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Comedian inspires leadership

Kern County Superintendent of Schools
Bakersfield, CA

Comedian/motivational speaker Josh Shipp has had a tough life. Born to 17-year-old parents, they abandoned him at birth.

"I spent time in one foster home where I was beaten almost daily," Shipp told an audience of Kern County middle and high school students and teachers. "I was sent to live with my grandparents, who I really didn't know, started eating out of depression and grew fat. By the time I was eight, I had tried committing suicide several times. Thanks to a great foster home, dynamic teachers, school programs and community involvement I survived. My message to you is if you are average you can get bitter or you can get better."

Shipp kicked off the 16th annual Middle Grades Leadership Conference on Oct. 22 at Bakersfield College (BC). Speaking to approximately 300 fifth through eighth-graders, he got the group's immediate attention by engaging them in a mass game of "Simon Sez." Within a couple of minutes, he had managed to put everyone out of the game and had them laughing out loud at the way Shipp had done it. Next, he launched into a monolog about his foster mother, a roommate who blew up the microwave and other funny moments in his life, leaving students laughing and identifying with his circumstances all at the same time.

"That's kind of the way I approach speaking about leadership to students," Shipp said. "First, I get them laughing to grab their attention. Once I have it, it's time to deliver the serious message about life."

As loud as the laughter was during his humorous talk, Shipp's serious moments produced an environment in which a dropped pen would have sounded like a thunder clap.

"By the time I was 18 I had written $10,000 in bad checks," Shipp told the astonished students. "Growing up, my life was a mess and now my life is a message. Every leader ends up somewhere. Great leaders end up somewhere on purpose."

Shipp said he found his gift for delivering the message, while serving on a student leadership committee that required him to do a lot of speaking at school. Soon he was being asked to give motivational speeches to other schools and communities and his professional career was born seven years ago at the age of 16. Since then, he has spoken to more than a half million students, co-authored three teen leadership books, produced a motivational/comedy CD titled "Identify" and a TV pilot for MTV.

"Don't settle for being average, when you can be above average," Shipp told his young audience. "An above average leader must have above average integrity. An above average leader must use above average words. Words can inspire people, or they can suck the life out of them."

To illustrate how leadership works, Shipp had students break into groups and made them carry on conversations with each other for about five minutes. The catch was the conversation had to begin with a question and each answer had to be a question. When the exercise was done, Shipp explained to his young audience they had just learned a very valuable lesson — "above average leaders listen."

Shipp was the catalyst for a day that included several school and community leaders who presented group sessions addressing effective communication, positive attitude and responsibility acceptance, helping students develop character, trust, responsibility and communication.

As an example, Richland School District Assistant Principal Heidi Witcher had students literally duct taping volunteers to a wall outside the BC gym. When time was up, the chairs on which the volunteers stood were removed, as the group timed how long it would take before the tape would no longer hold them. The exercise was called "Wallflower" and for a good reason.

"Actually, it demonstrates a couple of life lessons," Witcher said. "It gives them a visual picture of what it is like being a wallflower and next time in a social setting, hopefully they won't hold back. Next, it shows a wallflower can't achieve anything by him or herself. That it takes a lot of help and support from others."

The conference was sponsored by the Fruitvale Junior High School Leadership Class, BC, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Kern County Substance Abuse Prevention Consortium and the Kern Schools Federal Credit Union.