Connecting is the key to influence. Influence is the key to leading. Leading is the key to success! –John Maxwell
It is easy to watch an experienced staff person facilitate or direct a camp activity. The campers get in place, roles and responsibilities get delegated, and desired outcomes are achieved. Situational command is typically evident by how instructions are explained, or how the use of institutional knowledge quickly brings chaos into order. While this ability often seems effortless, the mystery of how these leadership qualities are refined is a complex equation.
Given that camp is almost always in a state of movement, the need for leadership and direction is also constant. Instructions span the spectrum from easy tasks to more involved expectations, but all require effective communication.
Instead of stepping up, some staff will wait for others to organize and give directions. This decision to stay within their comfort zone, while not necessarily intentional, can result in leadership by someone else being taken for granted. For new staff, the decision to stay within their comfort zone is a common occurrence and may not change until they get used to their new surroundings. And returning counselors already know who the go-to leaders are, so they often wait for their input before proceeding.
This creates what I call the influence gap. As staff get older their opportunity for leadership growth becomes higher. Experience, education, and situational awareness all become factors in decision-making. Those who excel in understanding how this process works gain valuable insight into more challenging leadership situations. By contrast, staff don’t increase their skillset by ignoring chances to improve their group management proficiency or taking on bigger logistical challenges.
Such an influence gap can manifest in all phases of camp life.
Gap analysis tells you where you want to be in relation to where you are. Entrepreneur Tom Bilyeu says, “Identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be. The gap is a skillset” (2024). While the metrics of measurement will depend on an individual’s aptitude and desire, the stated leadership goals your camp sets are the standard. When you begin to look at the reasons a staff person is struggling, it helps to have specific examples of their decision-making — both effective and ineffective. This will be a good foundation for critical conversations that are productive and immediately helpful for personal growth. Base their action plan on what they can do to improve, and then discuss possible solutions using typical camp scenarios.
For example, let’s say the person you are talking to is hesitant when it comes to conflict resolution. You point out several instances where a less-than-desirable outcome occurred due to a lack of intervention:
Two campers were fighting over a third camper, and neither one wanted to share their friend. The drama went on all afternoon.
A preteen didn’t want to engage in an activity, and you needed to find a happy medium.
A camper got overstimulated and refused to follow your directions.
Such situations show various influence gaps that need to be addressed, and metrics from the analysis will help you to identify whether the goals are being met. Most camp leaders are good at setting goals, but when they are not achieved, it often can be a struggle to understand why. The key is to investigate the gap. Speak with other staff about age-group or activity-area expectations, and find out where the problem occurs and what additional training may be necessary.
Staff who have the most influence are the ones who lead. They have the capacity to affect attitudes, activity success, character development, behavior, and status. The impact can be positive or negative. Veteran counselors definitely shape camp culture, and their actions can quickly polarize less-experienced staff. For instance, on a hot or rainy day, a counselor’s positive attitudes and energy can really maximize an activity’s potential, while a lethargic mindset on the part of counselor can cause the campers to become disinterested.
Author, speaker, pastor, and leadership expert John Maxwell says, “The true measure of leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less” (Brown, 2025). Every camp has a hierarchy of positions by job description, and most have an order of influence within that structure. The problem staff face is working effectively with people over whom they have no formal authority. Counselors with similar job descriptions are on the same level, yet some are far more influential than others. Getting things done effectively requires good explanations or a friendly give-and-take to determine the right direction.
Camp staff will often have people in positions above and below them on the responsibility spectrum. This means it’s important to be able to communicate both up and down the chain of command. This is how directors’ instructions and goals ultimately end up in program action plans and daily camp activities.
Learning how to effectively communicate takes a little practice, but many camps fail to include this in their precamp orientations. The way we influence people — above, below, or sideways — requires tact and social grace. Fortunately, everybody already has this ability. This is an inherent skill that we naturally practice every day. Don’t believe me? Students don’t speak with teachers the same way they do with classmates, nor do people speak to their pets in the same tone as with older family members.
With a little coaching, staff can dramatically enhance their communication by learning the difference between influence and persistence. Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character or development of an individual or a group. Persistence is being steadfast in a course of action despite opposition. If you see a camper trying something new because they are being guided by their counselor, or a group sees the value of a challenging decision-making process, that is influence. When campers are determined and focused on accomplishing a task, that is persistence.
