From Quiet to Confident
From Quiet to Confident
Every year when we host the Leaders of Today Conference, we spend a lot of time thinking about what we want students to walk away with. The focus has changed a little from year to year as the program has grown, but there is one thing I always find myself looking for by the end of the day.
Confidence.
This year we had two clear goals for the students who attended. First, we wanted them to spend time thinking about their values. What do they believe? What actually matters to them? What principles will guide the decisions they make when life gets complicated?
Second, we wanted them to grow in confidence. Leadership requires people who are willing to speak up, share their ideas, and step forward even when it feels uncomfortable. Confidence is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about believing that your voice matters.
Those two things work together. Knowing your values without the confidence to speak them does not change much. Confidence without strong values can send you in the wrong direction. But when someone begins to develop both, leadership really starts to take shape.
Because of that, every year at the conference I find myself watching for a very specific moment. It usually has nothing to do with the schedule, the speakers, or whether everything runs exactly the way we planned. The moment I look for is a student.
More specifically, I look for the student who walks into the room a little unsure of themselves.
You can usually notice them early in the day. They are paying close attention, but they are quiet. When we ask questions to the group, they are not the first person to jump into the conversation. They are still figuring out the room, the people around them, and whether or not they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.
And honestly, that is completely normal. Walking into a room full of new people and being asked to talk about leadership is not exactly the most comfortable situation for most high school students.
But there is another reason I always look for that student.
Because that student used to be me.
When I was in high school, I attended a leadership program that lasted six days. I remember walking into that program feeling shy, unsure of myself, and honestly a little nervous to share what I was thinking. Being in a room full of new people talking about leadership felt intimidating.
At that point in my life, raising my hand in a group discussion felt like volunteering to jump out of an airplane.
But something started to change as the week went on. The conversations got deeper. The activities pushed us to think more about who we were and what we believed. The people around me encouraged each other to speak up and share ideas. Slowly, the room started to feel different, and I started to feel different in it.
By about the fourth day, something had clearly shifted. I remember talking with my dad and he looked at me and said, “Where have you been all week? You are a different person.”
What he was noticing was confidence.
Not confidence because I suddenly had everything figured out, but confidence because I had started to believe that my thoughts and ideas were worth sharing. That experience changed the way I saw myself and the way I approached leadership, and it is a big part of the reason Leaders of Today exists today.
That is why I watch for that student every year at the conference.
I know what it feels like to walk into a room unsure of yourself, shoulders a little hunched, trying not to draw too much attention to yourself. And I know what it feels like to walk out of that same room standing a little taller.
Last Friday, during one of our group discussions, the student who had been quiet earlier in the day raised their hand and shared their thoughts with the group. What they shared was thoughtful and honest, and you could hear a confidence in their voice that had not been there earlier that morning.
Moments like that might seem small to someone watching from the outside, but they are exactly why Leaders of Today exists. I love seeing the students who walk in shy, making themselves small in the room, and then watching those same students later in the day smiling after sharing their ideas with the group.
That is the moment I always look for.
Because that moment means something important has happened. The student understands their values a little more clearly, and they believe their voice matters enough to share them.
That is leadership starting to take shape.
The Leaders of Today Conference is not really about putting on an event. Our goal is to create environments where young people can discover that they are capable of leading right now, not someday in the distant future.
I am incredibly grateful for the people who helped make that happen this year. Rob Smith, Jen Peterson, and Jade Cessna gave their time to invest in our students and share lessons from their own leadership journeys. I am also thankful for the Leaders of Today team who worked behind the scenes to make the day possible. Events like this only happen because a group of people believe deeply in the mission and are willing to put in the work to bring it to life.
Most of all, I am thankful for the students who chose to spend their Friday learning, asking questions, and challenging themselves to grow. Some walked in confident. Others walked in quietly trying to figure out the room. But by the end of the day, every student had the opportunity to take a step forward.
And when a student discovers their values and finds the confidence to share them with others, that is the moment I know the Leaders of Today Conference is working.
Because leadership does not start someday.
Leadership starts today.
Takeaways
1. Leadership begins with knowing what you believe.
Your values shape the decisions you make, the way you treat people, and the direction your leadership takes.
2. Confidence is built through experience, not perfection.
Most people do not walk into a room feeling confident. Confidence grows when we challenge ourselves to speak up, share ideas, and step outside our comfort zone.
3. The right environment can change someone’s life.
When young people are surrounded by encouragement, mentorship, and meaningful conversations, they begin to see themselves differently.
4. Every leader starts somewhere.
Many confident leaders once walked into a room feeling shy and unsure of themselves. Growth happens one small step at a time.
5. Leadership does not start someday. It starts today.
Students do not need to wait until adulthood to begin leading. Leadership begins the moment someone decides their voice and their values matter.
We believe that giving students, the leaders of today, the opportunity to serve and make an impact will create vision and entrepreneurship for a better tomorrow.
Contact us to learn more about our mission and work, or to become involved yourself at
And come back the second Tuesday of each month for a new blog post!