COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LEADERSHIP
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BY: MARK JAMIESON
Book Review I
COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LEADERSHIP
BY: MARK JAMIESON
4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXON OX14 4RN
605 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017, 2025
257 PP. EBOOK
ISBN: 9781041054580 (ebk)
Reviewed By Kidist Petros
Developing young leaders is an important issue in today’s spiritual environment. Mark Jamieson’s book “Coaching Young People for Leadership” offers insights and practical ideas to help young people become effective leaders. The author is credible on the subject, having managed a consultancy for Center Point, a national youth organization and homelessness charity, working with young people from diverse backgrounds.[1] This experience motivated him to connect coaching and leadership to broader youth development efforts. From this background, the book’s main idea is that leadership isn’t limited to a few with rare talent; it’s the potential in young people that coaching can nurture.[2]
The book opens by arguing that leadership needs a new definition. The myths it examines clarify that leadership isn’t limited to the young, women, or the inexperienced, nor should it be confined to those groups. The new definition of leadership comes from a group of youths who view it as a distinct form of influence. This idea recurs throughout the chapters, highlighting the coach’s role as a change agent in young people’s lives.
The book outlines a three-stage coaching framework. The first stage, which Jamieson calls “authentication,” is crucial and centers on supporting young people. In this regard, leadership must be rooted in self-knowledge rather than external accomplishments. Young people often face pressure to be good externally. This can lead to a loss of integrity, so the book provides clear guidance: leadership starts from within.[3] The second stage, “development,” explains key leadership skills such as communication, team building, trust-building, and motivating others. Jamieson notes that these skills can be applied in everyday life, and the author recommends developing new ways to adapt tools that connect theory and practice and strengthen these skills.
The third stage, “ambition,” helps young people visualize the contribution they want to make and develop concrete steps to achieve that goal. In this stage, the coaching process helps the young person see what can be accomplished in life. In this step, the young person might identify practical steps and make the vision possible through real contribution.
The book’s conceptual framework is grounded in coaching psychology and developmental theory. Its focus is on practical leadership. As a result, the book remains a practical resource for coaches and youth workers, as it raises an important question about how leadership should be developed, and the emphasis on authenticity aligns with the biblical view of vocation and identity as found in God. The book repeatedly roots the significance of service in the gospel.
The author encourages leaders to shift from a transactional mindset, where leadership is merely about completing tasks, to a vocational perspective, where leadership is seen as a calling. This idea can be taken with a simple biblical analogy: be a well-crafted worker who builds with care and purpose, rather than a hired hand who shows up and leaves in the face of challenges. It calls us to let go of personal agendas and resist the temptation of short-term gains. In this regard, selfish ambition has no place here. Faithfulness, humility, and honesty will flourish in the leader’s life and make a leader who reflects something greater than themselves. Every leader should strive for these qualities, not to appear good, but to be good.
The book’s strongest feature is its practicality. The exercises are targeted, the examples are real, the framework is easy to remember, and the language is simple and free of jargon. Because of this, any youth minister, from high school leaders to denominational leaders working with youth, can effectively use these resources. The author’s style is clear and encouraging. However, if a minister seeks to read about leadership theory, this book might not be the right choice.
The book doesn’t explore the theological framework for theological readers. Viewing the framework through a human psychology lens emphasizes self-awareness, skill-building, and coaching as tools for developing leaders. Christian thought can support some of these ideas, but viewing them through the lens of spiritual formation and biblical understanding would provide a clearer perspective. Another limitation is that the model focuses mainly on one-on-one relationships, yet community ministry is not addressed. However, applying principles aligned with biblical teachings within the church context can make the framework a valuable tool for nurturing young leaders.
Finally, Jamieson has made a valuable contribution to coaching and leadership, especially for practitioners. The book effectively achieves its goal by providing a clear picture and offering straightforward guidance for those working with youth to be more intentional and effective. For leaders wondering how to develop young people, it offers clear, hopeful strategies.[4] I recommend it to anyone with this kind of passion, including teams, congregational leaders, and various coaching and mentoring programs.
[1] Mark Jamieson, Coaching Young People for Leadership (London:Routleedge,2025),4-7
[2] Ibid., 23–25.
