CHS Blog

Leading well is hard.

Throughout the years, I’ve come to realize this more and more. Within the many different roles I’ve had, it is tempting to think, “I could do it better.”  However, when we take on a leadership role, it’s actually one of the hardest things to do well. You can’t lead if others don’t follow, it can be very lonely and when you're on the outside, decisions seem as if they are very clear, but in the midst, it can be very muddy.

About 5 years ago, I was coaching some teams at CHS and realized that my captains struggled with knowing how to lead well, and I knew we were not the only team facing this. Chappy (Mark Persson, CHS Chaplan) and I were talking about this one day in my 4th grade classroom. As it turns out, he was drawing the same conclusions with other student communities. Out of this need, came the beginnings of the vision for what is known as the Leadership Cohort.

The Leadership Cohort is a group of students who have a desire to learn to lead well in many different areas of school and life. It is the hope of the Cohort to help students grow into leaders wherever they are placed. They work to lead out of their giftedness while understanding that the Bible provides the guidebook. Many people equate leading with a position, but the reality is we are called to lead wherever we are placed in many different ways. Matthew 20:26 and 28 says, “...But whoever would be great among you must be your servant….” and “...even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Leadership Cohort believes that in learning to lead, students need to be poured into and given opportunities to live it out.

The first is the need to be discipled. Having adult mentors pour into students with a focus on leading from a biblical perspective is imperative for growth. Students need to have a safe place to ask questions, reason through making decisions and especially learn how to engage in conflict with forgiveness and restoration as the goal. We do this through morning meetings and lunch meetings with small groups.

The second is a need to serve. This year, the group has partnered in places all around the school to provide support and leadership. This included working with the student government to assist in providing the school with excellent and engaging activities. The idea was NOT to create MORE but to create BETTER. We do so many great activities at the school, why not join in with what we are already doing.

The final focus is to lead in community. Getting out of our comfort zones, building new relationships, and gaining new experiences help our students to grow and learn new things about themselves and others. Incorporated into this is a retreat involving activities that might be uncomfortable, such as hiking, swimming, or rafting. It also includes solitude, teaching by our leaders and worship. When we are challenged physically, emotionally and spiritually, it gives us an opportunity to be vulnerable before God and others, creating space to grow as God would have us.

This vision never fully matches reality. But in many ways, reality is much sweeter. If we expect perfect leaders, we get self-righteousness. What we are working to develop are repentant leaders. Because, when we fall and get back up by God’s grace, we rise more humble and more bold than before.  

Leading well is hard, but working to lead well is well worth it.

This is Coach Katie Levis’s third year in her role as Athletic Director, and she is also the Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach. Prior to that, she was a classroom teacher at CHS for 4 years, as well as coaching in the volleyball and basketball programs.  Coach Levis has coaching experience at the middle, high school and college level along with working in an athletic department at previous schools.