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Young Adults And The Gap Year

by on 09/06/2010 in Character Development, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development, Millennial Generation, Spiritual Development, Strategic Intelligence

A large number of young adults are doing IT.  In fact, many parents, churches, and schools encourage IT.

What is IT?

Traditionally, a gap year (also called deferred year, year abroad, bridge year, and time out) is simply taking a year off after graduating high school and before entering college. However, some young adults take time off after enrolling in college.  This phenomenon was created in the UK during the 1960′s and has gained popularity in Australia, Canada, and even the United States.

Harvard College says this:

Harvard College encourages admitted students to defer enrollment for one year to travel, pursue a special project or activity, work, or spend time in another meaningful way – provided they do not enroll in a degree-granting program at another college.

Surprised?

Their research findings reveal that students focus much better when provided this deferred year.  Did you know that Harvard College includes in a student’s acceptance letter the recommendation to take one year off before entering higher education?  It is true.  Perhaps this recommendation helps the school achieve their overall graduation rate of ninety-eight percent!

I recently discovered that Princeton funds gap year adventures for twenty incoming freshmen annually.  The school’s goal is to offer this to about  one hundred students per class.

11 Advantages of A Gap Year:

  • allows them to take a breath from the academic conveyor belt
  • increases their self-awareness and self-management
  • teaches them others need what they can give
  • learn new cultures
  • meet new people
  • think carefully about their career
  • handling a budget
  • learn a new discipline
  • avoid burnout
  • learn a new language
  • increase their emotional development

7 General Myths About A Gap Year:

  • my student will get side tracked
  • my student will lose interest in attending college
  • my student may influence the college to not like it that they took one year “off”
  • my student will be wasting their time
  • my student may never enroll
  • my student will fall behind
  • my student may lose their study skills

8 Helpful Websites:

My wife and I recently financially and prayerfully supported a young lady in our church that is taking one year to travel the world. She will be in eleven countries, which equals out to one each month.  She had to raise her own support of $14,000 for what is called the World Race.  She has the opportunity to serve people and explore cities around the world.  What an opportunity!  One thing is for sure, she will gain experience and applied knowledge through this experience that her entire four years of college will never afford her.

Bottom line…is a gap year worth it?  For most young adults, I would say yes.

If I could do life over again, I would have taken advantage of a gap year opportunity.  I would have been better because of it.

 
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Save Their Future Now

by on 08/19/2010 in Leadership Development, Millennial Generation

My good friend and colleague, Tim Elmore, just released his newest book, Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future.  I believe this is the best book he has ever written.  If you have a young adult or work with young adults born since 1990, then you MUST read this book.

Take a couple of minutes to watch this video.

Who is Gen iY?

To see how well you know Gen iY, take one of the quizzes.

Sign the online declaration.

Buy the book here.

 
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The Excellence Drop Off

by on 08/17/2010 in Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development, Millennial Generation, Strategic Intelligence

What if we gave away more of the ministry we are paid to lead?

For many church staff, there is a fear that the ministry will have not be “as good.”  In other words, there will be an excellence drop off.

Is this a myth or is there validity in this mindset?  Perhaps both.

However, what if we leaned toward the truth that “we is better than me?”  For some, they sincerely do not believe this is true.  They are doomed for failure.  For others that believe this is true, but are slow to make the move, for you there is reward.

Perhaps a perspective shift is needed…

If we fear an excellence drop off, maybe the real fear is that we will not train them well enough to fulfill their responsibilities.

Yes, they will not do things like you and me.  Yes, this can be a struggle.  However, we are not called to make people like you and me.  We are given the opportunity to discover who people are, where people are, and help them become their best.

Taking the time to create a system to deliver what we are looking for is a strategic approach.  Caution: we cannot treat our people as a system because this de-values them as a contributing person.

Do not worry so much about the end result.  Let’s focus our time, energy, and resources on creating a culture that focuses on the people.  After all, the strengths of our people is the greatest resource that we have.

 
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Images Are The Language Of The 21st Century

by on 08/13/2010 in Leadership Development, Millennial Generation, Strategic Intelligence

We live in an image-rich culture.

Consider this statement:

THE CHILD IS HUNGRY.

VERSUS

Does the image affect you differently than the statement?  Of course.

Leonard Sweet said, “Images are the language of the 21st century.”

Research proves that most people are visual.  To go one step further, look at the money companies invest to create a visual that will firmly rest in our minds and hearts.  They get it.

Why do social causes use facial images of the poor and destitute?  Because those pictures connect to the emotional side of us.  Images initially make us feel rather than think.

Our brains process printed words and images in different ways.  The printed word is processed primarily in the left hemisphere of the brain, which specializes in logic, sequence, and categories.  Images are processed primarily in the right hemisphere, which specializes in intuition and holistic perception rather than linear analysis.

I never will forget the speech, Tribes, Seth Godin gave at Catalyst several years ago.  No, I don’t really remember what he said.  However, I remember the images he used throughout his entire speech.  He did not necessarily point them out, but they became the captivating and memorable element of the day.

I think about Jesus and his style of communication.  He used everyday images his audience was familiar with.  Why?  He understood how people operate.  Not only is the ear a God-ordained sensate part of how we interact with him, but the eye is as well.

The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery says:

Images require two activities from us as readers of the Bible.  The first is to experience the image as literally and in as fully a sensory was as possible.

