"Unschooling" Leadership (Camp is the best place)

 

I recently read from Michael Hudson on Forbes.com, his article titled, "Unschooling Leadership: It’s Time To Stop Teaching Leaders—Here’s How."

Let me give you the basics of Hudson's article or you can read it yourself at this link. His argument is that we should stop using leadership in a technical sense and instead let it grow naturally or as he calls it, "the need for deeper, inner work..." It is a metaphor for cultivating self-awareness, reflection, and "unlearning." There is no need for a regid program curriculum, and relies on emergent learning. 

It is a mindshift from "collecting skills" to "growing identity." Too often we rely on only on external expert formulas or techniques. To be more succinct, Hudson emphasizes folks to develop or discover, experiment, reflect, iterate, and grow.

THIS IS WHAT SUMMER CAMP DOES!

In a career of working at a summer camps, I have found that it offers one of the most vivid incarnations of that approach. Camp life forces leaders to act, adapt, reflect, and grow in real time, with relational intensity, feedback loops, and evolving responsibilities. The constraints, community, and daily/weekly/seasonal cycles of camp make it a microcosm for leadership development that’s deeply aligned with the "unschooling" philosophy.

(A little Al from al - I asked for a comparison chart based on my BLOG posts)

Hudson’s Unschooling Principle	How Camp Life Embodies / Challenges It	Examples & Nuances
Leadership as lived, emergent learning	Camps force on-the-ground, high-stakes responsibility. There's no substitute for real-time decision making with real people.	A camp leader might have to manage conflict between campers, decide whether to delay an activity because of weather, adapt a game mid-flow. These situations can’t be fully pre-scripted.
Interior development & self-awareness	Camps often provide reflection periods (evenings, debriefs, staff meetings), and require staff to adapt to interpersonal dynamics, fatigue, and emotional stresses.	Leaders must monitor their energy, biases, emotional responses, and learn to lead by example under pressure.
Unlearning and confronting assumptions	Many staff arrive with ideas of “how camp works” or “ideal leadership.” Camp life disrupts those assumptions: not all plans succeed, people behave unpredictably, logistics fail.	A “perfect plan” might fall apart due to rain or a missing piece of gear; staff must unlearn rigidity and pivot.
Experiential rather than theoretical	Rather than sitting in “Leadership 101” lectures, camp staff lead by doing—and learn through feedback, trial and error, and mentoring.	Senior staff or directors coach new staff in situ: “Why did that go sideways? What might you try differently next time?”
Safe space for failure & iteration	Because camp is a time-limited, closed environment, mistakes have lower long-term consequences (within reason). This allows risk-taking.	A camp leader may invent a new activity that flops — debrief and try again next day. The short-term failure doesn’t ruin a career, it becomes a learning event.
Community & peer learning	Camps are tight-knit communities; staff learn from each other through modeling, coaching, feedback, observation.	One camp leader sees how another handles homesickness; over meals, they share tips; junior staff receive “shadowing” or mentoring.
Reduced overemphasis on external expertise	While camps have training sessions, much of learning happens in situ. Staff can’t always rely on “expert instructions” in real-time crises.	Policies and guidelines exist, but in-the-moment judgment calls often dominate.
Tension: structure vs freedom	One challenge is that camps must maintain safety, rules, schedules. That necessary structure can conflict with pure emergent learning.	For instance, risk management, schedules, supervision ratios—some constraints are nonnegotiable. Good leadership growth recognizes constraints rather than pretending they don’t exist.

Camp is and has always been a great "living laboratory" for the kind of unschooling that Hudson calls for.

I have written lots of stories about camp leadership and here are a few that I believe make my point on what Hudson is calling for.

Example 1. You Don’t Learn Leadership — You Live It

At camp, leadership isn’t an abstract concept or a skill. It’s right there in front of you — hungry campers, a broken griddle, and 45 minutes until breakfast.

In my post “The Pancake Problem,” I wrote about the morning the cook’s griddle broke down, the line of campers got longer, and nobody panicked. One outdoor skills leader grabbed a spare pan, another started flipping on a camp stove, and together they made it happen — with smiles and laughter.

No one “taught” them that. They just lived it.
That’s leadership unschooled, unpolished, and absolutely real.

Example 2. The Myth of Control Gets Washed Away

During one particular summer story, “When the Sky Opened Up,” a young camp leader watched her carefully planned soccer tournament vanish in a downpour. Instead of giving up, she invented “Rain Olympics” complete with a towel relays and a soggy tug-of-war in the lodge. The campers had the time of their lives.

Control is overrated. Creativity and presence are what matter.

Example 3. Reflection Is the Real Curriculum

In his article, Hudson calls for inner work, reflection, not instruction. Camps do that naturally.

In “Leaders Gotta Lead,” I shared about a staff circle where a camp leader admitted she lost her cool with a homesick camper. Instead of judgment, she got support and a quiet realization that vulnerability is strength, not weakness.

That’s not a seminar. That’s soul work; the kind of growth no PowerPoint can teach.

Example 4. The Community Is the Classroom

In “The Kitchen Table Effect,” I described how a shared meal in the camp kitchen became a masterclass in empathy. The Cooks, cabin leaders, activity leaders, and support staff (directors) swapped stories, laughed about disasters, and built trust that no training manual could ever replicate.

While Hudson would call that “peer-led learning.” At camp, we just call it a Tuesday.

Exampl 5. Failure Is Part of the Lesson Plan

Hudson’s “unschooling” model depends on safe spaces to fail. I have found that that is camp to it's core.

In “Burned Marshmallows and Second Chances,” I talked about a new leader who botched a campfire story — and got a standing ovation the next night after trying again.

Summer Camps offer do-overs. (Michael Brandwein calls it an OOPS!)
Grace.
Growth.

