Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - What Being A Chapter Officer Has Taught Me

By johana gonzalez

Harmony School of Innovation - Fort Worth

Being a DECA chapter officer for the past three years has been an unforgettable experience, teaching me valuable lessons in organization, communication, and innovation through my many positions. From my role as Historian to now serving as Co-President, these skills have helped me lead my chapter and will benefit me in all areas of life, as they are always applicable and will last forever. My advice to anyone considering leadership positions is to embrace these three areas—they’ll help you grow, succeed, and make a lasting impact.

Organization: Keeping Everything on Track

As a chapter officer, organization became my best friend. Between schoolwork, DECA duties, and extracurricular activities, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the key to success lies in staying organized. One tool that helped me was using a shared digital calendar to keep track of meetings, deadlines, and events. It allowed me to plan and avoid last-minute stress. For example, organization was crucial when we hosted VEX competitions to raise money. I had to coordinate volunteers for every area, from setting up the event space to helping with clean-up and ensuring that everything ran smoothly. With proper planning and structure, it would have been smooth. Having a solid plan in place helped keep things on track and made the entire event a success.

Communication: Building Stronger Connections

Being an officer taught me that communication is at the heart of leadership. Whether I was reaching out to members about upcoming events or working with other officers, clear and open communication made all the difference. I’ve learned the importance of adjusting your communication style depending on your audience. For example, I keep messages concise and to the point when communicating with our advisors but more detailed when updating chapter members. We also used tools like GroupMe and Remind to ensure everyone stayed informed, especially when plans changed at the last minute. Additionally, we use Instagram as a way to share important information, knowing that members are more likely to scroll through Instagram than check Remind or GroupMe. By consistently sharing updates across different platforms, we created trust between everyone, ensuring that members felt informed and connected. These communication strategies have strengthened our chapter and helped us work together more effectively as a chapter.

Innovation: Creating New Opportunities

The most exciting part of being a chapter officer is the opportunity to innovate. Leadership isn’t just about following tradition. It’s about bringing fresh ideas to the table. I quickly realized that as an officer, I had the power to help shape the future of our chapter. One example of innovation was introducing new fundraising methods to boost our chapter’s budget. Rather than sticking to traditional methods, we experimented with virtual fundraising events and collaborations with local businesses, which turned out to be a hit. We also focused on implementing fun and engaging activities for our chapter, helping to create a stronger sense of community among our members and officers. This helped us reach our goals fun and engagingly while creating a memorable and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

Conclusion

Reflecting on my time as a DECA chapter officer, I’m grateful for the invaluable lessons I’ve learned in organization, communication, and innovation. These skills have not only shaped my leadership style but have also strengthened the bonds within our chapter. My experience has taught me that leadership is a journey of continuous growth, and I hope to inspire others to take on leadership roles. Embrace the challenges and opportunities that come your way; the skills you develop will serve you well in all aspects of life and enrich both you and your community.

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - How Your Chapter Officer Team Bonds

By cameron gutierrez

Clear Brook High School

At Clear Brook DECA, our number one goal is helping our members reach success through competition and bonding. This is something that is of extreme focus for our officer team. With that, our officer team also enacts a unique set of strategies to focus on officer team bonding as well! Below, we’ve provided some things that have worked for us so that you can bring your chapter officers closer together.

1. Group chat strategy

• If you’re an officer team, chances are you have a group chat with your fellow officers to keep each other updated on all things DECA. While Clear Brook DECA has a group chat, we also enact a super informal strategy to foster a sense of friendship between us. After all, DECA isn’t just all business: we’re here to have fun! Throw in a funny profile picture, and open your group chat up to more than just DECA.

2. Officer Meetings 

• Officer communication is key. At Clear Brook DECA, we host biweekly officer meetings with our chapter advisor to keep up with all things DECA. Plus, our officer meetings are pretty laid back: we have lunch together, engage in funny conversation, and overall keep it pretty casual!

