Summer Camp Insights (April 13, 2026)

 

What I’m Seeing Right Now in Camp Leadership

(And A Real Opportunity)

As I’ve been watching patterns this past week, not one big issue, just a series of small shifts that all point in the same direction.

There is an opportunity right now. It isn’t to work harder. It’s to lead more intentionally in the moments that matter.

Because the environment has changed and we are still updating systems that have not changed.

Clarity Is Starting to Matter More Than Energy

It seems that for years, camps could lean on energy. Great leaders with big personalities and high enthusiasm. And that worked in the capacity that it was a perceived path to leading.

Now, when things aren’t clear, leaders don’t always improvise, they hesitate.

And that hesitation shows up in:

• inconsistent responses
• delayed intervention
• uneven group leadership

This lines up with what the American Camp Association continues to emphasize around intentional staff training and consistent practices being key to positive outcomes.

And the Search Institute reinforces that young people experience safety through consistent adult behavior, not just positive energy.

So energy still matters and clarity is what holds everything together.

Belonging Is Happening Faster (Or Not at All)

Another shift that’s hard to ignore, campers are deciding quickly if they feel like they belong.

Not by the end of the week. Sometimes by the end of the first day. Which means staff can’t wait for connection to “build naturally.”

They have to create it early.

Research from the Search Institute consistently points to belonging as a foundational driver of youth development.

And the American Camp Association highlights that early connection is strongly tied to a successful camp experience.

This isn’t extra effort, it is front-loaded leadership.

Leaders Don’t Need More Energy (They Need Better Recovery)

This one is quieter and it’s showing up everywhere. Leaders are arriving with less margin than they used to.

So when the pace of camp hits full speed:

• patience drops faster
• decision-making slows
• tone shifts before behavior does

What looks like disengagement is often just fatigue. Studies are showing that points toward leaders well-being as a critical factor in both safety and program quality.

And broader youth development research continues to show that young people mirror the emotional regulation of the adults around them.

So this isn’t just about leaders. It’s about the entire camp experience.

There’s a Real Opportunity in How We Handle Challenge

Another emerging pattern is leaders want to help quickly. They step in. Smooth things over. Keep things moving.

And that instinct comes from a good place.

But when every challenge is removed:

• resilience doesn’t build
• problem-solving stays shallow
• confidence becomes dependent on adults

We need to continue to highlight how challenge and growth experiences are tied to long-term youth development outcomes. This reinforces that growth happens through a balance of support and challenge.

Not one or the other.

Servant Leader Lens

This is where servant leadership actually matters. Not in theory. In practice.

The opportunity right now is to:

• Be clearer, not louder
• Step in earlier, not perfectly
• Create belonging on purpose, not by accident
• Protect space for growth, not remove it
• Build recovery into leadership, not treat it as a break from it

And maybe the most important shift will be that you and your team will lead people through the schedule.

The Question I Keep Coming Back To

If I walked your camp for a day, what would I see:

• leaders reading moments and responding
• creating connection early
• holding clear, steady expectations

Or, would I see:

• leaders managing tasks
• relying on energy
• waiting for things to become obvious

Because those are two very different environments.

FINAL THOUGHT

The more your leadership is built on clarity, consistency, and presence…
the more steady it becomes when things don’t go as planned.

There’s research behind this:

• American Camp Association - staff training, camper outcomes, and staff well-being research
• Search Institute - developmental relationships, belonging, and youth growth research
• Child Mind Institute - This is one of the strongest organizations right now around youth emotional development.
• Greater Good Science Center - This group focuses on emotional intelligence, resilience, and human connection.

Come back next week for more insights.

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

And if you are applying for a leadership position at camp, consider this course that helps you grow your interview skills.

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

Summer Camp Insights (April 6, 2026)

 

What I’m Seeing Right Now in Camp Leadership
(And Why It’s Starting to Slip)

I’ve been watching a pattern build this past week. Not one big issue.

A bunch of small ones that all point to the same thing.

There is a sense that our staff aren’t struggling with effort. They are struggling with how and when to lead. And if we don’t name it clearly, I believe that we will pour our efforts into trying to fix the wrong problem.

This is not a skill problem. It’s a Timing Problem

I know that staff and leaders know what they’re supposed to do.

• They’ve been trained.
• They’ve heard the expectations.

But in real moments?

• They hesitate.
• They wait.
• They look around before stepping in.

And that delay, even just a few seconds; that’s where things start to unravel.

