Keynotes

Imagine… an audience full of student leaders from all over the nation who realize that ‘We are all having the same challenges.’ NCSL gives you five keynote presenters throughout the course of four days who recognize those challenges and approach them with solutions. Five chances to learn and grow, realize practical solutions, and acknowledge that when people talk about their issues, their experiences, and themselves, it helps you identify what you can do on your campus. Begin your journey to achieving balance right here at NCSL.

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Living Your Life in Balance: Leadership for the 21st Century

Calling on the ground-breaking work of Dr. John Gardner of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, Dr. Will Keim will challenge young leaders to become character-driven decision makers who can work in increasingly diverse settings. Leadership will be defined, and participants will learn the Ten Essential Success Traits of the 21st Century Leader who wants to make a difference in the world and be present to her or his community, friends, and family as well. "Business as usual is over.”, writes Will. "We desperately need leaders who can make ethical decisions, play well with others, and communicate their ideas and differences in a non-defense provoking manner."

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Define leadership and the ten essential characteristics of successful leaders.
2. Make character driven decisions through a 4 step ethical decision making model.
3. Resolve conflict interpersonally through a 5 step conflict resolution model.
4. Understand the importance of working well with diverse constituencies in the 21st century.
5. Understand the necessary balance between curricular and co-curricular learning as the secret to living a balanced life.

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Child Survival: Finding Balance in an Unbalanced World

Balance. How do you find your balance as a leader? What factors impact how you balance your time and energy to focus on the issues that are important to you? Every day, 26,000 children’s lives hang in the balance between life and death. These children should not and don’t have to face this fate if we each believe our individual and collective actions as leaders can make a difference. Cynthia will engage and inspire you with a call to action to do “whatever it takes to save a child”. As chief program officer of the United States Fund for UNICEF, Cynthia will share her insights on how, as engaged student leaders, you can organize grass roots efforts on your campus to make a real difference in the lives of at-risk children around the world. This motivational keynote will definitely challenge you to 'find your balance' as a compassionate, caring, and committed leader!

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Demonstrate awareness of the global challenges related to child survival and the specific efforts and programs of UNICEF.
2. Show knowledge of stories from children and families whose quality of life are currently affected by health, education and poverty related challenges.
3. Examine their opportunities for addressing various issues of child survival on campus through their roles as student leaders.

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The Balance Beam of Leadership

Ed Gerety will share strategies that will help you find and keep your balance while navigating the changes and challenges of being a leader. Ed shares his personal experiences, insights, and real life examples to teach the principles that are essential to being a successful student leader today. This high-energy, humorous, and interactive presentation will inspire you to keep making a difference.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the action steps to living the four principles of leadership.
2. Identify specific strategies to maintain a positive attitude during the changes and challenges of being a leader.
3. Articulate the keys to setting and attaining personal and professional goals.
4. Share ideas on how to make an impact as a leader and inspire others.

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Taking Action: An Urge to Make a Difference

It is difficult to find your balance as a student leader if you are trying to lead in the wrong places, at the wrong times, with the wrong people. This participatory presentation will serve as an opportunity for student leaders to examine how they use their leadership gifts, abilities, vision and tenacity to cause the places where they stand to become greater destinations. You will leave the presentation with an understanding that it takes energy, self confidence, and self knowledge to become an effective leader.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Identify energy, self confidence, and self knowledge as key attributes of an effective leader.
2. Understand that working through adversity is a skill that every leader must possess.
3. Examine the importance of fulfilling their personal purpose each time they determine that they should serve as a leader.
4. Recognize and respond to leadership distractions.

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Beating College Burnout: Avoiding Wonder Woman and Superman Syndrome

Are you having a difficult time balancing your academic studies with your job? What about time for dating? How about time for your friends and yourself? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this presentation is for you! In this entertaining and interactive keynote based on Jermaine’s two motivational books, Get Up Off Your Butt & Do It NOW! and The NOW Factors of College Success, he will share success principles to help you succeed in life, school, and work.

Learning Outcomes
Participants should be able to:

1. Balance and manage life and time using the power of the 168.
2. Sustain personal and academic success using the T.A.G.S. philosophy.
3. Prevent themselves from stressing out, burning out, and rusting out.
4. Overcome procrastination using the 5 Ws technique.
5. Determine and clarify your highest values, goals, and priorities.

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