3. Organization

• While your officer team should have a close bond, it’s also important to realize that you all serve a specific purpose: guiding your chapter members to success! Therefore, some level of organization and clarification must be done so that your chapter operates as efficiently as possible. At Clear Brook DECA, for example, we utilize a shared Google Drive and a shared Google Calendar in order to ensure that all information we have is centered and easy to access, eliminating any stress.

4. Host a Social

• Socials aren’t just for chapter members: they can also be for officers specifically! If your chapter has a large amount of officers, then great: a simple ice cream social between everyone is a great way to foster unique connections! At Clear Brook DECA, our officer team only consists of 6 people. Therefore, we try to host socials with other officer chapters in our school district. Not only do these bring us together, but they foster a sense of district spirit and allow us to bounce ideas off of each other! 

5. Connect with your Advisor

• Your advisor is the backbone of your DECA chapter, and without them, your DECA chapter simply wouldn’t exist. Therefore, make sure that you include your advisor in some officer events as well! As mentioned, at Clear Brook DECA, we loop our advisor in on officer meetings, as well as any events we host. 

6. Participate in Campaigns

• From service campaigns to the “Bring a Friend” campaign, national and Texas DECA campaigns serve the great purpose of bringing together your chapter. However, they can also directly connect your officer team! Try working on campaign ideas together, as well as partaking in them together and, along the way, helping members Be the One when they participate in campaigns. Not only will you foster that unique officer and chapter connection, but you’ll be making a difference in your community. 

7. But… why even focus on officer connections?

• Connecting with your officer team is one of the greatest ways that you can bring your chapter together. When your chapter sees your officer team connecting, it encourages its members to do the same, thus increasing your chapter spirit! 

Whether you’re a team of 2 or 30, bringing your officer team together is key to a successful membership year. On behalf of your Clear Brook DECA officers, we hope that this list of tips proves helpful in your Texas DECA chapter!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - Understanding Different Leadership Styles within a Team

By VEDA GANESAN | DISTRICT 12 PRESIDENT | ANALYZER LEADERSHIP STYLE

Marcus High School

Be the one this school year and learn what type of emerging leader you are! There is no one DECA definition of an emerging leader, since you are the one crafting your own story. Each leader is the voice of many, so it's very crucial to fully understand yourself before you attempt to understand your fellow peers. 

The DECA Leadership Styles assessment will help you identify your sweet spots and blind spots as a DECA leader. Having an awareness of your DECA Leadership Style will enable you to communicate better, assess others’ needs, and build productive relationships within your leadership team. A leader’s ability to identify these differences and quickly adapt to address individual needs can be the difference between leadership success and failure. Learn more about what type of emerging leader you are below!

Nature + Nurture + Choices

One-third of your leadership is based on nature: how you were uniquely wired and what types of genetics you received at birth. Another third of your leadership is based on nurture: the type of environments you have faced and the training you have received. It is a mixture of how you were raised and influenced by family, friends, heroes and others in your life. The final element of your leadership style is based on your choices: the lessons you have learned from the outcomes of your life decisions. 

The DECA Leadership Styles Quiz below provides insight into your nature, or how you are naturally programmed to lead. It provides a glimpse into your natural tendencies and how you were born to act and react to life situations. Your natural style often emerges when you are the most stressed, tired or operating in new or unfamiliar environments. As a leader, there is often the chance you will face one of these situations with your team, so understanding each others’ leadership styles is necessary to navigate uncharted terrain. As you gain confidence and comfortability in leadership, the nurture and choice aspects of your leadership style will emerge. This cultivation of nature, nurture and choice reveals the emerging leader within you. 

The Quiz

Take the interactive quiz here and learn a little bit more about your leadership style below.

Why understand the leadership styles in your team?

Here's why understanding leadership styles is important:

• Enhanced collaboration: Knowing different leadership styles allows leaders to work together more effectively, leveraging each other's strengths and compensating for weaknesses. Delegation and collaboration become much easier. 

• Improved communication: Leaders who understand their team’s leadership styles can tailor their communication approach, fostering clearer and more empathetic interactions. This results in better alignment and fewer misunderstandings.

