A Profile in Experiential Leadership: The Impact of the Gentlemen’s and Ladies Leadership Clubs

Experiential leadership programs encourage participants to make decisions, take initiative, establish relationships, and be accountable. They provide a foundation of abilities and experiences that may be utilized and modified for real-world events and difficulties in the future. Experiential leaders are encouraged and expected to be curious and ask questions, to experiment and use creativity, to employ problem-solving abilities, and to take ownership—of experiential leadership programs. Participants and learners may examine their values and walk away with a broader perspective and set of skills after each encounter. Opportunities to develop leadership skills may not be easily accessible for today’s at-risk adolescents. Many youth-serving groups cater mainly to students from wealthy households. The Gentlemen’s and Ladies Leadership Clubs (GLC, LLC, respectively) exemplify experiential leadership for middle school students, providing equity and access for all! 

Ladies and Gentlemen

Almost thirty years ago, Dr. Stephen Peters asked for thirty young middle school students. That request was made in the form of a question: Will you become part of my management team?  

Initially established in 1996 as The Gentlemen’s Club, Dr. Stephen Peters formed a partnership with teachers and the school community. The Gentlemen’s Club was conceptualized as a means of capturing children, inspiring their dreams, and giving them hope.

Many student members have become the first in their families to attend and graduate from college.  These alums are making valuable contributions to their families, employers, employees, and the world. The Gentleman and Ladies Leadership Club process facilitates sideways accountability to the degree that it helps create the conditions for both scalable and sustainable success. Further, students are engaged in the ownership of their own educational experience. “We have entered a time when students no longer rely on us to help them prepare for jobs; they need our assistance and guidance to navigate how to create their careers. 

The Process

The curriculum in these programs is shaped by the “Do You Know Enough About Me to Teach Me” model (Peters, 2006).

It covers topics that are relevant to students’ developmental stages, interest levels, and current events and aligned with their dreams and aspirations. While 2 and 4-year college trajectories are encouraged, the program also realizes that students’ dreams and aspirations are aligned with the desire to go into the workforce and/or into the military. The program abides by the following structure:

• Weekly meetings to reinforce curriculum.
• Weekly progress reports common language (accountability, responsibility, purpose)
• Guest speakers, mentors, and role models from the community
• Service Projects, Dress for Success, and Table Etiquette.
• Field Experience, Job Shadowing, Digital Badges, and Summer Literacy Summit

The Impact

Case Study

Over three years, 500 middle school boys participated in GLC in Detroit, MI; Atchison, KS; St. Louis, MO; and Orangeburg, SC. Each week, they learned etiquette, leadership, respect, honesty, goal setting, college prep, accountability, peer pressure, self-esteem, learning styles, communication, and public speaking. Teachers completed weekly progress reports and incorporated them into a point system—i.e., academic performance, attendance, and behavior—high points allowed participation in extracurricular activities.

Table 1 shows significant increases in attendance and drastic decreases in behavioral incidents/disciplinary offenses for all grade levels. Academic progress for grades 5, 6, and 8 increased by a letter grade (e.g., from letter grade C to B). For 7th grade, there was an increase of 7.4% within the same letter grade. In addition, surveys showed an increase in students’ motivation and engagement in the learning process.

I spoke with Dr. Stephen Peters about why experiential leadership programs are important in developing young leaders and what he sees in the future of the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Leadership Clubs.

Q: Dr. Peters, what did you see was missing from your school that formed the genesis for the Gentlemen’s Club? 

A: Our school’s culture was not “student-centered,” and we needed to amplify student voice strategically and intentionally as one of our core values. Relationships between adults and students needed improvement, and the Gentlemen’s Club served as a bridge to repairing and recalibrating these connections.

Q: Why do you think experiential leadership programs are essential in and out of school? 

A: They are essential because the foundation of what historically and traditionally occurred in the home is no longer happening to the degree it did in the past. There is a gap, and experiential leadership programs like the GLC fill that gap through the experiences and lessons provided through our program’s curriculum and process.

Q: There is a significant emphasis on character, leadership, discipline, and etiquette in schools in Asia, more so than on test scores and grades. These values are considered crucial for a well-rounded education. 

A: While testing is here to stay, I am a firm believer that we must do more than prepare students for the test. Most students I have worked with in the past and continue to work with can perform well on standardized tests; they just need a more well-rounded educational model that facilitates preparation and readiness for a world that does not always embrace who they are or desire to become.

Q: Do you believe that schools in the US should urgently embrace models that focus on character, leadership, discipline, and etiquette, like the Gentlemen’s Club? 

A: I do not believe that one size fits all models. I believe educational delivery should be customized to the school and students in that school to the degree that all offerings are relevant, meaningful, and purpose-oriented. Moreover, the operating systems in these schools should be aligned with the realities our children face daily.

Q: If so, as your program shows, do you believe that grades will significantly improve? 

A: Yes! Grades are the result of focus, relevance, and effort. Many of our participants simplify the complexity of our work by simply stating, “When I look good, I feel good, and when I feel good, I act good.” A student’s self-esteem is connected to and aligned with their daily experiences. School should not be a place students dread but rather a place they cannot wait to return to; it builds on the day before and the following weeks and months. Further, it shifts the emphasis from becoming successful to responding when I am not successful—one of life’s most valuable and essential lessons.

Q: What is your master plan to replicate the program nationwide, and how can school districts get involved? 

A: Over the last 28 years, our program has been implemented in over 20 states and continuously provides life and leadership experiences for our ladies and gentlemen that prepare them to be “future-ready” leaders. We welcome opportunities to partner with districts, schools, communities, and organizations that believe we can make a positive difference in the world by making a difference in our children, one dream at a time.