Getting stuff done vs. having fun

Feb 20th, 2025

Day 30 of summer. Picture this:

Your seasonal leadership team is crushing, and I mean completely crushing it, with daily schedules, trip planning, parent emails, and inventory counts.

The office is humming with productivity. Everyone’s wearing their official (and awesome-looking) camp polos. Veeerrry professional.

But wait.

Where’s that same unit leader, division director, or village chief who used to dress up as a Viking to wake up their unit?

What happened to the program director who would spontaneously start dance parties in the dining hall?

When’s the last time anyone on the admin team actually got their knuckles dirty playing Gaga?

Something happens to us when we step into leadership roles at camp. Suddenly, the “getting things done” part of the job starts eating up all the oxygen in the room.

And before you know it, summer is over and, yeah, things got done, but we might have also missed something along the way.

The Great Disappearing Act (Part 2)

Remember a couple of weeks ago when we talked about staff disappearing on Day 1?

Well, here’s the sequel nobody asked for: By Day 30, your most fun, energetic leaders have vanished into their offices, replaced by email-answering machines in polo shirts (which, again, are very cool, that’s been established).

And I get it. The pressure’s real. Your boss probably isn’t going to call you out for missing evening program, but they’ll definitely notice if the buses aren’t scheduled for the waterpark trip.

Nobody’s ever gotten fired for responding too quickly to a parent email.

When The Fun Leaders Stop Leading Fun

Think about why you hired these folks in the first place. Think about why you became one of these folks in the first place.

The counselor-turned-unit-leader-turned-program-staff got promoted because they could turn a rainy day into the best day ever. You know or were the one who could turn a basic camp activity into an unforgettable moment.

Now, they’re spending their days in the office because it feels safer. More professional. More… grown up.

The Hidden Cost

Here’s what nobody tells you when you get camp promoted: Your job isn’t just getting things done. It’s building a culture of connection and fun. But that’s hard to do from behind a computer screen.

When your best people retreat to their desks, two things happen:

The current campers miss out on the energy and creativity that got them to the big chair in the first place

Or worse yet, counselors think this is what is truly valued

Breaking the Cycle

Look, I’ve been here. I love to get things done. And especially when I was first starting, I wanted to be seen as a polo-wearing pro’s pro.

But I also want the next generation of program staff to know the fun parts of the day. To be present for the listening parts where camp really happens.

Here’s what I like to do now.

On day one of admin training, put up three signs around the room:

Fun

Getting Things Done

Listening

Ask your leadership team to stand by their strength. Watch what happens.

The schedulers and organizers will gravitate toward Getting Things Done. Your energy creators will plant themselves by Fun. The relationship builders will find their way to Listening.

Then, flip the script and ask them to move to what they struggle with most. Suddenly everyone gets uncomfortable. That discomfort? That’s where we can start leaning into.

Because here’s the truth: Camp needs all three. That amazing program coordinator who’s brilliant at scheduling? They need permission to be silly sometimes.

Your most energetic unit leader? They need to know it’s okay to sit quietly and listen. Your best listener? They need systems to get things done.

This isn’t just a training activity - it’s a permission slip.

Permission to be whole leaders who can rock a spreadsheet and a campfire song. Permission to close the laptop and join the game. Permission to be exactly the kind of leader you needed when you were a counselor.

By signaling camp works best with this kind of balance, you’re giving full permission for it to happen.

Making Space for Magic

Sometimes, leadership means doing inventory counts at 10 PM because you chose to join the water balloon fight at 3 PM.

Sometimes, it means wearing a silly costume while answering emails.

Sometimes, it means letting the schedule breathe so you can actually listen when your staff needs to talk.

Your job isn’t to be the world’s best email-answerer. It’s to show everyone - staff and campers alike - what it looks like to balance responsibility, joy, and empathy.

The Career-Building Truth

Being good at admin work is important, but you know what makes people really successful in their careers?

Knowing how to create energy. Building genuine connections. Leading by example. Balancing multiple priorities.

Sound familiar? That’s what happens when you step away from the desk and into camp life.

Next Steps

This summer, I’m trying something different.

To piggyback off the training piece where leadership stands next to their strengths, I’m revisiting it a few weeks in.

That’s when we’ll all draw a pie chart of our days.

How much has been admin work?

How much has been actually having fun with camp?

How much was really listening to people?

If that first slice is taking up most of the pie, it’s time to redistribute. And I’m going to just say it straight out so there’s no confusion.

Because the old email inbox will always be full (or, in my case, overfull).

But the most kick-ass parts of camp? Those only happen when we’re present enough to create them.

You got this,

Jack