• Adaptability: Leaders who are aware of various leadership styles can more easily adapt their approach based on the situation or the team they're working with. This flexibility is crucial when leading diverse groups.

• Personal growth: By recognizing different leadership styles, leaders can identify areas for their own personal development and can broaden their leadership repertoire. 

• Conflict resolution: Understanding different leadership approaches helps in resolving conflicts more efficiently among leaders. It allows teams to find compromises that respect diverse leadership styles and perspectives.

• Mentoring and development: Leaders who understand different styles are better equipped to mentor and develop the next generation of emerging leaders, helping to cultivate a strong leadership legacy within the organization.

• Decision-making: Understanding various leadership styles enables more informed and inclusive decision-making at the top level. It allows leaders to consider different perspectives and approaches when solving problems or setting organizational direction.

• Morale: Understanding the team’s leadership styles promotes a more inclusive environment, respecting and admiring diversity. 

By recognizing and appreciating the different leadership styles within your leadership team, your team can work together more harmoniously, capitalize on each other's strengths, and create a more cohesive leadership structure for your DECA chapter or association.

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - Summer Competition Preparation - Prepared Events

By Shivani Kondubhatla, State Vice President

Westwood High School

With summer in full swing, it’s the perfect time to get a headstart on preparing for your DECA Prepared Event. The prompts are out (for the applicable events), and DECA+ is filled with great  samples and resources to look through and get some inspiration. Here are a list of a few tips and tricks to make sure that you are ready to go for when DECA season officially starts: 

• Choose Something You’re Passionate About

Winning the coveted glass or making it to ICDC does not always come from choosing “easier” events, but rather ones that you are genuinely interested in. Summer is the perfect time to find the right event for you. Is there a social issue that you are very passionate about? Maybe Project Management is the way to go. Do you like to research and collaborate with local businesses? Then consider Operations Research. Here is a great resource to help you discover what event you want to do. But whatever you choose, make sure that you genuinely are interested in it and can write a report/make a presentation on it! 

• Make a Game Plan for the School Year 

When school’s in session, it can get pretty hectic balancing schoolwork with your DECA project. Your life will be 10x easier if you make a checklist right now of what you want to accomplish each month to ensure your DECA project gets completed. My partners and I competed in Operations Research, and we created a strict schedule that we followed throughout the year. We made sure to reach out to local businesses and do more research on the prompt in August, and we finished conducting our research in September-October. Here are some great timelines to follow if you need help making your game plan.

• Research, Research, Research

Summer is the perfect time to really understand your event and the business acumen you need to acquire. For the events with prompts, this article has so many links to further understand your prompt and brainstorm. If you are doing an Entrepreneurship event, for example, be sure to be very familiar with financials, different markets, etc. If you aren’t too confident with these, then start learning about it right now! Judges can tell if you know what you’re talking about, be it while judging your report or your presentation, so do lots of research now! It’s also a great time to start looking at other’s reports/presentations, which can be found on DECA+. You can get a good idea of what to implement, things that worked, etc. (but make sure not to copy or plagiarize their work!)   

• Start Writing or Making Your Presentation

If you’re feeling very productive this summer, you can even get started on your actual report or presentation. You want to become best friends with your event’s guidelines, which can be found on DECA+. Use that as the blueprint of your report, and start outlining and writing your report on Google Docs or Word. Don’t worry about graphics or making your report look pretty just yet — just focus on the content and remember it’s just the beginning. Take your time! Check out this written event guide for more assistance.

 We hope these tips help you get started on your prepared event this summer. Good luck!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - 2023-2024 DECA Rewind

By yashitha chunduru, State President

Coppell High School

No three words describe the 2023-2024 DECA year better than “Experience the difference.” From serving as a District Vice President to running for State Office, this past year has been an absolute roller coaster of an experience!

As a District Officer...

