In July 2024, we hosted our first Campus Rec Base Camp in Baltimore, Maryland.
The 2.5 days were full of networking overlooking the Baltimore harbor, early morning workouts and education sessions. Attendees were thrown into the deep end of fiscal management, strategic planning, leadership skills and managing people. Plus, we finished it off with an hour panel in which attendees got to ask the six directors of the Leadership Team questions about how they got started, how to handle difficult conversations, is the career worth it and more.
If you didn’t have a chance to attend, however, I wanted to share 11 takeaways for aspiring directors from the event in hopes to continue to build this industry and the future leaders within it.
11 Takeaways for Aspiring Directors
- Directors don’t have all the answers. In reality, they rely on their teams and peers to find solutions.
- Self-reflection and being open to feedback from others, including subordinates, is essential for personal growth and leadership development.
- Emotional intelligence often surpasses IQ in importance within the workplace and personal relationships.
- Address toxic behavior in staff directly and develop a professional improvement plan if necessary, while recognizing some behaviors may need immediate shutdown.
- Take ownership of hiring decisions as a director, even when using a search committee, to maintain team cohesion.
- When discussing salary inequities with employees, cover topics like tenure, education level, skills, experience and performance.
- Learn to speak the Student Affairs language. Manage up effectively and be concise when communicating with higher-ups.
- Market your programs to the community and build relationships across the campus.
- It’s not always about being right. Listen more and speak only when necessary.
- You don’t have to know everything. Use your staff and be OK with things not working out.
- Data-driven decisions are key. Partner with counseling centers and think broadly about inclusivity and accessibility for all students.
All in all, I’m so thankful for the directors who came alongside this new creation, helping us create a place for the next generation of leaders to grow. I’m thankful for those who attended a new event, nominated by their directors. I’m indebted to our sponsors as Base Camp would not have been possible without them: our premier sponsor Matrix Fitness; and our diamond sponsors ACE, BeaverFit, Ecore, Soul Body Fitness and SportsArt.
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