Leadership is at the heart of DECA, driving members to go above and beyond in their academic and career journeys. Establishing a Program of Leadership (POL) within your school's DECA chapter can foster growth, collaboration and success. As you prepare for the upcoming DECA year, here is how you can implement a POL that empowers each chapter member to achieve their fullest potential.
What is a Program of Leadership?
Developed by the chapter officer team, a Program of Leadership (POL) is a strategic plan that sets the direction and goals for the chapter, including detailed plans to achieve these goals. Think of a POL as a roadmap for the year ahead; it can be as simple or as detailed as your team would like!
What Should We Include?
A POL should include a series of goals created by the team for the year or term they are serving. When creating a POL, officers should create attainable goals, each with success criteria, time frame and ways to reach each goal. Some goals may also require a designated leader whose officer position is most relevant. For example, a goal to increase your chapter’s Instagram followers may be led by your chapter’s Social Media officer.
DECA offers various resources for Chapter Officers, including the Program of Leadership Handbook, which covers the specifics of implementing a successful POL.
How Do We Create Goals?
Each goal your team creates should be realistic, attainable and inclusive. As a team, you should discuss your chapter's strengths and weaknesses and ways to improve it. Establish a reasonable and effective timeline for your team when creating these goals. Your initiatives should take place over your term of leadership, with your expected outcomes being met by the conclusion of your term.
How can I integrate a Program of Leadership into my chapter?
Using DECA’s Program of Leadership handbook, you can utilize the pre-planning, POL outline and project planning worksheets to create a personalized POL relevant to your chapter. Be proactive in creating your chapter’s POL towards the beginning of the school year to allow time to implement initiatives and activities.
Now that you know the basics of creating a Program of Leadership, you can read Part Two of the Be the One DECA Starter Pack Series to learn how to engage and retain chapter members.