Recently I was speaking to a group of young leaders that were gathered from around the country when I decided to implement more images into my presentation.  Was there a difference?  Yes, the images said what I could not adequately say.  In addition, the images gave a deeper emotional connection than just my words.

Shane Hipps writes, “Words are brain protein.  Images are brain candy.”

The mind was made to generate, create, and imagine.  Creative imagination is a fundamental stage of brain development that begins very early in life.  Kids naturally learn how to pretend.  So when the mind generates a vast array of imagined pictures to bring a story to life, and then has them summarily replaced by the images of a movie, it is deeply unsatisfying.

May our messages become more potent by using images when speaking to people.  When they forgot what we said, they will remember what they saw.

If you are a leader of leaders and need an easy-to-use resource to help grow your team, I encourage you to check out Habitudes written by Tim Elmore.

I also encourage you to follow my friend, Ben Arment, who understands this element and does an outstanding job with his STORY conference.

 
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Book Notes: The Student Leadership Challenge

by on 08/11/2010 in Character Development, Leadership Development, Millennial Generation

Leadership is not a gene or an inheritance.  Leadership is a process.  Leadership development is self-development.  When the leader in everyone is liberated, extraordinary things happen.

When getting extraordinary things done in organizations, student leaders engage in five practices of exemplary leadership:

(1) Model the way

Titles are granted, but it’s your behavior that wins you respect.

Words and deeds must be consistent.

Student leaders follow the person, then the plan.

Behaviors:

  • clarify values by finding their voice and affirming shared ideals
  • set the example by aligning actions and shared values.

(2) Inspire a shared vision

The dream or vision is the force that invents the future.  In some ways, student leaders live their lives backward.  They see pictures in their mind’s eye of what the results will look like even before they’ve started their project.  Their clear image of the future pulls them forward.

Leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue.

Student leaders breathe life into the hopes and dreams of others and enable them to see the exciting possibilities that the future holds.

Behaviors:

  • envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities
  • enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations

(3) Challenge the process

Leaders are pioneers.

They search for opportunities to innovate, grow, and improve.

Student leaders are learners.

Leaders are constantly learning from their errors and failures.  Life is the leader’s laboratory, and exemplary leaders use it to conduct as many experiments as possible.

Behaviors:

  • search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve
  • experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience

(4) Enable others to act

Grand dreams don’t become significant realities through the actions of a single person.  It requires a team effort.

Student leaders foster collaboration and build trust.  They strengthen others to do good work.

The more people trust their leader-and each other-the more they take risks, make changes, and keep organizations and movements alive.

Behaviors:

  • foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships
  • strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence

(5) Encourage the heart

A leader creates a culture of celebrating values and victories.

Fun should be involved in the process of encouraging people.

Behaviors:

  • recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence
  • celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community
 
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The Upsides Texting Brings For Gen Y

by on 07/09/2010 in Millennial Generation

I recently wrote a post on the downsides texting brings to Gen Y, but it is only fair to also offer the upsides.

This generation spends more time texting than they do talking on the phone.  Did you know that a study conducted in October 2009, revealed that Gen Y is more likely to give up watching television, visiting social networking sites, talking on the phone, and reading magazines than choosing not to text.

If this is the case, it would be wise for us to understand the benefits texting can bring:

  • discreet mode of communication
  • can save time
  • makes you get to the point
  • delivers you quick answers
  • not a disturbing interruption
  • access important information
  • helps in an emergency
  • use for educational purposes
 
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Video Q & A With Five Leading Youth Pastors

by on 06/28/2010 in Leadership Development, Millennial Generation

I had the opportunity to spend several hours leading a conversation with five great Youth Pastors from around the country. After we finished our conversation, I asked them one question and provided a brief answer. Enjoy.


Zac is the Youth Pastor at Christian Faith Center in Washington.


Tony is the Youth Pastor at LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma.


Michael is the Leadership Journey Pastor at JourneyChurch.tv in Oklahoma.


Jeremy is the Director of SWITCH Ministries at LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma.


Bill is the Youth Pastor at NorthRidge Church in Michigan.

You can also find more interviews here.

 
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The Downsides Texting Brings For Gen Y

by on 06/25/2010 in Emotional Intelligence, Leadership Development

There is an upside and a downside to texting.  Let’s take a quick look at the potential downsides for this generation’s obsession with texting:

  • Lack the ability to have interpersonal relationship skills
  • Lack the ability to hold an in-person (short and long) conversation
  • Lack the ability to observe body language and appropriately respond
  • Lack the ability to be equally transparent in-person versus in a virtual world
  • Lack the ability to employ and enjoy solitude
  • Lack the ability to work through conflict
  • Lack the ability to use tact
  • Lack the ability to interpret tone when face to face with a person
  • Lack the ability to have a singular focus
  • Lack the ability to have a longer attention span

What do you think?

 
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Millennial Gen Wants Older Generations To Know…

by on 06/24/2010 in Millennial Generation

I did a non-scientific survey with various churches and schools around the country.

The audience included only those in the Millennial Generation (1984-2002).

I am providing five key responses after I asked them to complete this sentence:

“As the Millennial Generation, I want older generations to know…”

  • …that to treat everyone as an individual and that respect is earned.
  • …that we are more than meets the eye.
  • …that we don’t all act like you think we do.
  • …that we are not as bad as you think.
  • …that just because we are younger we don’t know what we are doing or talking about, but we do.

 
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