EPIC Voices: Finding Your Leadership Voice at Camp as an EPIC
By Katia Beales-Salovitch
Stepping into a leadership role at camp can feel like stepping into the unknown. You’re suddenly the one others look to for answers, energy, and direction. That pressure can make you wonder: Do I really belong in this role? Leadership isn’t about being the loudest, the most experienced, or having it all figured out. It’s about showing up authentically and growing into your role one day at a time. Here are a few ways I have found my leadership voice through my first couple of years as a full-time camp professional:
Start with self-awareness: Know your strengths and lead from them. This can be hard, especially when it means admitting things you may not be so good at. Although that is the only way you can become the best version of yourself and therefore the best version for your campers, staff, and entire camp community.
Lead through listening: The best leaders build trust by truly hearing others. At camp, leadership isn’t about giving orders—it’s about relationships. Listening well to campers, staff, and peers shows respect and builds trust. Confidence grows when people feel heard by you. Plus, listening gives you the information you need to make better decisions and communicate clearly.
Practice, don’t pretend: You don’t need every answer. Honesty and curiosity go further. You don’t have to know everything right away. In fact, pretending to have all the answers usually backfires. Instead, model curiosity: ask questions, seek feedback, and be open about learning as you go. Staff will respect honesty far more than false confidence.
Confidence doesn’t arrive all at once but rather it grows in small moments: when you resolve a camper conflict, when a staff member thanks you for your advice, when you run a program that feels so right. The best leaders I know at camp aren’t perfect. They’re real. They’re learning. And they inspire others simply by being themselves.
Katia Beales-Salovitch is the Assistant Director at Eagle’s Landing Day Camp in North Brunswick, New Jersey and a member of the ACA, NY & NJ EPIC Committee.
