Learning to Lead 18 year olds

At Overland, there are many levels of leader/follower hierarchies. First, there is the dynamic between the founder and the year round staff. Then, there is the dynamic between the year-round staff and the seasonal trip leaders (like me). Lastly, there is the dynamic between the trip leaders and the teens that are on the trips. This last dynamic is potentially the most important because it is the one that involves clients. If a student has a great experience with their trip leader they will be more likely to return to Overland than if they have a poor experience. The dynamics between staff levels are structured, standardized, and professional. Dynamics between trip leaders and students are varied. There is no way to standardize what leadership is going to be best for each student in each scenario or for a trip in general. The way that the students view their trip leader is entirely in the hands of the trip leader. I learned a lot about what it means to be a leader to followers. My campers were all 17-19 years old, and some were entering their freshman year of college. I’m only 21, and the lack of age gap was definitely something I was worried about. Early on, I learned how to gain respect and trust from my followers, the students, instead of assuming I had it. It was so important to be personable and connect with each student on an individual level and make them feel comfortable, special, and that they had a relationship with me. Gaining the respect of 18 year olds was much harder than gaining the respect of adults I’ve worked with. With kids, everything is a balancing act. You have to be fun but serious, in the moment but organized and logistical, knowledgeable and approachable. You have to seem like you have it together 100% of the time while also letting your guard down. Knowing where the line is for all of things — and ESPECIALLY where the line is between personal life information and information you’re willing to share is — is vital. This summer, there were times I was great at this balancing act and times I failed. In Denali, there is an invasive caterpillar species that is everywhere. It eats everything. It covers everything. I don’t normally get anxious or freak out, but I was mentally losing it over these caterpillars. I couldn’t get away from them. They were covering my legs, the tents, the cooking supplies — everything. I started having a moment in front of my campers where I was really freaking out. My co-leader quickly started to realize I wasn’t okay and encouraged me to go take a moment for myself. I did so, and returned to the group much more composed. In the moment of my freak out, my campers saw a new side of me, one that had let her guard down and admitted that she wasn’t okay. My campers respected this and found it reassuring to know that its okay not to be okay all the time, but to act on it. They also thought it was hilarious how much the caterpillars got to me. They saw me as a real person, not just their leader.

Overland did not provide leaders much leadership training during leader training. It was assumed that we had all worked with kids before and were leaders. Tips and tricks about gaining respect and being a leader are always helpful and would have been nice. 

Leaders are given a trip itinerary that details out every single day of the summer and includes where we’ll be staying, what activities we’ll be doing, and more. This is how our work is “given out.” The itinerary is extremely detailed but it is up to individual leaders to execute it. This is where our judgement comes into play. There are times the itinerary just isn’t going to work or there is a better option. This summer, I was in Alaska. That’s a long way from Overland headquarters in Massachusetts. Weather, morale, trail conditions, and wildlife can all impact the itinerary at a moment’s notice. As trip leaders, we are trusted to make the best decisions for our group. Earlier this summer, I was backpacking in Denali State Park with my group. We were scheduled to do two trails that joined together, however, we heard from many locals that this second trail was bad news. It was incredibly brushy, boggy, and just downright miserable. So, we used our best judgement and decided to backpack out a day early and not do that section of trail, even though it was what was listed on our itinerary. We felt that this was best for group morale and the overall trip experience. On our bonus day, we drove up to North Pole, Alaska and experienced Christmas in August and swam in some awesome lakes! 

Trip leaders are what gets kids to come back to Overland year after year. They rarely interact with year round staff, so we are the face of Overland. How we interact with the students could not be more important. More training revolved around this is needed.