[3] Ibid., 118.
[4] Ibid., 112,159.
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The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders (4th Edition)
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Hoboken: Wiley, 2024
Book Review 2
The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders (4th Edition)
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Hoboken: Wiley, 2024
384 pages
ISBN 978-1-394-27120-5
Reviewed by Kidist Petros Gebregiorgis, Liberty University
James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s book, “The Students’ Leadership Challenge,” serves as a guide for students to become exemplary leaders of their age, to have their voice, and to clarify their values; to recognize and celebrate others’ contributions and success. The authors encourage readers to think at the end of each chapter on their own leadership experiences and skills, both now and in the future. Having worked together for over forty years, they have studied leaders, researched leadership, conducted leadership development seminars, and provided leadership in various roles, with and without titles. They demonstrate that leadership is the art of inspiring others to pursue shared goals.[1]
The main idea of the book is that leadership is something you can learn, not something you’re born with. Anyone can develop leadership skills regardless of their role or title. It offers various tools to help you grow as a leader. The book is aimed at students and young people, helping them experience leadership and influence others to achieve great results.[2]
The Five Practices framework was essential for launching leadership education. These practices include Model the Way, which has two commitments emphasizing knowing personal values and acting on them, and being an exemplary leader; Inspire a Shared Vision, which helps create an exciting future vision and recruit others to it; Challenge the Process, encouraging leaders to seek opportunities, take risks, and view failures as learning opportunities; Enable Others to Act, offering ideas to foster collaboration, teamwork, and empowerment; and
Encourage the Heart, which involves recognizing contributions and celebrating successes.[3]
The book features chapters that explain five practices and ten commitments. Each chapter describes the practice, highlights key leadership behaviors with the specific commitment assigned to that chapter, and includes reflective activities and worksheets to promote action. This new edition preserves the original evidence-based approach while adding exemplary case studies, updated language, and challenges relevant to college students.[4] The stories come from diverse backgrounds, making the ideas more relatable for young readers. The book’s chapters outline the “Ten Commitments of Leadership,” the essential behaviors that student leaders use to achieve remarkable results. They clarify the core principles behind The Five Practices with numerous examples, data, and research evidence.
This edition includes updates on contemporary issues such as mental health, diversity, student inclusion, and climate change activism. The increased focus on flexible leadership in the
“Challenge the Process” section encourages students to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and to try new strategies in low-risk situations.[5] It also addresses virtual challenges by using digital tools that can be shared online. Additional resources are provided for self-evaluation, which can be used as the Student Leadership Practices Inventory assessment.[6]
The book’s foundation is rooted in prolonged research-based outcomes rather than theological or philosophical perspectives, developed over four decades. Kouzes and Posner have conducted extensive interviews and surveys with thousands of leaders across fields such as business, education, community, and government. Their findings show that exceptional achievement is linked to consistent behavioral patterns. The authors highlight that their framework transcends cultural, organizational, and generational boundaries. They stress that leadership development is an ongoing process of self-assessment, rather than merely gaining knowledge.
This book can be used with young people to develop leaders in religious settings. From a theological perspective, the practices of “Model the Way” and “Enable Others to Act” reflect servant leadership principles in biblical teachings, emphasizing good behaviors such as honesty, humility, and helping others. Youth pastors and Christian teachers working with youth leadership may find this book useful for their students.
