Ode to the Camp Counselor

You Should Be So Lucky to Hire Such Exceptional People

I am in awe.  No, really.  I am awed by the spirit and energy and bottomless commitment that I saw amongst the camp counselors that I worked with this summer. 

It’s that time of year when summer camps are ending their season. Happy campers are returning home to their families, counselors are moving on to their “other life”- school or work or travels.  The last few days of camp are a crush of creating those last special memories, packing up trunks and putting camp to bed for the winter.  It’s exhausting work but it’s part of what camp counselors do.  They pitch in.  The share in the work and the fun of being part of a community. They have learned about stepping up to help, about being resourceful and being cheerful in the face whatever comes their way.  They have spent buggy nights on an overnight in the woods with their campers.  They have weathered the drama and excitement of a sudden summer storm from the inside of a tent or cabin.  They have thrown themselves into “Harry Potter Day” or “Mississippi Mud”,  a once-a-summer decadent chocolate dessert that is met with nothing short of pure mayhem.  They have jumped onto the stage in the annual talent show and performed a goofy skit or song.  They have learned how to “make their own fun”. 

This was my 17^th summer at my camp in Vermont.  I have been lucky to be there whenever my life and schedule have allowed. And as one of the older people at camp, I too take home valuable lessons every summer.  I create special memories and push myself in new ways.  But with the benefit of experience and of a long and successful business career, I think often about the quality of the people at camp and the skills that they are building.  I think about why I would want to hire them, no matter what organization or business I am working for.

If you are running a company that is moving fast, wouldn’t you want to hire folks who are hard-working and flexible and cheerful; who can roll with the punches when the direction changes?

Wouldn’t you want to hire people who will pitch in and say yes, who will not complain but will meet each challenge with a can-do spirit?  Wouldn’t you want to hire people who have learned how to be a contributing member of a community; who will say yes to starring in the holiday video or being on a taskforce to tackle some thorny cultural issue inside the organization?

I have spent a lot of time in my business life thinking about company culture.  I have managed teams and have hired lots of folks at different levels.   Like many executives, I hire for cultural fit and for character.  Sure, skills are important, but hiring the right kinds of people with a moral compass, with a strong work ethic, with an ability to collaborate and cooperate is more important than any one skill.  I look for life experience and a sense of humor.  What kind of people do you want around you when things get difficult and challenging?  For me, I want people who will keep slogging through whatever challenge is in front of them, who will laugh and see the humor in it, who will support their colleagues, without judgement. 

This is what we learn to do at camp.  The next time you see “camp counselor” on a resume, consider the possibilities.  This person might be the best hire you will ever make.  And if you’re thinking about trying something different next summer, I highly recommend being a camp counselor.  It’s the hardest work you’ll ever love.

When You Were Four, You Were an Artist. What Happened?

Many of the ideas in this blog were originally penned several years ago in a post that I wrote for my company, BiddingForGood.   But the ideas are as relevant today as ever. 

As I prepare for another blissful summer as a camp counselor and also prepare to welcome my first grand baby, I am thinking a lot about children.  I am thinking about their pure spirits and their simple joy in the little things. I am also thinking a lot about creativity and want to share some of the wonderful insights that I discovered in Seth Godin’s book. Linchpin: Are you Indispensable!  Seth Godin, has written a number of books on marketing and is a very popular and inspiring speaker and thought leader.  He poses the following question-  at age four you were an artist. At age seven you were a poet.  At age 12, if you had a lemonade stand, you were an entrepreneur. So what happened? 

He reflects on the state of the workplace today which is often crushing the creativity of employees.  He challenges us all to be remarkable, to be indispensable, to be artists at work and in life.   Now this is not always an easy path.  There are plenty of people who will not choose this path.  There are those who want to show up every day, keep their heads down, get through the day and not really be noticed.  But in a world where there is more and more outsourcing for essential functions, and pressure to hire the least expensive resource to get the job done (better yet, get a volunteer), there is more of a need than ever for the fearless innovators to stand up, express their ideas, and share their “art”. It feels a little risky to do it but the challenge for those of us leading teams, building community and running companies is to create a culture that celebrates Linchpins.  We may not always like what we hear from them, but at least we are hearing new ideas and maybe new truths.


There is a wild and crazy event that happens every year in the Nevada desert called Burning Man.  It is a week long festival that attracts 50,000+ people who create a remarkable community on a parched piece of earth. I am lucky to have been to Burning Man several times. Many people think that the profile of a “Burner” is someone in their 20’s who is looking for sex, drugs and rock and roll.  Believe it or not, there are a lot of grown-ups like me who come for the community and the art and the radical self-expression.  One of my favorite things about this event is that there is a “gifting economy” at the center of the community.  What does that mean?  It means there is no commerce, nobody sells anything and everyone is asked to bring their gifts.  The gifts might be as simple as a homemade necklace that you share with people, or an afternoon where you make grilled cheese sandwiches to distribute to the throngs.  One year, someone came up to our campfire and asked if anyone was wearing pink.  I happened to have socks on that were pink and so I was presented with a pink etch-a-sketch.

One of my favorite experiences at Burning Man has been singing in the Playa Choir.  This is a gospel-type choir that rehearses all week long and then leads a “service” just before everyone heads home.  It is the most soulful, heartfelt group of singers I’ve ever sung with, led by a wonderful woman who brings the group together in remarkable ways. The gifts that are shared on the day of that service are breathtaking. This is another great concept in Godin’s book; the notion of “gifting”- of bringing your unique gifts to whatever you do.  This is a tricky concept as not everyone thinks of their skills or contributions as gifts or as “art”. But think again. You’d be surprised by how often your colleagues or community really does appreciate your gifts and your “art”.  Perhaps if we ourselves perceive them as gifts, we will be more generous with them and our companies and communities will be better for it.   I challenge us all to be linchpins in all that we do.