Where else in life do you get that?

Why Camps Are the Perfect “Unschool” for Leadership

Hudson’s Principle	Camp in Action
Learning through doing	The Pancake Problem — crisis turned into collaboration
Unlearning control	When the Sky Opened Up — plans collapse, creativity thrives
Inner reflection	Leaders Gotta Lead — humility becomes strength
Learning in community	The Kitchen Table Effect — leadership shared over supper
Freedom to fail	Burned Marshmallows and Second Chances — safe failure, real growth

Here's what I know..."

While Michael Hudson challenges us to stop teaching leadership and start creating conditions where leadership emerges. At camp, we’ve been doing that all along. I have found that every meal served, every thunderstorm endured, every mistake redeemed are the moments that shape humble, hungry, and smart leaders.

No classroom required!

What are your examples from camp? Let me know in the comments.

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

SWAG for Leaders

Keep Showing Up (Leaders Gotta Lead Version)

 

Here is a little fable of some Camp folks I have known. They were often leaders who have been around for at least a dozen years or more in Camp Director roles.

A Camp Folk Fable

In a time long before the pandemic I had switched to a new camp and was attending my first Camp of America Organization (CAO - not an actual organization, but you get my drift) meeting with the local CAO folks.

I was new to the area and new to the group as I had been in a different part of the country with a different group of CAO folks.

I met a Camp Director, who we will call, "Jim."

Jim had been at their camp as the Executive Camp Director for 15 years and was one of the first new folks I met as we both drove up and parked at the same time. I was grateful for having a person to meet prior to walking into the building.

Jim's camp was about two hours away and they seemed friendly and welcoming. I had a great meeting and Jim introduced me to several folks including the person who did the CAO Standards visit assignments. We departed that day and I felt like I would fit into this group of leaders.

As luck would have it, Jim's camp was up for a visitation that summer and I was assigned to be one of the visitors. We scheduled the visit and on the day of I drove down early and had a great visit with Jim, theirstaff team, and getting the low down on the camp and program. 

I was accostumed to doing visits for the prior decade (or more) in my previous capacity as a visitor (not my first rodeo, as they say). I asked Jim and several of their staff team who were present to make sure and write down the dates for that fall's OCA get together. 

Jim answered with, "I don't really go to many of those anymore. I have been doing this for over 20-years and I have learned all that they have shared."

I asked Jim if any of their staff and Jim responded, 'I can teach them everything I know, so they don't need to attend."

This is not me, just an astonished looking face.

It was an astonishing set of statements. For the next few years, I would always take the time to call and message Jim whenever there was a gathering of camp folks to make sure that I invited them.

I spoke to Jim on several occasions and was always doing my best to include them and make them feel welcome to attend. I always invited and hoped that they would attend with their staff team.

It never happened!

Also, not me. Just a sad and slightly annoyed look.

When I consider my lesson from Jim, I think about "showing up."

I posted about this a few summers ago on my BLOG titled: Mid Summer Praise Staff Suggestions.

After re-reading that and writing my fable today, I had some thoughts to share.

Mid-summer is here. Whether you mark it by the calendar, the number of band-aids in the infirmary, or the pile of unmatched socks in the staff laundry—you're feeling it.

It’s that sticky, stretchy point of the season when routines have settled in, and energy can dip. The magic is still there, and so is the exhaustion. So, I wanted to pause to say:

"Thank you!"

If you're a leader at a summer camp right now, you are doing holy work.

You’re the arms that carry a crying camper to the nurse.
You’re the voice that says “you’ve got this” when a camper doubts.
You’re the eyes that notice the quiet one at the back of the group.
You are the adult someone will remember forever—even if you don’t know it yet.

Here’s what I know after 45 years in youth development: the small, faithful acts of service you’re offering this summer will echo longer than you can imagine.

Mid-Summer Suggestions for Leaders (and Those Who Lead Leaders):

If you lead, supervise, or support camp staff, this is the time to double down on praise and perspective. The team does not need more evaluation right now—they need encouragement, reminders of their impact, and a gentle invitation to reset where needed.

Here are 5 suggestions to do that:

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1. Shout Them Out in Specifics
Skip the generic "great job"—instead, name the moment:

“Hey, I saw you stay calm when the canoe tipped, and your campers stayed calm too—that’s leadership.”

“Thanks for the way you adapted that activity when the rain hit. You saved the day.”

Look for micro-moments that show your staff’s growth, grit, or heart.

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2. Celebrate Small Wins Publicly
Create a ritual of praise: a “staff MVP of the day,” a compliment jar, a wall of post-it affirmations, or a 60-second spotlight at the morning meeting.

Make it fun, frequent, and heartfelt.

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3. Ask “What’s One Thing You Need Right Now?”
This question opens a door.
Let it be about rest, resources, or relationships. Then, if you can, help meet it. Even just listening well matters.

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4. Invite Reflection Without Adding Pressure
Try a simple prompt at the end of the day:

“What was your highlight today?”
“What moment made you feel like you made a difference?”

Reflection reinforces meaning—and meaning fuels motivation.

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5. Remind Them of the Bigger Picture
Tell the story of a camper who came back because of a counselor.
Share a note from a parent.
Speak about your own first summer and how someone saw you.

Let them know:
"This isn’t just a job. This is impact, community, and legacy."

---

If you’re reading this and you’re one of those weary staff members?

"Take a breath.
Drink some water.
Tell someone how you’re really doing.
And remember—what you’re doing matters. More than you know.

Keep showing up.
Keep loving kids.
Keep choosing kindness, even when it’s hard.

Mid-summer is when seeds start to bloom.
Thank you for being a sower of goodness.

See you on the trails at camp..."