You Were Built to Lead: Unlocking Student Leadership Potential

Strong peer leadership is a learned skill — and one of the highest-impact investments a competitive student team can make. This interactive session introduces students to a structured model of peer leadership built around four foundational pillars: Trust & Reliability, Communication, Empowerment, and Accountability. Participants explore the critical distinction between directing through authority (the “boss”) versus leading through trust and shared purpose (the “peer leader”), with real-world examples drawn from the FIRST Robotics Competition environment.

The session incorporates evidence-informed communication frameworks (the LISTEN model and the SBI feedback model), a five-step conflict resolution protocol, and motivation science (intrinsic motivators: mastery, purpose, autonomy, recognition, and connection). Attendees conduct structured self-reflection to identify their leadership style and personal growth edges, and leave with a concrete, written Leadership Action Plan.