The book’s framework is based on humanistic psychology and views leadership development mainly as learning skills or changing behaviors, often overlooking spiritual growth,
which relies on the Spirit. It is crucial to recognize that Christian leadership goes beyond management work; it is rooted in faith, accountable to the church, centered on God, and dependent on the Spirit. While the book emphasizes personal identity and skills as a means of leadership,[7] it differs from Christian thought, which in turn emphasizes divine gifts within community, prayer, and Scripture-based life as given to communality rather than as individually achieved goals.[8]
Kouzes and Posner claim that everyone can be a leader.[9] While this inclusive view aligns with the Protestant teaching of the priesthood of all believers, it might overlook the different callings within the body of Christ. But in real situations, we see different levels and degrees of leadership. A healthy church must value leadership as a distinct role and other functions as parts of the body of Christ. This will create order and mutual responsibility in the church. Another concern with respect to biblical thinking would be that, by emphasizing results and processes, the author’s focus on visible achievements could overshadow the less tangible acts of hospitality and service that are vital to church life. A stronger theological foundation would help clarify the difference between leadership as a specific role and faithful discipleship as the universal call for all believers.[10]
Even if the book works well for youth groups, Christian schools, campus ministries, and theological colleges where young people are already involved in leadership and seeking practical advice, it is not typically used for seminary courses unless supplemented with theological texts that provide the necessary theological perspective. For some readers, it might contain repetitive examples and lack deeper insights into leadership models. With careful theological discernment and intentional additions, such as resources on servant leadership and vocational discernment, it can be a helpful tool. It can assist young people in developing skills combined with faithful discipleship to support the church’s mission and witness.
The Student Leadership Challenge can be recommended as a key resource for student leadership. The book explains that abstract ideas can lead to practical actions, and leadership can be exercised by young people. For anyone eager to see young leaders grow and thrive, it provides a clear guide for transforming personal lives and becoming agents of change. The current message from the book is heard everywhere young people are, with millions of copies sold out, radiating the principles updated to meet today’s challenges.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Mark. Coaching Young People for Leadership. London: Critical Publishing, 2023.
Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders. 4th ed. Hoboken: Wiley, 2024.
MacArthur, John. The Book on Leadership. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004.
Nouwen, Henri. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York:
Crossroad, 1989.
Smith, Gordon T. Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential. 3rd ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022.
[1] James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders, 4th ed. (Hoboken: Wiley, 2024), ix–x.
[2] Ibid.,3.
[3] Ibid.,4-6.
[4] Ibid.,13.
[5] Ibid.,90.
[6] Ibid.,170.
[7] Ibid.,173.
[8] John MacArthur, The Book on Leadership (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 45–52; and Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: Crossroad, 1989), 27–35.
[9] James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary
Leaders, 4th ed. (Hoboken: Wiley, 2024), 5
[10] Gordon T. Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 23–28.
[10] Gordon T. Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 23–28.
COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LEADERSHIP
Show Detail
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BY: MARK JAMIESON
Book Review I
COACHING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LEADERSHIP
BY: MARK JAMIESON
4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON, OXON OX14 4RN
605 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10017, 2025
257 PP. EBOOK
ISBN: 9781041054580 (ebk)
Reviewed By Kidist Petros
Developing young leaders is an important issue in today’s spiritual environment. Mark Jamieson’s book “Coaching Young People for Leadership” offers insights and practical ideas to help young people become effective leaders. The author is credible on the subject, having managed a consultancy for Center Point, a national youth organization and homelessness charity, working with young people from diverse backgrounds.[1] This experience motivated him to connect coaching and leadership to broader youth development efforts. From this background, the book’s main idea is that leadership isn’t limited to a few with rare talent; it’s the potential in young people that coaching can nurture.[2]
The book opens by arguing that leadership needs a new definition. The myths it examines clarify that leadership isn’t limited to the young, women, or the inexperienced, nor should it be confined to those groups. The new definition of leadership comes from a group of youths who view it as a distinct form of influence. This idea recurs throughout the chapters, highlighting the coach’s role as a change agent in young people’s lives.
The book outlines a three-stage coaching framework. The first stage, which Jamieson calls “authentication,” is crucial and centers on supporting young people. In this regard, leadership must be rooted in self-knowledge rather than external accomplishments. Young people often face pressure to be good externally. This can lead to a loss of integrity, so the book provides clear guidance: leadership starts from within.[3] The second stage, “development,” explains key leadership skills such as communication, team building, trust-building, and motivating others. Jamieson notes that these skills can be applied in everyday life, and the author recommends developing new ways to adapt tools that connect theory and practice and strengthen these skills.
The third stage, “ambition,” helps young people visualize the contribution they want to make and develop concrete steps to achieve that goal. In this stage, the coaching process helps the young person see what can be accomplished in life. In this step, the young person might identify practical steps and make the vision possible through real contribution.
