I’m considering going back to school. I have my bachelor’s degree and the equivalent of a master’s due to my chartered accountancy qualifications, but I’m intrigued by the idea of pursuing a doctorate. Given our business’ focus on staff training and leadership development, I am interested in completing a doctor of education program in organizational leadership at a local university over the next three years while continuing to run our business.
While this idea was still percolating in my mind, my wife and I volunteered for our seventh year at the Royal Family Kids Camp in Ojai last week — Sunday through Friday. This camp caters to children in the foster care system. We strive to be positive role models for these 7- to 11-year-olds who have been let down by those closest to them. It’s an exhausting yet incredibly rewarding experience.
Now I’m back in the creature comforts of my own home, and I’m beginning to peruse the curriculum overview for the doctorate program. What specifically caught my eye was this statement of intent: “The program mission is to develop scholarly practitioners as leaders and architects of change who make significant contributions to the organizations and communities they serve. The focus of the program is to apply leadership theory to practice through relevant and experiential learning.”
As I read this again to make sure I understood it, my mind wandered back to the five long hot service days of camp last week up in those glorious hills. The Royal Family Kids mission has made a “significant contribution … to the communities they serve” as there are now 159 volunteer-led camps around the United States alone. We also, “applied leadership theory to practice through relevant and experiential learning” as there were many teachable moments around the zip line, the swimming pool and meal times, to name just three aspects of camp.
Come back with me to last week’s camp (in your mind’s eye), and let’s explore how these practical experiences might align with the academic papers I will likely be writing over the next three years, while paying the institution a princely sum for the privilege of doing so.
Each morning, we began with a staff meeting while the kids participated in “Breakfast Club” activities. During these meetings, we reviewed the previous day and planned for the day ahead. Effective organizations prioritize communication among supervisors, managers and leaders to establish a cohesive rhythm and keep teams focused on their top priorities, in service to their customers.
Every day, each pair of cabin counselors shared their “I-Spy’s” with the team — small, noteworthy actions by campers that exemplified character traits like kindness, patience and respect. Similarly, successful organizations recognize and reward behaviors aligned with their mission, vision and values, while also addressing behaviors that are not. They know, like we did last week: What you reward gets repeated and what you focus on expands.
Apart from the camp counselors (the role that both my wife and I held), there were a myriad of other volunteer roles such as: camp director, teaching staff, junior staff, skit entertainers and musicians. We each served well in our respective roles. Our skills are very different. Some said they’d find the counselor role too challenging. I can say, for sure, I could not do any of the other roles. Likewise, great organizations ensure they have the proverbial “right people on the bus, in the right seats,” to quote Jim Collins on his seminal book in organizational dynamics — “Good to Great.”
Some of the young campers, who have experienced significant disappointment from those closest to them, don’t even know their own birthdays. To address this, we host an event called “Everyone’s Birthday,” where we celebrate each camper individually and collectively. Successful organizations foster an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued, irrespective of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.
I’m undecided at this stage whether to pursue the doctorate, as I think it’s no more complicated than what I participated in last week at camp. Due to my accent the kids call me “Potter” (after Harry Potter) and I do kind of think, “Dr. Potter” has a nice ring to it. We’ll see.
Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Training and Development of Valencia (newleaftd.com). For questions or comments, email Butler at [email protected].
