For many years I have been putting together and distributing small “Leadership Kits” to my employees and various student leaders whose leadership skills I aim to develop further. When I was the advisor for a leadership living-learning community, I gave my students a leadership kit to help emphasize some of the attributes of being a “servant leader.” Although I themed the kits for servant leadership, you can adopt them to serve your own particular leadership needs.

The kit comes in the form of a Ziploc bag that includes the following inexpensive items that correspond to various aspects of leadership:

• Snickers Candy – leaders need a sense of humor
• Dum Dum Lollipops – leaders learn from their mistakes
• Rubber bands – leaders are flexible
• Pen / Pencil & Pad (Post-It Notes) – leaders write down good ideas
• Highlighter – leaders highlight the strengths of their team members
• Light stick – leaders show the way
• Glue stick – leaders keep the team together
• Super Ball – because leaders are super to their team
• Index cards for the leadership quote(s) and item explanation

Outside of the symbolic representation of the items, the kit also serves as a small resource supply bag that students and employees can use from a practical standpoint to accomplish such tasks as homework and other school and job-related projects. The kits can be used for staff welcome back gifts, primers for team discussions, marketing efforts for an upcoming leadership activity, and even as a simple passive activity / program for your students.

You can create your own “Leadership Kit, by downloading this free, ready-made leadership kit label template in order to print out the leadership cards and quotes you will need to assemble your own kits. These can be printed on Avery labels (Template #5163) and adhered to index cards or you can simply print them on paper and cut them out.

Enjoy and please share with the handout with your colleagues!