Afterschool's current leaders and our next generation of leaders have unique needs—for inspiration, connections, and the opportunity to build or share knowledge.

Two things learned throughout my career:

1. Language is powerful.
2. Great leaders never stop learning.

How many books have been written on the topic of leadership? How many lectures/workshops/presentations have you been offered to help you become a "better" leader? How many TED talks have you watched that showed you a three-point plan toward more effective leadership?

I remember so vividly how I felt this time last year: Overwhelmed. Frustrated. Mad at myself that another year had slipped by and I wasn't where I wanted to be in achieving my leadership goals.

People too often associate leadership with a status to be earned, or a title that bestows power. Certainly, under some circumstances, those definitions are accurate. But I like to think of leadership differently.

Summer's schedule varies for those involved in out-of-school time (OST). For some, it's a welcome break; for others, it's their busiest time of year.

10 Tips for Stepping Into Your Leadership:

The role of a leader is one of great responsibility. These tips can help us fully step in with intention, dedication and courage.

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."
—Jack Welch

HBR, LinkedIn, TED, Fast Company, fill-in-the-blank. We dive into so many resources looking for the recipe on effective leadership and how to build it in others. Each of us are paving our own path, making both minor and gigantic mistakes and hopefully picking ourselves back up to learn and lead again. Along the way, most of us are discovering our own recipe for effective leadership with our teams.

I was born in Washington state and spent most of my life in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by Seattle Seahawks fans. In 2006, I moved to the East Coast and married into a family who bleeds the green of the Philadelphia Eagles. Since then, I've had two favorite bird teams. The past couple of years have been especially interesting, not only because these two bird teams have gone head to head several times, but because of the focus on the leadership provided by the coaches of each organization.

"The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders, and continually develops them." —John Maxwell