As one of the District 11 Vice Presidents, I had a huge role in a lot of the district-wide events that we hosted. We had our Fall Leadership Conference in October and had to plan what information we would present to chapter officers and in what manner we would present that information. At FLC we also got to kick off our district community service project. After months of planning and promoting the professional clothing drive, we were able to collect over six hundred pieces of professional clothing including blazers, belts, slacks, shirts, and shoes.

A couple of weeks later, D11 hosted its first Mock DECA Competition in years. Not only did we offer insightful feedback through competition, but we also distributed the professional clothes we collected to ensure that the students in D11 would have clothes to compete in at District CDC. These clothes would go on to help with interviews, internships, and jobs.

A few weeks later, we had a Feed My Starving Children Volunteer Day where different chapters joined the D11 Officer team throughout the day to package meals for kids in need. We ended up helping a total of one hundred eighty-seven kids for a year. This was a great team bonding activity and we had an amazing day filled with fun competition and helping others!

In January, District CDC came despite snowy days and somewhat iced-up roads. Between competing, running for District Office a second time, and helping run the conference smoothly, there wasn’t a lot of free time. However, I still enjoyed seeing so many faces in person after a year of PCMs!

As a Competitor...

Alongside planning events and community service projects, the grind of preparing for my competitive event began. This year, I competed in Business Services Marketing, which is an individual series role-play event. Most of October and November was spent taking practice tests, looking through marketing related vocabulary, and looking through explanations on answer keys.

After taking my Marketing Cluster Exam, I had a little over a month to practice pole plays and look through different performance indicators. I practiced with different family members and with a couple of my friends that I practiced with the last couple of years. At District, I was announced as a state qualifier which meant that I had about two weeks to continue studying for testing. The state exam is considered to be harder than the district exam which meant that the two weeks were spent doing as many old exams as possible.

After testing, I had about two weeks to practice my role plays once again and make them ICDC qualifier-worthy. At State CDC in February, I competed alongside other Texas DECA members and was announced as an ICDC Qualifier. From after State CDC right up to ICDC, I mostly worked on studying for the exam. I knew testing was where I was weaker, so that’s where I ended up putting most of my focus. I did more role play prep once we entered April.

At ICDC, I tested and did my two preliminary role plays. On the morning of the Achievement Awards Ceremony, I waited nervously to hear whether I would get to compete again as a Top 20 Finalist for my event. When they announced the blue ribbon medallion winners for BSM, my name was called and I got to compete once again!

Unfortunately, I didn’t win a glass or be announced as a top-ten winner, but I learned a lot through competing as a finalist, and I hope I get farther in the 2024-2025 DECA year!

As a State Officer...

After campaigning, being interviewed, being tested, and running alongside nineteen other candidates, Texas DECA’s Team 79 State Officers were announced at the awards session on the last day of State CDC. I was elected President, and my term pretty much kicked off from there.

Our first conference was the Texas Leadership Summit, where the District Officers were teamed up. This took place at the Kalahari Resort, and there were many fun icebreakers we did to get to know each other. I loved seeing the rest of my team in person and finally getting a chance to meet some of the new District Officers!

A month after TLS came ICDC in Anaheim, California. At ICDC, I loved trading pins and meeting members from across the world! I also enjoyed networking with other state officers at the Parade of Flags and the State Officer Luncheon.

As a State Officer, I helped with registration and attended different voting delegate sessions when I wasn’t busy competing. I got to sit in caucuses with the executive officer candidates and talk to them at the meet and greet!

The 2023-2024 DECA year was incredible for me and I hope it was for you as well! I can’t wait to see all of Texas DECA’s accomplishments and the memories made in the 2024-2025 DECA year!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - Summer To-Do List

By Mariyam Khazi, District 5 Vice President

Round Rock High School

Destination: DECA Success 2024-2025!

Travel Dates: May - August

The DECA To-Do List:

• Select your event!

• Start preparing for your event: whether this be studying for your cluster exam or starting your written event paper!

• If you’re serving as a chapter/district officer, schedule meetings with your team to plan for the 24-25 competitive school year!