What could’ve been a quick redirect turns into:

• a behavior issue

• a group dynamic shift

• or a situation that now needs intervention

This isn’t about knowledge. It’s about decision-making in real time.

Make sure that you're not replacing Leadership with energy.

When things feel off, staff don’t always know what to do, so, they go bigger.

• More hype.
• More volume.
• More activity.

That can lift a moment. But it doesn’t fix what’s underneath. Because energy can distract. It can’t anchor. So the group rides highs and lows instead of settling into trust.

We’re Also Seeing a Rise in “Nice” Leadership

This one’s subtle and it creeps up everywhere. when staff want to connect with kids. That’s a good thing. But without realizing it, they start avoiding:

• correction

• redirection

• clear expectations

Because they don’t want to lose that connection. So, they stay “nice.” And then what happens?

• boundaries get tested

• stronger personalities take over

• quieter kids disappear

Connection without clarity doesn’t create safety. It has the potential to create confusion.

And Underneath All of It, There’s Fatigue

• This is the part most people miss. Staff are carrying a lot of energy early. Emotional load.
• Constant interaction.
• Always being “on.”

So what looks like:

• hesitation

• avoidance

• overuse of energy

Is often just, depletion. And depleted leaders don’t step in early. They wait. I know I have been guilty of that.

Servant Leader Lens

Here’s where I land on all of this. Servant leadership isn’t about being softer.

It’s about being more intentional in the moments that matter.

 

And that means:

• stepping in earlier, not later

• being clear, not just kind

• reading the moment, not just running the plan

• giving staff tools to act, not just information to remember

And maybe most importantly, holding the standard while increasing the support. That’s the tension. And that’s the work.

Here is what I have used and what I’d be training right now

If I had a staff group in front of me this week, I wouldn’t add more content.

I’d focus on three things:

1) Act sooner than feels comfortable
Early and calm beats late and intense.

2) Be warm and clear
Care about the person. Hold the expectation.

3) Lead people, not just the schedule
The schedule is a tool. People are the purpose.

That’s it. It's simple. Repeatable. Usable under pressure.

The Question That Matters

If I walked your camp for a day, would I see staff:

• stepping in early

• leading with clarity

• adjusting to the moment

Or, Would I see them:

• waiting

• managing energy

• trying not to get it wrong

Because those are two very different environments.

Final Thought

If your staff only lead when they feel confident, they won’t lead when it matters most.

There’s research behind this:

• The American Camp Association emphasizes that clear expectations and confident staff intervention are key predictors of positive camper behavior outcomes.
• The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning shows that adults who can quickly recognize and respond to social-emotional cues create more stable and supportive group environments.

Come back next week for more insights.

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

And if you are applying for a leadership position at camp, consider this course that helps you grow your interview skills.

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

Summer Camp Insights (March 30, 2026)

 

What I’m Seeing Right Now in the Camp World
(And Why It Matters)

I’ve been paying close attention lately. Not just to what camps are saying, but to what’s actually showing up in staff, in kids, and in parents.

And if I had to sum up this past week in one sentence, it’s this:

We’re still running camp like people haven’t changed. But they have. A lot.

And it’s starting to show.

1) Staff Aren’t Breaking (They are bending Faster)

This isn’t about “kids these days.” That’s lazy.

What I’m seeing is a group of young leaders who care and don’t have the same emotional reps they used to.

They haven’t had to: 

• navigate real conflict face-to-face
• sit in discomfort
• recover and go again

So when pressure hits at camp they hesitate. Or they avoid.

Servant Leader Lens

A servant leader doesn’t say, “They need to toughen up.”

They ask, “Where have I actually trained them to handle pressure?”

Because if we expect resilience… but never build it…

That’s not on them.

2) We’re Overtraining Information (and Undertraining Formation)

Staff week looks great on paper. Week two will tell the truth.

Because knowing what to do isn’t the same as knowing how to handle yourself when things get messy.

We’re training tasks. We need to form people, MORE.

Servant Leader Lens

Servant leadership isn’t about covering content. It’s about who people are becoming under your care.

If your staff leave training knowing more and not growing stronger, you didn’t serve them as well as you could have.

3) Returning Staff Aren’t Automatically Leaders

This one’s a quiet trap. Experience feels like leadership. It isn’t.

There are the returners who are leading. Others are just repeating. Your new staff will follow whatever they see. It's the law of the thirds. One third of your staff can influence the other two thirds. Where your attention goes is where the third that has the greatest impact will thrive.