The book’s conceptual framework is grounded in coaching psychology and developmental theory. Its focus is on practical leadership. As a result, the book remains a practical resource for coaches and youth workers, as it raises an important question about how leadership should be developed, and the emphasis on authenticity aligns with the biblical view of vocation and identity as found in God. The book repeatedly roots the significance of service in the gospel.
The author encourages leaders to shift from a transactional mindset, where leadership is merely about completing tasks, to a vocational perspective, where leadership is seen as a calling. This idea can be taken with a simple biblical analogy: be a well-crafted worker who builds with care and purpose, rather than a hired hand who shows up and leaves in the face of challenges. It calls us to let go of personal agendas and resist the temptation of short-term gains. In this regard, selfish ambition has no place here. Faithfulness, humility, and honesty will flourish in the leader’s life and make a leader who reflects something greater than themselves. Every leader should strive for these qualities, not to appear good, but to be good.
The book’s strongest feature is its practicality. The exercises are targeted, the examples are real, the framework is easy to remember, and the language is simple and free of jargon. Because of this, any youth minister, from high school leaders to denominational leaders working with youth, can effectively use these resources. The author’s style is clear and encouraging. However, if a minister seeks to read about leadership theory, this book might not be the right choice.
The book doesn’t explore the theological framework for theological readers. Viewing the framework through a human psychology lens emphasizes self-awareness, skill-building, and coaching as tools for developing leaders. Christian thought can support some of these ideas, but viewing them through the lens of spiritual formation and biblical understanding would provide a clearer perspective. Another limitation is that the model focuses mainly on one-on-one relationships, yet community ministry is not addressed. However, applying principles aligned with biblical teachings within the church context can make the framework a valuable tool for nurturing young leaders.
Finally, Jamieson has made a valuable contribution to coaching and leadership, especially for practitioners. The book effectively achieves its goal by providing a clear picture and offering straightforward guidance for those working with youth to be more intentional and effective. For leaders wondering how to develop young people, it offers clear, hopeful strategies.[4] I recommend it to anyone with this kind of passion, including teams, congregational leaders, and various coaching and mentoring programs.
[1] Mark Jamieson, Coaching Young People for Leadership (London:Routleedge,2025),4-7
[2] Ibid., 23–25.
[3] Ibid., 118.
[4] Ibid., 112,159.
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The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders (4th Edition)
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Hoboken: Wiley, 2024
Book Review 2
The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders (4th Edition)
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Hoboken: Wiley, 2024
384 pages
ISBN 978-1-394-27120-5
Reviewed by Kidist Petros Gebregiorgis, Liberty University
James Kouzes and Barry Posner’s book, “The Students’ Leadership Challenge,” serves as a guide for students to become exemplary leaders of their age, to have their voice, and to clarify their values; to recognize and celebrate others’ contributions and success. The authors encourage readers to think at the end of each chapter on their own leadership experiences and skills, both now and in the future. Having worked together for over forty years, they have studied leaders, researched leadership, conducted leadership development seminars, and provided leadership in various roles, with and without titles. They demonstrate that leadership is the art of inspiring others to pursue shared goals.[1]
The main idea of the book is that leadership is something you can learn, not something you’re born with. Anyone can develop leadership skills regardless of their role or title. It offers various tools to help you grow as a leader. The book is aimed at students and young people, helping them experience leadership and influence others to achieve great results.[2]
The Five Practices framework was essential for launching leadership education. These practices include Model the Way, which has two commitments emphasizing knowing personal values and acting on them, and being an exemplary leader; Inspire a Shared Vision, which helps create an exciting future vision and recruit others to it; Challenge the Process, encouraging leaders to seek opportunities, take risks, and view failures as learning opportunities; Enable Others to Act, offering ideas to foster collaboration, teamwork, and empowerment; and
Encourage the Heart, which involves recognizing contributions and celebrating successes.[3]
The book features chapters that explain five practices and ten commitments. Each chapter describes the practice, highlights key leadership behaviors with the specific commitment assigned to that chapter, and includes reflective activities and worksheets to promote action. This new edition preserves the original evidence-based approach while adding exemplary case studies, updated language, and challenges relevant to college students.[4] The stories come from diverse backgrounds, making the ideas more relatable for young readers. The book’s chapters outline the “Ten Commitments of Leadership,” the essential behaviors that student leaders use to achieve remarkable results. They clarify the core principles behind The Five Practices with numerous examples, data, and research evidence.