• Keep up with your District! Attend socials that the District may be hosting. Network!
  

Jobs/Interning:

• Finding a part-time job can help cure the annual summer boredom! Consider: ice cream stores, tutoring centers, lifeguarding, restaurants, etc.

• Look into internships for your desired career field: visit LinkedIn and other job sites to find opportunities. 

• Apply! Apply! Apply! The worst response you can get is a no, and the more chances you take, the better results you will get!

• Cold email/call! There’s no harm in reaching out to get information about potential opportunities!

Take a Breather:

• Take some time this summer to rewind and relax! It’s supposed to be a break, so treat it like one!

• Spend quality time with friends and family to catch up!

• Travel! Go places, connect with nature, and enjoy what’s around you!

To be a successful DECA member this year, it is essential to find a good work-life balance. This summer is the perfect time to create a plan for the upcoming school & competitive year, while also discovering habits that work best for you. For many DECA members, school is starting up next month (we’re already halfway through summer!) so make sure to utilize this time to do what you need to do. Once you get back into the hustle-bustle of school life, it is necessary to have good balancing habits in place so you don’t get overwhelmed.

​​Now, for a more “DECA” approach, for those of you that would like to begin preparation for your events, the DECA Guide for 2024-2025 has been released! Resources for roleplay and written/prepared events are all available here!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - Summer Competition Preparation - Role Play Events

By Johana Gonzalez, District 12 Vice President

Harmony School of Innovation - Fort Worth

Summer is ideal for getting ahead in your DECA Role Play Events! With less schoolwork and plenty of free time, you can focus on sharpening your skills and gaining an edge over the competition. So, here is how you can make the most out of your summer and prepare like a pro for those DECA Role Play events.

What is a Role Play?

Before you start preparing, it's essential to understand the structure and expectations of DECA Role Play events. Each event typically features an exam, a real-world scenario or business case study, a preparation period, and a presentation. These events are designed to assess your problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and industry knowledge within a realistic business context. To prepare effectively, familiarize yourself with the official DECA guidelines and study past role-play examples available on texasdeca.org. This resource provides exam blueprints and past case studies that are key to understanding what judges look for and refining your approach accordingly.

Why a Role Play Instead of a Written Event?

Role-plays offer a dynamic way to demonstrate your skills. Unlike written events, role-plays require on-the-spot thinking and adaptability, reflecting real business challenges. They help you develop critical soft skills like public speaking and quick decision-making, which are highly valued in business. DECA Direct’s Article, You Do You: Choose Competitive Event, has lots of information to help you decide if Role Play is your perfect competitive event!

Two Different Role Plays Formats:

1. Individual Events: Individual events in DECA encompass a variety of formats, including Principles Events tailored for first-year participants. In these events, you are presented with a scenario and allotted 10 minutes for preparation, followed by 10 minutes to present your solution.

2. Team Decision Making Events: In these events, participants work in pairs, emphasizing teamwork, collaboration, and the ability to develop a cohesive strategy. Each team is presented with a scenario and given 30 minutes to prepare, followed by a 15-minute presentation to present their solution.

Memorizing and Understanding Performance Indicators (PIs)

Performance Indicators (PIs) are specific skills and knowledge areas that judges look for in your

role-play. To master them:

- Memorize: Familiarize yourself with the PIs related to your event category. Create flashcards or use apps to aid memorization. Websites such as AnswerWrite, Quizlet, DECA+, and Texas DECA offer resources.

- Understand: Go beyond memorization by applying PIs in practice scenarios. Understanding how to implement them in various contexts will make your presentations more effective.

Practical Tips for Summer Preparation

1. Research Your Event Category: Stay updated on industry trends, key concepts, and current events.

2. Study Terms: Dedicate time to learn and understand essential terms and concepts relevant to your DECA event category. Mastering these terms will not only enhance your exam performance but also strengthen your presentations by demonstrating a deep understanding of industry-specific language.

3. Practice Role-Play Scenarios: Use past DECA scenarios to simulate competition. Time yourself and focus on clear, structured responses.

