Lead2Feed Finds Student Leadership Goes Beyond the Classroom
NEWARK, DE, December 5, 2017 — Understanding what makes today’s leaders successful is more critical now, than ever. A new survey of U.S. adults by Lead2Feed, the nation’s leading and fastest growing free student leadership program, found that 91 percent of Americans say that students are more successful in school when they are able to practice their leadership skills outside the classroom. With our next generation of leaders still in school, the majority of Americans agree that effective leaders should exhibit compassion and critical thinking as well as be involved in serving their local communities.
“We believe that students learn by doing and Lead2Feed gives students the opportunity to use their leadership skills in authentic learning environments,” said David Novak, the founder of the Lift a Life Foundation and sole funder of the Lead2Feed Leadership program. “The program equips our future workforce with leadership skills while developing a service-oriented mindset.”
Lead2Feed believes that students who learn the imperative 21st-century skills in middle and high school are more likely to become successful leaders after graduating than those who do not. Ninety-one percent of Americans agree with this statement.
“The Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program provides an opportunity for middle and high school students to practice their leadership skills in their local communities,” said Diane Barrett, Executive Director of the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning, Inc. “Lead2Feed’s curriculum enables students to learn and enhance crucial 21st-century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and communication while managing a service-based project from start to finish.” The Lead2Feed survey conducted online by Harris Poll among more than 3,300 American adults analyzes insights related to Americans’ perceptions on what qualities are important to become a successful leader.
Qualities of Successful Leaders
When asked about the qualities that successful leaders should have, 97 percent of Americans think that critical thinking is an important quality for someone to be a successful leader. The survey found that 95 percent of Americans think that project management knowledge (e.g., being able to strategically plan and execute a successful project from start to finish) and having a results-driven mentality are important qualities of an outstanding leader. Finally, 93 percent of Americans say that it’s important for a leader to be compassionate.
The Keys to Leadership Success
When evaluating the keys to successful leadership, the survey found that nearly all Americans (96 percent) agree communication skills are equally as valuable as intellectual ability for strong leaders – nearly two thirds (63 percent) strongly agree with that sentiment. When asked about community service, 90 percent of Americans feel that leaders should be involved in serving their local community.
“The Lead2Feed program allows me to combine my two passions – service and student organizations. Watching my students grow from caring individuals to civil servants is priceless. The leadership component provides the necessary training needed to build strong leaders that care about others and ultimately make this world a better place. It is a win-win!” said Jennifer Freeman, Lead2Feed Advisor with Seneca High School in Louisville, K.Y.
Since its inception over six years ago, more than one million middle and high school students from 5,000 schools and clubs across all 50 states have participated in Lead2Feed. The program is inspired by Co-Founder, former CEO and Chairman of Yum! Brands, and leadership expert, David Novak. The program was developed by the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning and the Lift a Life Foundation.
Teachers and advisors can register their student teams for the Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program and enter the Lead2Feed Challenge online at www.lead2feed.org for the opportunity to win grants for their charity and technology products for their schools and clubs. Lead2Feed Challenge entries are accepted all year, with the deadline for each school year being the first Friday in April.
Complete rules and details on the Lead2Feed Challenge are available at: http://www.lead4change.org/how-to-participate/project-submission-rules/
To watch the action, get involved and learn more, follow Lead2Feed:
• Web: http://www.lead4change.org
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lead2Feed
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeadtoFeed
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/leadtofeed
• Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/leadtofeed/
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Lead2Feed from November 13-15, 2017 among 3,345 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Jessica Chen, jchen@cooperkatz.com.
About Lead2Feed
The Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program was created by the Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning and the Lift a Life Foundation to encourage middle and high school students to hone leadership skills by completing a service project around a community need involving a public nonprofit 501c3.
About Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning
The Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning, a 501c3 organization, supports and builds alliances that enhance innovative, instructional programs and community outreach by providing the resources to promote new opportunities and participation. FILL is a supporting foundation to the International Literacy Association. The foundation welcomes participation in efforts to engage, enlighten and inspire today’s students and educators by opening their classrooms to the real world. The Foundation seeks funding from other foundations, private companies and organizations to help provide educational programs for elementary and secondary schools, community colleges and/or programs in specific disciplines or curriculum areas. The Foundation works with interested parties to collaborate on the creation of an educational program that promotes literacy and learning.
About Lift a Life Foundation
The Lift a Life Foundation was established in 1999 by David and Wendy Novak. The mission of the Lift a Life Foundation is to help those in need achieve their full potential with the goal of funding innovative, high impact projects that are led by passionate leaders who are committed to outstanding execution. The foundation focuses on grant funding in the areas of student leadership development, juvenile diabetes, hunger relief, early childhood education and military family support. Since Lift a Life Foundation began, it has helped thousands of people in need through grants and programming support. David Novak is the Co-Founder, former CEO and Chairman of Yum! Brands, one of the world’s largest restaurant companies with nearly 43,500 KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in more than 135 countries and territories. A renowned expert on leadership and recognition culture, Novak is the author of three highly respected and critically acclaimed books, The Education of an Accidental CEO, the New York Times bestseller Taking People With You as well as his latest parable, O Great One! A Little Story About The Awesome Power of Recognition. David has been recognized as “2012 CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive magazine, one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by FORTUNE and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review. In April 2015, he received the prestigious 2015 Horatio Alger Award for his commitment to philanthropy and higher education and became a lifetime member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. He is the recipient of the 2012 UN World Food Program Leadership Award for Yum! Brands World Hunger Relief effort that raises awareness, volunteerism and funds to address this global problem. He received the national 2008 Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. He is currently the founder and CEO of the digital leadership platform, oGoLead.com.
David is committed to developing future leaders. Adapted from the leadership principles of his book Taking People With You, he funds a leadership program for middle and high school students: The Lead2Feed Student Leadership Program. Lead2Feed is the nation’s leading and fastest-growing free leadership program, attracting more than a million students in 5,000 schools and clubs across all 50 states.
Wendy Novak is a lifelong philanthropist and volunteer. She serves on the advisory board for the Wendy Novak Diabetes Care Center. http://liftalifefoundation.org/
Contact:
Jessica Chen
CooperKatz & Company for Lead2Feed
917.595.3055