Nonverbal Cues: Your Silent Partner in Engagement
Imagine you’re checking out a new apartment. While getting a tour of the place from the current renter, who would be your roommate, he starts acting odd. I mean, really odd. He walks rapidly around the apartment. He holds his water glass high above his head. Next thing you know, he is shuffling backwards on […]
Is Your Team a Bunch of Dumb Rats?
While preparing for an upcoming program with a group of campus leaders, I asked the Director of Orientation if anything in particular stood out about her group of students. She replied, “I don’t know what it is about this year, or this group, but they just aren’t into it. They seem low energy, low passion, […]
NOW OFFERING: Virtual Leadership Programs
You may have noticed that life as we know it has changed entirely for the time being. Most of us are working from home, balancing hour-long grocery store lines, watching and teaching our children, all on top of a full time job, if we are that lucky to still have our job. All colleges are […]
Icebreakers: How to Make Them Effective
Recently, we discussed why icebreakers are important. Now, I want to explain what makes an icebreaker effective. Some people love them, and others can’t stand them. However, you feel about them, researchers have found that feelings of closeness are sparked when people share things about themselves. What makes an effective icebreaker? Rules for Effective Icebreakers […]
Self-Doubt in Student Leaders: Ways to Overcome Insecurity and Encourage Yourself
Students entering college face a transformative period in their lives. Going to university is many students’ first experience with completely independent everyday decision-making. Aside from going to class and making sure to eat, students are also facing enormously important internal hurdles. They are asking themselves questions about their values, their futures, and their identities. During this process, some […]
5 Things to Say Instead of “I’m sorry, but”
I’m sorry, but can you please get that paper work done? I’m sorry, but did you ever email our advisor…? I’m sorry to bother you, but do you know when you’ll have that done? Sound familiar? We have all done it. Many of us feel like we are bothering someone when we should be owning […]
Meetings: I Was Doing Them All Wrong (You Probably Are Too)
Until I came to work for Swift Kick, I had the meeting thing down. Or so I thought. I had been taught since I was a resident assistant a specific way to run a meeting. Looking back, it’s as if all my supervisors had learned from the same place. It would look something like this… […]
Pay Attention, Ask For Help, Set Your Soul on Fire – Leadership Tips
Each month Swift Kick will be highlighting a member in our community who shows extraordinary Leadership within their own community. In the month of February, we decided to conduct a Q&A with Tony Williams. He is a dedicated Community Assistant, the Social Diversity Chair for Association of Campus Events, and the Membership Chair for KU Presidential […]
A Strong Community and a Hard-Earned College Degree – Sami’s Story Pt. 2
I know this post is longer than normal, but it’s my story. It is my fears, failures, and successes all written out for the world to see. So please, bear with me as I explain my life and how anyone can succeed in anything they want to. All you have to do is work hard, […]
Death Cafe NYC – #50MeetUps
You might think I am weird, but I like to talk about death. Not in a creepy way. I am simply fascinated by the conversations around death and dying. In our #50MeetUps journey, my next stop was with the Death Cafe NYC Meet Up. This group is run by a Hospice Memory Artist and a Grief Specialist […]