossiness.
- Lifting Others: Encouragement That Builds, noticing and naming the good.
- Staying a Learner: Humility, Feedback and Growth, a leader is a learner first.
Leading well and leading safely
The practical craft, and the boundaries that matter most for a young leader:
- In the Rehearsal: Leading a Section Well, the practical skills.
- Being Someone People Can Count On, reliability and calm under pressure.
- Your Limits: A Young Leader, Not a Supervising Adult, what is and is not yours to carry.
- When Something Worries You: Telling an Adult, the pathway, and why you are never in trouble for speaking up.
- Looking After Yourself as a Leader, you matter more than the role.
If anything about your safety, or anyone else’s, ever does not sit right, you can tell us in confidence with the Child Safety Incident & Concern Report.