Early lessons from my student leadership research project

Student leadership is a big part of high school life. In my own school, students serve as officers, captains, editors, and leaders in dozens of clubs and sports. As I became more involved in leadership roles myself, I started paying closer attention to how student leaders learn to lead and what helps them succeed.

Talking with other student leaders made me even more curious about their experiences. I realized that many of us faced similar challenges, but we learned leadership in very different ways. Some students had access to conferences and training programs offered through organizations like DECA, while others relied mostly on advisors, previous leaders, and hands-on experience.

Those observations made me curious about what student leaders go through, what support helps them succeed, and what similarities and differences exist across different organizations. To explore those questions, I launched an independent research project and began surveying student leaders and advisors across the United States.

One thing I’ve learned so far is that conducting independent research is a lot harder than I expected.

The reality of independent research

Early in the project, I reached out to my principal and superintendent. While they were very supportive, my principal explained that because this was an independent project, the school couldn't distribute the surveys through official channels. Schools have strict rules about student surveys and how students’ time is used. That meant I had to find other ways to reach people. If I wanted to hear from student leaders across the country, I was going to have to connect with them myself.

What followed was a lot of hard work. I spent hours digging through state websites for organizations like FBLA, HOSA, FFA, and Youth in Government. When student officer emails weren't listed publicly, I searched school directories, found the advisors, and sent individual emails to explain the project.

For the first week and a half, it felt like almost nothing was happening. Responses came in very slowly. There were moments when I looked at my Google Form and wondered if enough people would participate to make the project worthwhile.

Learning to adapt

Developing this project also meant being willing to make changes based on feedback. Early on, an advisor pointed out that while my survey was supposed to be anonymous, asking for a combination of state, organization, and email address could make a participant identifiable. I immediately went back, revised the survey, and removed those questions. It was a good reminder that collecting information is important, but protecting people’s privacy matters just as much.

Slowly, things started to change. The cold emails turned into connections. As more people responded, the project began to spread through networks I wouldn't have found on my own. I also started learning about student leadership organizations I wasn’t familiar with before, like Girls State and HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership), which bring students together for leadership training and service.

I also discovered programs like the National Association of Student Councils’ Distinguished Student Leader recognition. At first, I was simply curious about the application requirements. But as I read through them, I realized the program highlighted many of the same skills and experiences that leadership organizations try to develop. It gave me a much better understanding of the kinds of support and training available out there.

Unexpected connections

One thing I didn’t expect was how generous people would be with their time. State officers and advisors took the time to respond, forward my links, and send encouraging notes. I also enjoyed seeing the different cultures of these organizations reflected in the emails I received. One thing that stood out was how many Key Club leaders signed their messages, "Yours in Service."

So far, the project has connected me with student leaders and advisors from across the country. Right now, 194 student leaders and 35 advisors from 42 states and Washington, D.C., have responded. With responses continuing to come in, I’ve started reviewing the data to look for early themes and patterns.

Early patterns: shared struggles, different supports

The survey remains open through July 31, but several patterns are already beginning to emerge. What has surprised me most is how often student leaders from very different organizations describe many of the same challenges.

Whether students are involved in student government, career and technical student organizations, athletics, performing arts, or service clubs, they frequently mention communication barriers, delegation, accountability, motivating peers, and the challenge of balancing leadership responsibilities with everything else on their schedules.

One of the strongest themes so far has been time management. Many student leaders describe feeling pulled in multiple directions as they try to balance academics, extracurricular activities, athletics, jobs, family commitments, social activities, and leadership responsibilities. As one student leader explained:

“The hardest part about being a student leader is learning to manage it all- academics, extracurriculars, and or simply interests/your social life. I am very much still figuring it out, and it can be tremendously stressful at times, especially when you feel you have a million things due at once. However, the amount of leadership opportunities I have had access to has paid off in the long run, as I have developed incredible organizational and communication skills from these experiences.” — Key Club leader

Interestingly, advisors often identify many of the same concerns. Both students and advisors frequently mention time management, follow-through, and keeping projects moving forward as ongoing challenges. One advisor noted that successful student leadership depends on “comprehensive planning—including developing a thorough task list, realistic timeline, and effective delegation.”

What comes next

This project started because I was curious about how student leaders learn to lead and what helps them succeed. Since launching the project, I’ve become much more aware of the many different ways students build these skills, and the important role that advisors and other student leaders play in that process.

As the project continues, I’m excited to dig deeper into these patterns to see what schools and organizations can do to better support student leadership development. I look forward to reviewing all of the responses later this summer and sharing the final findings this fall.