4. Develop Soft Skills: Enhance public speaking, body language, and confidence through

practice and feedback.

By following these tips, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle DECA Role Play events with confidence

and skill. Use this summer wisely, and you’ll see the results in your performance. Good luck!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - A District Officer Summer (D10)

By Clare Kim, District 10 Vice President

Coronado High School

Howdy, Texas DECA! As we find ourselves in the peak of summer, it's the perfect time to reflect on what your district officers work on from springtime to now! From leadership summits to planning for the upcoming year, we've been busy ensuring that this year will be one for the books. Here's a look at our highlights and ongoing efforts.

● Texas Leadership Summit (TLS)

The Texas Leadership Summit (TLS) was a pivotal event for us. It’s a three-day workshop where we go to learn about our roles and the expectations that come with them. Held earlier in March, TLS offered district officers from across the state an immersive experience focused on leadership development and strategic planning. We engaged in various icebreakers and activities designed to enhance our leadership skills, network with fellow officers, and brainstorm innovative ideas to elevate our districts. One of the key takeaways from TLS was the importance of collaboration and effective communication. We learned how to better engage with our chapters and members, ensuring that we can provide the best support possible throughout the year. The insights gained from TLS are already being implemented as we plan upcoming events and initiatives.

● CTE “Preparing the Workforce” Conference

Recently for District 10, we manned a DECA booth at our local CTE Workforce Conference. There, we got to meet advisors, tell them of our plans for the year, and remind them of the amazing year we’ve had. Additionally, it was an incredible opportunity for us to spread the word of DECA to those who’ve never heard of us. We were also fortunate enough to network with many corporations allowing us to bring resources and opportunities to our chapters.

● Third of the Month Reports (TOMRs)

Another fundamental of being a district officer is TOMRs, or Third of the Month Reports. These reports relay what we’ve achieved and the goals we hope to accomplish for the next month. We compile updates on our activities, achievements, and any challenges we encounter.

● Social Media Management

One of my responsibilities as Vice President of District 10 is running our social media. I’m sure you can tell Canva and I are close friends. Since TLS, I’ve made posts on our new officer team, ICDC, mental health, and an internship opportunity, to name a few. Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with our members and keeping everyone informed about upcoming events and opportunities.

● Planning for the Upcoming Year

As we look ahead, our primary priority is planning for the upcoming year. Currently, our focus in District 10 is to further flesh out the details of our mock competition. We, officers, have also been talking about what we want our community service project for the year to be. Our goal is to ensure that every member has the opportunity to develop their skills, gain leadership experience, and prepare for their future careers.

Well, that’s all for now! With the upcoming school year, you can expect your district officers to get much busier. Nevertheless, your district officer teams will always have your best interests at heart and cannot wait to see y’all #BetheOne!

Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations - A District Officer's Summer Recap

By Chloe Rocha, District 8 Vice President

Lubbock-Cooper High School

Summer is in full swing, and we're excited to update you on everything that's been happening since our Texas Leadership Summit (TLS) trip earlier this year. As a District 8 officer on behalf of all of our district officers, we've been hard at work to ensure we make this summer both productive and engaging for all of you before the start of our next school year!

Our journey started with the Texas Leadership Summit (TLS), where we developed our skills, networked with fellow district officers, and gained valuable insights into effective team management and competitive strategies to help fellow DECA members as a team. 

One of our major initiatives as a district 8 team post-TLS has been the creation of a Virtual Bootcamp. Understanding the challenges posed by remote learning based on our chapters' separation from each other and the need for continuous skill development during our competition season, we created a series of workshops and videos aimed at improving your DECA experience from the comfort of your own home and school. Whether you're focusing on marketing, finance, hospitality, or entrepreneurship in role plays or presentations, our Virtual Bootcamp has something for everyone.

To keep the competitive spirit alive, we've been organizing virtual challenges for our Bootcamp throughout the summer. These challenges not only test your DECA knowledge and skills but also provide opportunities for networking and collaboration with members from other chapters within our district. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming challenges and how you can participate!

