Finding good leaders in a student co-op is not an accidental process. If your methods for finding and nurturing new leaders are haphazard and less than successful you must institute change or the future of your co-op is at stake. Good leaders are not found, they are grown. Potential leaders must be identified early in their time in the co-op, they must be encouraged and nurtured. Most of all they must be rewarded for their involvement through success and recognition. The structure of your organization must recognize the stress on those in leadership positions and this stress must be reduced.
A successful leadership cycle can be viewed as a step process: Level 1: Active Co-op Member; Level 2: House Officer; Level 3: House President/BOD Representative; Level 4: Corporate Officer; Level 5: Co-op Movement Activist.
Like any growth process many seeds must be planted to achieve a few strong blooming plants. The seeds must be nurtured by those who are already in leadership positions and there must be achievable means to move from one level to the next.
