Abstract:
As soon as they take on a role or responsibilities outside of what is required of them,
students are pegged with the label of being a leader. Serving as part of a team or executive board
gives students the opportunity to grow as individuals and as members of a larger collective group.
The stages of growth and development within a team organizational setting can be divided into
three main categories: Elects, Execs, and Transitioning Team. Participating in developmental
activities creates a space for leaders to explore various facets of leadership and what it means to
them while simultaneously exploring how members of their team are growing and interacting with
one another.
Although the internet is filled with page after page of activities and icebreakers that could be
facilitated with a team, many of the activities are structured differently and desired outcomes are
not often outlined within accessible materials. Furthermore, many guides, papers, and references
require significant financial investment to gain initial access to the materials. The purpose of this
program is to bring some order to the haphazard nature of leadership development and provide
direction to team activities in places where direction is often lacking. Intentionally engaging
students can help provide a springboard for individual and collective growth. Engaging students
holistically at the institutions they attend allows them to maximize their personal leadership
development and decreases the likelihood of burn out or dropout. Identified in this thesis are
potential benefits of implementing a developmental program with a group of student leaders. It
includes a description of some of the theory behind student leadership development and an outline
of how to determine the needs of any group or team. Lastly, there are examples of activities to be
facilitated during each of the determined stages of team growth.
