Growing Leaders (www.GrowingLeaders.com) works with more than 700 schools and organizations to help them create and nurture a thriving leadership culture among students.  The vast majority of school administrators, faculty and youth workers use the Habitudes book series with student leaders.  Book One is relevant for all students, as it covers the art of self-leadership—how to master and manage your own discipline, emotions, character, identity, and time. Book Two is helpful when you want to build relationship skills in your leaders. It’s about the art of connecting with others. Book Three deals with the art of leading others, and is perfect when teaching fundamental leadership principles such as vision, planning, leading change, focus, initiative and the power of example.  Book Four covers the art of changing culture and is a more advanced series of images on how to transform organizational culture.  (See the detailed descriptions below). We also work with schools who wish to challenge all of their students to begin to think and act like a life-giving leader.

The Habitudes suite of resources includes books, DVD teaching sessions, posters, teacher’s guides and power point images. We offer a Teacher’s Package which includes each of these items, or you can purchase books separately.

Habitudes are most effective when discussed in small groups which allow students to engage in conversation about the principles. In fact, we encourage adult leaders to put their training on ICE:
        I – Images (Share a few minutes about the image)
        C – Conversation (Then, let the students discuss and apply them)
        E – Experience (Finally, allow the conversations to lead to practical experiences) 

How We Work with Schools and Organizations
At Growing Leaders we recommend you use Habitudes in a process—or what we call a Leadership Development Cycle. The impact of the images will be much greater if you position them within the growth process below:

STEP ONE: ASSESSMENT
        We suggest you start by assessing your campus needs and defining what a leader is.

STEP TWO: MENTOR TRAINING
        Next, prepare the staff and students who will be leaders for mentoring communities.

STEP THREE: CATALYTIC EVENT
        Then, host a catalytic event, to challenge students to lead and introduce Habitudes.

STEP FOUR: FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES
        Afterward, choose which Habitudes books are best for interested students to discuss.

STEP FIVE: MENTORING COMMUNITIES
        Set up Habitudes groups for students who wish to continue growing after the event.

STEP SIX: TRAINING EXPERIENCES
        Next, plan specific training opportunities for students who wish to continue growing.

STEP SEVEN: OPPORTUNITIES AND APPRENTICESHIPS
        Help students from the mentoring communities to step into leadership roles.

STEP EIGHT: LEADERSHIP QUEST
        Finally, recruit student leaders to become mentors for next year or graduate and fulfill their role as a life-giving leader.

NOTE: Students usually need an event to launch into any new topic.  Even if you don’t execute the cycle above, consider hosting an event where you introduce a few of the images, then follow up by placing students in small groups to discuss an entire book over the next several weeks.  Each book contains thirteen (13) images, so a weekly group would require about three months.  Students need both an EVENT and a PROCESS like this to grow.