Wednesday Daily Brief: Turning Small Leadership Practice Into Big Workplace Confidence

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania just dropped some fascinating research that should get every camp director excited. The findings? Young adults who practice leading small groups in real situations develop stronger workplace confidence that lasts well into their twenties.

This isn't just feel-good research either. The study tracked over 4,000 students through high school, college, and early careers for seven years. The strongest predictor of confidence at age 25? You guessed it: repeated practice leading small groups through actual challenges, not sitting through leadership lectures.

Sound familiar? This research perfectly backs up what we've been saying in The Summer Camp MBA all along: people learn when they act, grow when they receive fast feedback, and succeed when expectations are clear.

What This Means for Your Staff Development

Every summer, you're already creating the perfect laboratory for building future leaders. Your counselors are leading groups, solving conflicts, managing transitions, and supporting peers daily. The question is: are you maximizing these natural leadership moments?

The Penn researchers found three key patterns that should shape how you think about staff training:

• Repeated group leadership practice increased confidence

• Short, real tasks outperformed formal leadership classes

• Feedback from trusted supervisors accelerated growth

Your job isn't to create more classroom time. It's to structure the real leadership practice your staff are already doing and give them the feedback that turns experience into expertise.

Start Small, Think Big

Here's where most camps miss the boat: they try to teach everything at once during orientation week. The research shows this backfires. Break leadership skills into small, digestible pieces.

Instead of a two-hour session on "group management," teach one specific skill: how to gather a group. Give them ten minutes to practice. Watch them try it. Give immediate feedback. Move to the next skill tomorrow.

This approach works because young brains build confidence through mastery, not overwhelm. When your counselors nail one small skill, they're ready to tackle the next one.

Turn Every Transition Into Training

Think about how many times your campers transition each day: bathroom breaks, activity switches, meal times, arrival, dismissal. Each moment reveals leadership gaps and offers practice opportunities.

Teach your counselors simple transition leadership: stand where you can see everyone, use short instructions, check for understanding, move with purpose. When they master transitions, everything else gets easier.

The study found that confidence grows when young adults repeat tasks often with supportive guidance. Transitions happen constantly, making them perfect for building leadership muscle memory.

Master the Art of Micro Feedback

Here's where summer camp beats every other youth leadership program: you can give feedback in real-time. A counselor handles a conflict well? Tell them immediately. They struggle with group attention? Coach them on the spot.

The most effective feedback is fast, specific, and behavior-based. "You stayed calm during that conflict" works better than "good job." "Your instructions were clear" beats "nice leadership."

Skip the long feedback sessions. Young adults engage and remember short, immediate notes. Build this into your supervisor training: teach them to catch staff doing things right and tell them instantly.

Practice Real Scenarios

During staff training, create simple scenarios that mirror actual camp situations: a camper who won't join the group, a conflict between friends, someone anxious about swimming. Let counselors practice, receive feedback, then try again.

This connects directly to the Penn study's findings. Confidence builds when young adults face real problems with supportive guidance nearby. Your scenarios should feel authentic, not academic.

Give Returning Staff Leadership Tracks

Your veteran counselors want more responsibility, but many camps don't create clear advancement paths. Change this by offering structured leadership tracks: group leadership, activity specialization, peer mentoring.

Run monthly sessions from February through June with focused practice. When returning staff arrive with clear roles and practiced skills, they model leadership for newcomers and create a culture of growth.

Build Communication Foundations

Young counselors often struggle with tone, pace, and clarity when leading groups. Teach simple communication rules: use short sentences, set clear expectations, maintain neutral tone, follow up directly.

One game-changer? Teach them to use names often. Names anchor attention and make instructions stick. This small habit dramatically improves their group management and builds their confidence as leaders.

Create Daily Reflection Habits

Spend ten minutes at the end of each training day asking three questions: What worked? What felt difficult? What will you try tomorrow?

The Penn study found that young adults who tracked their development showed higher long-term confidence. Reflection builds self-awareness, and self-awareness builds stronger leaders.

Trust Them Early and Often

The biggest confidence killer? Waiting too long to give real responsibility. In week one, have counselors lead morning gatherings, run first transitions, manage simple games, facilitate check-ins with campers.

Stay close but let them lead. Early responsibility sets the tone for growth all summer long.

The Real Payoff

This research validates what you already know: camp creates confident leaders. But it also challenges you to be more intentional about how you structure these experiences.

When you give young staff repeated practice, clear expectations, and immediate feedback, you're not just improving your summer program. You're building their confidence for life. They'll carry these leadership skills into college, careers, and their own families.

The University of Pennsylvania proved it takes seven years to see the full impact. But you'll see the difference in your staff within seven days.

Want more insights on youth leadership and camp innovation? Follow along at www.ilove.camp and connect with me on Instagram (@MattLovesCamp) and LinkedIn for daily updates from the camp world.