Servant Leader Lens

A servant leader doesn’t assume. They call people up.

They say: “You’ve been given influence here, now use it to lift someone else.”

Don't get caught in the leadership is tenure. Leadership is when they show responsibility for others.

4) Avoidance Is Becoming the Default

Staff see something small and let it go. Not because they don’t care.

Because they don’t want to make it worse. So they wait. And then it grows.

Servant Leader Lens

Avoidance feels kind in the moment. But it’s not. Servant leadership steps in early, calmly, and with great care.

It says: “I’m willing to be uncomfortable so this doesn’t become something bigger for later.”

That is service.

5) Kids Are Deciding Faster If They Belong

This one matters more than we think. Campers are deciding in the first 24 hours (probably in the first few hours): “Do I matter here?” And when they don’t feel it? They can either disappear or act out.

Servant Leader Lens

Serving kids isn’t about running a great program. It’s about seeing them before they have to ask to be seen.

• That takes intention.
• That takes presence.
• That takes staff who are paying attention.

So What Do We Do With All That?

We don’t lower expectations. That’s not service. That’s avoidance.

We raise support.

We:

• train recovery, not just performance
• give language for hard moments
• create pressure reps in safe spaces
• make early connection non-negotiable

Servant Leader Lens

This is the tension: Hold the standard. Increase the support.

This is where real leadership lives.

The Question I Keep Coming Back To

If I dropped into your camp for a day what would I see:

• staff being developed
• or staff just surviving the schedule?

Because one builds leaders.

The other just fills positions.

Final Thought

Servant leadership at camp isn’t soft. There is a demanding part to it.

Because it requires you to:

• notice more
• step in sooner
• and take responsibility for what others are still learning

And right now? That’s exactly what this generation of staff and kids needs.

Come back next week for more insights.

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

And if you are applying for a leadership position at camp, consider this course that helps you grow your interview skills.

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

IDK W IDK - Choices 2026

 

It's been well over a year since my last post about my health. And, to borrow from social media, IDK W IDK.

As many of you know, each year I pick a word to concentrate on and this year, that word is, "CHOICES." And you are reading this, thinking, what is the IDK W IDK?"

So, if You Don't Know, "I Don't Know What I Don't Know." Okay, it is not a term that everyone is using. You can always get caught up with all the current social media acronyms, but even that list is a bit dated. I do like to say that "all the kids are using it." I know that is not true, however if I say it enough perhaps it will catch on and others will begin to say it all the time as a social media phenomenon.

I have come to the realization, that  I have absolutely no control over my life. I believe in a higher power and I believe that as I look back over my life, my decisions have always been thwarted beyond my control. 

All I have is my daily choices and how I wish to spend my time.

I had no idea that when I got my Hairy Cell Leukemia (or as I like to call it "Harry Styles Leukemia) diagnosis that it would be complicated by Leukemia Fatigue. 

My choice of CHOICES is all about how do I navigate life when so many things require energy that I do not have.

CHOICES:

One year ago, at the beginning of LENT, (if you don't know, Catholics give things up for LENT - read more about LENT here) I gave up watching the news. I 

do not watch the news and have stayed away from the negativity of the world. Does that mean I am not aware o what is happening? My answer is, "No." I just choose not to watch any news from what one would consider regular news outlets. 

I have also chosen to do things that make me feel joy and fulfillment. I spend over an hour early each morning with my coffee, thoughtful prayer, and contemplation of things that are positive and reaffirming.

Family has become a source of constant focus for myself. I find joy and heartfelt moments in spending time with my family. Yes, we have challenges and things do not go as planned. (Remember when I said I have no control.) Last February, while shaving (I shave in the shower and use touch a great deal to determine what I missed) I was noticing I had a lump in my neck and began to ask my doctors about that. Several months and a biopsy later, they shared I had a slow growth B cell lymphoma. The term "slow growth" means that there is not much to do at this point in time and they will monitor it for development when they can and should do something about it.

Work has become scarce and I do what I can when I can. I adopted the word SHARE, (Not the singer)  this year. I choose a word each year and I wanted to be intentional about sharing my work with others. As a servant leader, "I choose to serve those who lead and serve others." I have been doing that for quite some time and have increased my service this year knowing that it may help others in their work.

I am working on several things from the comfort of my desk and sometimes on my bed with the laptop. There are days where taking a shower is about all I can muster. 

Character at Camp Initiative: I have been working with several camp programs to help them put character and values into their program activities. Take a look at page one for Archery activity program. 