This edition includes updates on contemporary issues such as mental health, diversity, student inclusion, and climate change activism. The increased focus on flexible leadership in the
“Challenge the Process” section encourages students to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and to try new strategies in low-risk situations.[5] It also addresses virtual challenges by using digital tools that can be shared online. Additional resources are provided for self-evaluation, which can be used as the Student Leadership Practices Inventory assessment.[6]
The book’s foundation is rooted in prolonged research-based outcomes rather than theological or philosophical perspectives, developed over four decades. Kouzes and Posner have conducted extensive interviews and surveys with thousands of leaders across fields such as business, education, community, and government. Their findings show that exceptional achievement is linked to consistent behavioral patterns. The authors highlight that their framework transcends cultural, organizational, and generational boundaries. They stress that leadership development is an ongoing process of self-assessment, rather than merely gaining knowledge.
This book can be used with young people to develop leaders in religious settings. From a theological perspective, the practices of “Model the Way” and “Enable Others to Act” reflect servant leadership principles in biblical teachings, emphasizing good behaviors such as honesty, humility, and helping others. Youth pastors and Christian teachers working with youth leadership may find this book useful for their students.
The book’s framework is based on humanistic psychology and views leadership development mainly as learning skills or changing behaviors, often overlooking spiritual growth,
which relies on the Spirit. It is crucial to recognize that Christian leadership goes beyond management work; it is rooted in faith, accountable to the church, centered on God, and dependent on the Spirit. While the book emphasizes personal identity and skills as a means of leadership,[7] it differs from Christian thought, which in turn emphasizes divine gifts within community, prayer, and Scripture-based life as given to communality rather than as individually achieved goals.[8]
Kouzes and Posner claim that everyone can be a leader.[9] While this inclusive view aligns with the Protestant teaching of the priesthood of all believers, it might overlook the different callings within the body of Christ. But in real situations, we see different levels and degrees of leadership. A healthy church must value leadership as a distinct role and other functions as parts of the body of Christ. This will create order and mutual responsibility in the church. Another concern with respect to biblical thinking would be that, by emphasizing results and processes, the author’s focus on visible achievements could overshadow the less tangible acts of hospitality and service that are vital to church life. A stronger theological foundation would help clarify the difference between leadership as a specific role and faithful discipleship as the universal call for all believers.[10]
Even if the book works well for youth groups, Christian schools, campus ministries, and theological colleges where young people are already involved in leadership and seeking practical advice, it is not typically used for seminary courses unless supplemented with theological texts that provide the necessary theological perspective. For some readers, it might contain repetitive examples and lack deeper insights into leadership models. With careful theological discernment and intentional additions, such as resources on servant leadership and vocational discernment, it can be a helpful tool. It can assist young people in developing skills combined with faithful discipleship to support the church’s mission and witness.
The Student Leadership Challenge can be recommended as a key resource for student leadership. The book explains that abstract ideas can lead to practical actions, and leadership can be exercised by young people. For anyone eager to see young leaders grow and thrive, it provides a clear guide for transforming personal lives and becoming agents of change. The current message from the book is heard everywhere young people are, with millions of copies sold out, radiating the principles updated to meet today’s challenges.
Bibliography
Jamieson, Mark. Coaching Young People for Leadership. London: Critical Publishing, 2023.
Kouzes, James M., and Barry Z. Posner. The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders. 4th ed. Hoboken: Wiley, 2024.
MacArthur, John. The Book on Leadership. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004.
Nouwen, Henri. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York:
Crossroad, 1989.
Smith, Gordon T. Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential. 3rd ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022.
[1] James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary Leaders, 4th ed. (Hoboken: Wiley, 2024), ix–x.
[2] Ibid.,3.
[3] Ibid.,4-6.
[4] Ibid.,13.
[5] Ibid.,90.
[6] Ibid.,170.
[7] Ibid.,173.
