From Counselor to Leader: Navigating the Transition
Every camp director knows the whiplash: A brilliant counselor who is amazing with kids and handles chaos effortlessly gets promoted to a leadership role—only to struggle a few weeks into the summer.
As explored in this episode of Camp Code, being a great counselor and being ready to lead are two entirely different things. We often promote people based on past performance without preparing them for what needs to change.
To bridge that gap, new leaders need to master a few critical shifts:
From Peer to Supervisor: You don’t have to stop being friendly, but you do have to become intentional about holding standards. You can laugh with your team and still address a problem.
Stopping "I'll Just Do It Myself": Instead of jumping in to fix everything (which exhausts you and stunts their growth), ask: "How can I help this person learn to handle it?"
Kind + Clear + Supportive Feedback: Redefine feedback as neutral information, not a personal attack. Combine empathy with clear expectations and active support.
Ultimately, a new title doesn't automatically create new leadership skills. By providing a safe space to reflect, pre-empting tough conversations with a trusted "chat it out" buddy, and balancing care, standards, and staff development, we can help great counselors evolve into confident leaders.
Best Practice for Leadership Training
From Gabz,
During week two or three of camp, ask your young leaders to look at the returning staff on their teams and reflect on this question:
"If you weren't in the room, would they still be as great as what you see them doing right now?"
Asking this early helps catch the staff members who only perform when the boss is watching before they get blindsided by missed promotions at the end of the season. It gives you the window needed to offer respectful, actionable feedback and build a real bridge for their future growth.
Your Hosts:
Beth Allison, Camp Consultant - Go Camp Pro
Gabrielle Raill, Camp Director - Camp Ouareau
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