SKOOL: Have you seen this platform? It took me a while to find the right platform to post my courses. My SKOOL community is Servant Leadership At Camp. It is Free to join and I have 11 free courses plus several fee based courses with more on the way. I have been writing for years and with SHARE (not the singer) being my word this year, SKOOL is a great place to SHARE (not the singer) those courses. I have adapted my John Maxwell Leadership training with my work from camp, to offer several fee based courses to help serve the next generation of camp leadership.

I do not have a timeline for all of it since fatigue steps in. I do it because someone (several folks really) instilled in me that "I am here just to serve."

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

Happy Anniversary - Serving From The Heart

 1 Year of Serving From The Heart!
Faith-Driven Stories and Transformative Strategies
for Servant Leadership and Lasting Impact

One year ago we launched a book that inspires leaders to serve with courage, resilience, and love. Thank you for being part of this journey!

365 days fly by and what has moved me most isn’t the rankings or recognition, it’s the conversations.

The emails, the stories, the quiet moments when someone tells me they tried leading differently because of something they read. I had some of the best conversations at the book signing events. 

This book was never about being a bestseller; it was about being a better servant.

After decades of working alongside young leaders, volunteers, and professionals, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t about authority, it’s about responsibility. It’s about showing up, listening well, and helping others grow. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has read, shared, and lived this message. 

The journey continues, and my commitment remains the same: to serve first, to lead with heart, and to help develop Leaders for Life.

Grab your copy and continue leading with heart.

This book exists because of readers, leaders, mentors, and servants who believe leadership is a calling, not a title.

Thank you for reading, listening, sharing, and living this message.

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

Serving From The Heart - One Message

 

One message. Many ways to experience it.

Serving From The Heart continues to reach leaders who want to make a lasting impact by serving others well.

“Simply put, culture is how we work together every day. What has been great about this project is that we approach the book from 8 different backgrounds and fields to provide servant leadership no matter where you find yourself.”

I loved the process from my co-authors and how we all come from different backgrounds (medical, military, family business, education, etc.) and how we all found our way to servant leadership.

I would love to hear from you. Let’s talk about service.

What’s one way servant leadership has shaped your life, work, or faith?

(Comment below)

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira

Here is a synopsis of the book: Serving From The Heart

Faith-Driven Stories and Transformative Strategies for Servant Leadership and Lasting Impact

Co-Authors: Tricia Andreassen, Coni Myers, Al Ferreira, Wendy Gunn, Natalie Martin, Jacklyn Nagle, Cindy Craig Hall, Garret Milby, and Karen Storey

Transform Your Leadership. Inspire Change. Leave a Legacy.

Unlock the power of servant leadership to create lasting impact in your life, business, and community.

What if this book could be the key to making significant shifts in how you lead and live, changing lives forever?

By embracing a leadership style rooted in empathy, humility, and the empowerment of others, you can inspire trust, build meaningful connections, and lead with purpose.

Serving From The Heart: Faith-Driven Stories and Transformative Strategies for Servant Leadership and Lasting Impact is a transformative collection of insights from diverse leaders who have reshaped their organizations and communities. This book combines candid storytelling with actionable strategies, showing you how to lead authentically and intentionally.

Discover how to:

• Transform your leadership by leading with empathy and purpose.

• Empower others to thrive and achieve their full potential.

• Overcome setbacks through faith, resilience, and courage.

• Inspire trust and connection through authentic, impactful leadership.

• Build a legacy that reflects your values and uplifts others.

Whether you’re an experienced leader, an aspiring change-maker, or someone passionate about serving others, this book will equip you with the tools to lead with clarity, confidence, and heart.

Step into the stories, embrace the strategies, and become the leader you were meant to be.

Serving From The Heart - "Me a Bestseller?"

I never set out to write a bestseller. I set out to write something useful. Something leaders could live, not just read.

I’m deeply grateful to every reader who helped this message travel farther than I ever imagined.

Honored to join Live Life Unstoppable and FOX59 (as well as a few dozen more) to talk about youth development, servant leadership, and why leading from the heart matters now more than ever.

This message isn’t just for leaders — it’s for anyone who influences others.

Explore the book & audiobook:

#MediaFeature #LeadershipConversations #YouthDevelopment #ServeFirst

Click here to enroll in Servant Leadership SKOOL:

For a copy of my Number 1 selling book, “Serving From The Heart,” visit: https://clpli.com/al_ferreira