[8] John MacArthur, The Book on Leadership (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004), 45–52; and Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: Crossroad, 1989), 27–35.
[9] James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Exemplary
Leaders, 4th ed. (Hoboken: Wiley, 2024), 5
[10] Gordon T. Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 23–28.
[10] Gordon T. Smith, Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God-Given Potential, 3rd ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2022), 23–28.
Kingdom in the Sinner Home
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This is the morning of freedom. He somewhat felt that something was going to happen in his house. He has a lot to repent of, but he doesn’t have enough love power to force him to do it. He is adrift in a sea of sin, which threatens to swallow and sink him. Although he appears cheerful on the outside, he struggles with many inner questions and emotional pain. The saddest part is that there is no hospital where he and his companions can go and be healed.
He knows he is the son of Abraham, but not all of Abraham’s children are healthy like their father. There were a bunch of them who were sick and desperately looked for salvation from their acute sin sickness. However, where do they get it? He is one of them in the list.
In the middle of this acute pain, he heard something that morning. The good news: “The healer is coming to his city.” He must do something about it. Of course, this is his last resort; he has one test to pass, otherwise he shall lose this valuable opportunity. The choice is to be vulnerable. He is very rich. He has the dream life that everybody in his time dreams of. He has money, chief status, and some protection from the government that employs him.
On the other hand, he carries the heavy burden of sin. So, he must choose either to live with his sinful life or to swallow his pride and come to his soul’s savior. In fact, how can he see him if he is not humble enough? He must decide somehow and decide quickly. Otherwise, pride will take his last hope and chance.
One of this man’s defining traits is his persistence and fighting spirit. His current position did not come through mere performance. He had to fight for it. It required cruelty and the ability to ignore whatever came with being the son of Abraham. He had to ignore his people, be loyal to them, and be loyal to his enemy. He did so and became the chief sinner. But today he faced another tough challenge. The sinless healer is passing through his city. He thought about it. He never, ever wants to lose this golden last chance. He doesn’t want to die with his burden. Of course, he has another choice. He could look at this opportunity, leave it, and prefer to live in and swim in the sea of sin. So, after thinking about both options, he chose the toughest one. He swallowed his pride and humbled himself to come to the healer.
While he tackles the toughest challenge, another ticking clock looms. Time. He is running out of time. The healer is passing through the moon city. He is neither sitting nor staying. He came there that day but was only passing through. He heals those who desperately seek it.
For Zacchaeus, this combined challenge of making himself vulnerable and running out of time to get to this healer makes him more humble, creative, and fast. So he first checks the road he was on. When he looks at the road, he was on the wrong one. He cannot get to the healer if he sticks to it. His road should be aligned with the master. He is letting go of his stubborn insistence on having things his own way. He used to be the type of person who insisted on always having things his way. He used it widely. He demanded that his brothers be treated in his chosen way, and that is why he is very rich. The money is not coming from his hard work but from his brothers’ pockets. But now the Savior demands that he change course. He never hesitated. He ran to change and get back on the Savior’s path.
The other challenge is time. The savior is walking. He has a lot to do, and he is fast. For the person who wants to be healed, these are the requirements. He must be in his position and on time. For the chief sinner, this is his lifetime opportunity; he doesn’t want to waste it by being late. He decided to run. Of course, others might say, “Why are you in such a hurry? Just relax; you have unlimited chances to get to him.” This wasn’t his choice. The chief sinner took the matter so seriously and urgently. He never wasted his time. He ran fast and positioned himself to get the master on his way.
But even after all that, another problem remained. He is a dwarf. This was the most difficult challenge he had ever faced on his journey to healing. The master is surrounded by crowds who are tall and can physically and spiritually shield the healer from those who desperately seek to see him. On the other hand, though such crowds surround the master, he doesn’t invite any of them into his home. He passes through the middle of them, not touching their private lives and households.
So that dwarf chief sinner should do something to solve it. While he looked around in anticipation of a miracle, he saw a sycamore tree. Who put it there? Who owns it? He thought about it for a second. Probably it was for this precious time. To anyone around him, the tree was a ladder for the chief sinner to meet his savior. It was a road to the healer, where the sinner could find hope and deliverance. It was nothing more than a push for this desperate man who needed a new connection.