Beyond skills development, we've also emphasized community engagement. From virtual communication to collaborative projects with local businesses, we're committed to making a positive impact both within DECA and in our community. As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, we're filled with optimism and excitement. Our goal is to build on the excitement of this summer, expanding our reach and impact within District 8 and other districts. Whether you're a returning member or new to DECA, there are countless opportunities awaiting you, and we're here to support you every step of the way!

Creating a Program of Leadership

By combining your ideas, resources, and the people involved, you can create a strong strategy that will allow you to achieve results. Having a solid strategy is key for achieving the goals that you set forth for the year. A program of leadership is a guide to creating that solid strategy so that you are setting your team up for a successful year of achieving, and hopefully exceeding your goals.

Your ‘Program of Leadership’ or POL guides you to create goals for the year in the areas of PROGRAMS, OPERATIONS, and LEADERSHIP. Check out the resources below to get started with your planning!

See the guide below to help your chapter officer team in planning your strongest year yet!

WHAT DOES THE FILE INCLUDE?

Robert's Rules of Order

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A Day In The Life Of An Officer

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DECA Elevate

What does the Official DECA Elevate Booklet include?

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Conflict Resolution Strategies

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Communicating With Your Chapter Officer Team

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Running Your Chapter Officer Team

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Building Your Chapter Officer Team

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The Responsibilities of Being and Officer

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About DECA's Leadership Academies

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5 Key Skills to Being a Leader

One of the most defining character traits in DECA members is the trait of leadership. Without leadership, one can not successfully manage a business, become the CEO of a company, let alone be able to approach customers on a daily basis. It all takes learning how to lead and guide people efficiently. Now for the big question: How does one develop the characteristics of a leader? We’re about to give you 5 characteristics of a quality leader!

1. Public Speaking

In order to be an effective leader, your level of communication must be high. Engaging with members in your chapter is a perfect way to start. Once you know the members of your chapter personally, public speaking will suddenly become a lot easier! As they say, “You learn best by doing, not learning to do.” So practice through speaking! Talk to anyone and everyone, and be social! Another way to increase your level of public speaking is through accessibility. Don’t come off as unapproachable, people should want to talk to you, too. Always remember to remain personable and before you know it, your speaking skills will eventually elevate!

2. Learning to Serve

A wise man said “In order to be a leader, you must first learn to serve.” Most people in business don’t want to work for someone else. Why? Because the ultimate goal is to become a CEO. That’s the dream, right? Often, the idea of working for someone else gives off a negative connotation to certain people. However, the truth is, before you become a leader, you must be a follower. The best way to uplift yourself is to uplift others, so empower others and  help other people achieve their goals and the favor will be returned back to you!

3. Persistence

“Persistence beats resistance”. We all have our own personal struggles going on. We also know that value isn’t just handed to you. It takes skill, knowledge, and attitude. Regardless of the challenges that come your way, and regardless of the struggles you go through, push through. Realize that ALL great things take time, and nothing will ever be just handed to you. The true definition of a leader is going beyond the point where everybody else would stop, learn to embody this trait.

4. Focus

You can’t be a leader without prioritizing some things over others. Leaders are always, always, always focused, true leaders are.  Breaks are a necessity thing, and one should NEVER over work themselves. However, remember time is valuable and should always be used wisely. When you’re focused, you may not always go through with the popular decision, but you’ll always “Do what’s best for business”. You’ve got to remember not to focus on your competition, but rather focus on improving yourself.

5. Confidence

Confidence is key to being an excelling leader. How do you expect others to believe you when you don’t even believe in yourself? Confidence allows you to guide others, have others listen to your voice, and gain respect. Not all of us are as confident as others, but remember- there is only one you, and you are unique. No one else is like you, so you might as well show people what you’re made of! Be yourself, and be confident walking in your own shoes. This will get you far!

All of these traits go hand in hand. Master these skills are you will be on your way to leading your chapter to greatness!

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