The “art of influence” refers to the ability to guide or persuade others to a desired course of action. Word choice, tone, and motivation are developmentally different for each age group, but the relationship-building process is the same. You increase trust and cultivate meaningful connections through the interactive process of doing activities. This is why it is crucial for staff to participate with their campers; it creates a real-time bonding opportunity. By understanding the importance of age/stage communication, staff can help others see different viewpoints and promote the values associated with group accomplishments.
For more information on the stages of human growth and development, visit ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567767 (Balasundaram & Avulakunta, 2023).
Because camp life is busy, it can be challenging for some staff to feel empowered enough to be influential. Being effective is not an impossible task if staff know a way to implement some easy-to-use strategies. Break down the structure of your camp into the organization (the hierarchy) side and the operational (daily activities) side. The decision on how a camp is structured happens at the director/owner level and is not typically part of this equation, so focus on how tasks, such as staffing, schedules, and special events, get done.
Identify staff who naturally have the ability to gather campers and hold their attention while getting organized. These are the gifted people who can motivate their group even when it’s hot or no one wants to participate in an activity. Find ways for these high-potential staff to mentor and practice skills like communication, motivation, active listening, problem-solving, or special event planning with fellow staff and campers.
The effectiveness of implementing influence will be built on several pillars of camp philosophy, including trust, consistency, and honesty. The staff you’ve identified likely have these traits, and you can harness their effectiveness by providing opportunities for skill development like active listening and storytelling.
First, create a safe learning environment that is protective of and nonthreatening for both staff and campers. Then, for practice, give staff the responsibility to decide on or create a direction when the outcome doesn’t matter. This way, you can build on the outcome regardless of how it turns out. For example, let’s say you have a camper group who doesn’t want to clean up the cabin. Whether the initial request for cleanup is followed or not, the campers’ resulting behavior can be used for training. The difficulty factor is low, but the task is still important, so use their response to help emerging leaders understand how to use what they see as a teaching tool.
To help influencers in mentoring, have staff do a deep dive into interpersonal skills. Assist them in determining when:
- Teamwork is appropriate
- Flexibility is needed
- Patience is required
- Active listening is necessary
Some of this has to do with body language or speech patterns, but the goal is to gain respect from both campers and staff. You will see evidence of such regard in the form of increased participation and how staff are communicating.
Influencers can have a positive or negative effect on camp activities. Staff who use coercion instead of persuasion spend a lot of time being very opinionated. They try to involve others through manipulation to gain support. These divisive tactics can cause people to be close minded or selfish, which leads to disrespect. When you see staff who are not being effective leaders, help them to manage their emotions by explaining the difference between assertive communication (which respects the feelings of others) and being aggressive (which prioritizes their own needs).
One of the best ways to cultivate potential influencers is to help them network. Forming connections with other professionals is extremely beneficial. Invite them to conferences and workshops, and encourage them to increase behaviors like connecting with those who have shared values or discovering how to use motivators for increased acceptance. This provides staff with an opportunity to interact with other camp staff and ask questions of potential mentors who can provide advice for personal growth.
The real gift of leadership is influence. Camps have a staff structure that acts as a default setting for getting things done. The void between those who strive to excel and those who stay in their comfort zone creates an influence gap. To narrow that gap, camps need to include lessons that build character, values, and quality relationships in their leadership curriculum.
You can create the next group of influencers by maintaining a safe environment that uses interpersonal skills practice to enhance their existing abilities. This will provide them with increased confidence and the power to improve your program by knowing when and how to lead.
Photo courtesy of Camp Fireweed, Anchorage, AK.
References
Bilyeu, T. (2024). 134 gap quotes. Quotlr. quotlr.com/quotes-about-gap
Balasundaram, P. & Avulakunta, I. D. (2023, March 8). Human growth and development. StatPearls. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK567767/
Brown, M. (2025). The law of influence should be required learning. Maxwell Leadership Certified Team. johnmaxwellteam.com/the-law-of-influence-should-be-required-learning
Maxwell, J. C. (n.d.). John C. Maxwell. AZ Quotes. azquotes.com/quote/866770
Greg Cronin, MPA, CCD, CPRP, was a camp director for over 30 years and has been training staff since the early 1980s. He is a nationally known conference speaker, consultant, staff trainer, author, former American Camp Association National Board member, standards visitor, and corporate trainer with more than 200 clients nationwide. Greg has trained thousands of camp staff on youth development and leadership. He has appeared on TV, radio, and Capitol Hill as a spokesperson for the camp experience and is a frequent contributor to Camping Magazine. Greg is featured in ACA’s By the Expert book series with chapters on leadership and staff training. To book Greg for staff orientations, training, and workshops, please call 703-395-6661 or email [email protected].