He never hesitated; he climbed the tree so he could at least reach a height where he could see the healer. Now he is visible to the healer, and at the same time he can see him. Time went by. He still waited patiently for the healer to pass by.
Though the tree, acting as a ladder, was not comfortable, the weather probably wasn’t either. Sitting on the tree may be dangerous; however, compared with looking at the master, it was a small sacrifice. Patiently waited to look at the healer in that uncomfortable position.
Finally, the healer arrived. He joyfully looked at him. He was so happy to see the one whom the prophets spoke about. His father Abraham longed to see his days, and all the angels of the Lord bowed and worshipped him. His eyes filled with tears of joy. He is too happy. He enjoys His presence, His majesty, and His ways, and only looks and marvels at them. This was his day. The light of heaven struck him. He is in awe. The scene heats his heart, and the sound of salvation draws near.
While he was still in awe of his presence, he suddenly heard an invitation he had never heard before. “Come down, Zacchaeus; I must stay at your home.” The chief sinner couldn’t believe his ears. Come down?! He thought it was just a wild dream. He was an older man and knew the religious teachers well. They hated sinners. They didn’t even call them by their names. They considered themselves too holy even to touch them, let alone welcome them into their homes and eat with them. But this majestic voice continues. He said, “I must spend today in your home.” I must stay today?! It was an overdose for him. But he is too thirsty to hesitate. He jumps to the ground, bows, and immediately takes the master to his home.
His home is filled with sin and sinners. It is a den of robbers and filth. Once he was tied there, there was no way out. He was forced to live in it without salvation. His entire household is affected, and there is no way to escape. But that day in Zacchaeus ‘ home, something new is coming. The healer never hesitated to go with him. He changed his route. He was passing through the city. But when he saw this wretched sinner, he couldn’t continue his journey. He stopped, looked at him, and changed his course. He left the main road and walked down the alley to the wretched sinner’s house.
The so-called holy religious people did not approve of this action. A huge disappointment followed him. They said he was going with the sinner. He wants to enter their den; many similar opposing ideas and things. But the master never wavers or staggers at their rough comments. He knows his mission very well. He continued his journey and entered the chief sinner’s den. In fact, for him, those places are like a sea full of fish to net. He ignored the murmuring behind him and ran to get to the lost sheep. This is his business.
Bates, Samantha, Dawn Anderson, Theresa Ferrari, and Christy Clary. “A Comparative Examination of How Program Design Components Influence Youth Leadership-Skill Development.” Journal of Youth Development 15, no. 6 (2020): 91–115. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.868.
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Bates, Samantha, Dawn Anderson, Theresa Ferrari, and Christy Clary. “A Comparative Examination of How Program Design Components Influence Youth Leadership-Skill Development.” Journal of Youth Development 15, no. 6 (2020): 91–115. https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2020.868.
Samantha Bates and her team conducted a qualitative study to better understand how a program’s structure can shape leadership skills in teens. They focused on three positive youth development (PYD) leadership programs within Ohio’s 4-H network. Their goal was to identify what these programs had in common, where they differed, and, most importantly, how young people themselves felt they were growing as leaders. They held focus groups with 18 teens (six from each program) and used thematic analysis in NVivo to sort through the data. They found that caring adult leaders and opportunities to work with younger kids were present across all three programs. Things like application processes, real-world internships, and youth-led decision-making were where the programs really differed.
To mention strengths, first, the approach fits the question; they weren’t trying to prove cause and effect, just to understand young people’s experiences. Focus groups were a good choice because teens could build on each other’s stories, providing the researchers with richer insights.[1] The authors also show good self-awareness: two white female researchers led the focus groups and took care to avoid bias by recruiting participants who didn’t already know one another. The analysis used intercoder agreement and team-based triangulation to ensure robust,
trustworthy findings. In Addition, the detailed demographic information in Tables 1 and 2 adds transparency; you know exactly who they spoke with.
