Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoopskin
Hello,
I'm the new sole team captain of Team 2220. I was wondering if anyone had leadership advice?
We have a fairly large team (36 team members and about 8 mentors).
Thanks!
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I'd suggest asking previous captains, unless that's a position your team has never had before. They normally have some pretty good advice.
First of all, make sure that the students know that you're in charge, and that you have authority over them. Enforce it. Even if they're your friends, don't let things slide because of it.
You'll need to be in close contact with your mentors. They're the ones with the credit cards, and generally the ones on the team that are already familiar with the idea of authority and respect, and how to earn it. Don't be afraid to ask them for advice, because they will always have some hint or other to help you out. If they refuse to help you (not "I'm sorry, I don't have ANY experience in this area, and I feel like anything I would say would be more hurtful than helpful," but "I have advice, but you need to struggle this out on your own"), IMHO they're not doing their job as mentors.
I stepped into the job as co-captain this year blindly, taking over a team with a recently weakened leadership structure, a handful of veteran students, no school contact, and 30 rookie students. I had no real idea what I was doing at first, but it helps when you're in the loop with the mentors and know what's going on. If you've got questions, feel free to contact me however you please (my contact info is in my signature).