The study has weaknesses. The biggest is transferability. The authors admit it’s a problem, but they don’t help practitioners figure out how to apply the findings elsewhere. Since all three programs are part of Ohio’s 4-H, it’s fair to wonder: would any of this apply to non-4-H programs, church-based leadership groups, or leadership classes in schools? Another concern is the sample. It includes only teens who stayed in the programs, so there’s a positive bias. The researchers acknowledge this, but they didn’t talk to any teens who dropped out. That means we’re missing key information about which parts of a program might push kids away or fail to build skills.[2]
Also, the study claims to uncover “underlying mechanisms,” but focus groups only tell you what teens think helped them. Without long-term observation or comparison groups, it can’t establish cause and effect. For example, teens said the application process helped them persevere, but they may already have had resilience or strong parental support. The study can’t rule that out. Finally, the literature review stresses the need for evidence-based program models, yet there’s no comparative analysis of outcomes across the three programs.
This study offers a helpful window into how teens experience PYD leadership programs. But if you’re looking for evidence to guide real-world practice, it’ll hit some roadblocks: on transferability, selection bias, and a gap between what teens feel helped them and what can be demonstrated to work.
[1] David W. Stewart, Prem N. Shamdasani, and Dennis W. Rook, Focus Groups: Theory and Practice, 2nd
ed. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2007), 43.
[2] Samantha Bates et al., “Program Design Influence on Leadership Skill Development: A Qualitative Study,” Journal of Youth Development 15, no. 6 (2020): 100.
Carroll, Brigid, and Joshua Firth. “Leading or Led? A Critical Exploration of Youth Leadership Development.” Management Learning. 52, no. 1 (February 2021): 6–25.
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Carroll, Brigid, and Joshua Firth. “Leading or Led? A Critical Exploration of Youth Leadership Development.” Management Learning. 52, no. 1 (February 2021): 6–25.
The article “Leading or Led? A Critical Exploration of Youth Leadership Development” by Brigid Carroll and Joshua Firth, published in 2021, prompts us to reflect on our beliefs about youth leadership development. They do not think that youth leadership programs are always good for people. Instead, these programs might make young people follow others rather than become real leaders. This article offers a way of thinking that challenges common assumptions. However, it only uses what students said about themselves, not what they actually do.
Carroll and Firth studied eighteen university students in a nine-month program designed to help them become leaders in their careers. They identified five ways people think about youth leadership: suspended, separate, small, self, and semi. These categories suggest that many programs do not truly help young people become leaders. They only keep them in positions where they have to follow others.[1] The authors argue that many programs teach people to follow rules rather than to become real leaders. This raises the question of whether these programs are really helping young people become leaders or just teaching them to follow others.
The researchers did a good job by looking at a question that not many people have studied. Most people think that youth leadership programs are good. Carroll and Firth asked if they might be bad. They used existing theories and literature to support their work. They showed that youth leadership development has become an industry that warrants further study. The five categories they identified are useful for understanding how leadership education can inadvertently maintain existing power structures.
However, the study has a weakness. The findings are based on what the students said about themselves in surveys. The researchers did not watch these 18 students to see if they actually acted like leaders in the real setting.[2] What people say can differ from what they do. A student might say they feel like a leader, but if we do not see them doing what leaders do, we cannot be sure they are really leaders.
Leadership is about what you do, not just what you feel. Carroll and Firth said that youth leadership programs might be teaching people to follow others, but they did not observe the students leading anyone. Maybe the students who felt they were not leaders actually became good leaders when they had to lead. The study cannot answer this question. If the researchers had observed the students, their findings would have been stronger.
Carroll and Firth asked whether youth leadership programs really help young people become leaders. Their five categories are useful for critiquing how we think about leadership. However, because they relied only on what students said about themselves, we cannot be sure about their conclusions. Future research should observe people in leadership roles, not just ask them questions. This would give a clearer picture of whether these programs produce real leaders or people who just follow others.
[1] Brigid Carroll and Joshua Firth, “Leading or Led? A Critical Exploration of Youth Leadership Development,” Management Learning 52, no. 1 (February 2021): 6.
[2] Brigid Carroll and Joshua Firth, “Leading or Led? A Critical Exploration of Youth Leadership Development,” Management Learning 52, no. 1 (February 2021): 11.