In this special edition of Better Student Leaders, Josh reads aloud his whitepaper Why Great Student Leaders Quit: Redesigning Residential Leadership that Builds College Culture without Student Leaders Burning Out. Drawing on insights from more than a dozen senior staff and student leaders across eight Australian universities, the paper explores the hidden costs of burnout, why even the most capable student leaders feel overwhelmed, and how colleges can redesign their leadership systems for sustainability.

Listeners will hear the six recurring reasons great student leaders quit—from unclear expectations to the emotional load of “wearing two hats”—and the six redesign principles that transform burnout into resilience:

• clarifying expectations,
• embedding ongoing training,
• structured support,
• recognition pathways,
• succession planning, and
• balancing the emotional load.

This is both a cautionary tale and a roadmap: if we want student leadership to remain the cornerstone of community and culture, we must design systems that set leaders up for success.

Key Quotes

• “Students felt like they were being squeezed so tight… They were trying their hardest, but nothing felt good enough. One mistake from one student out of 400 could dismantle all their good work in the public eye.” – College Dean

• “There is a really high expectation of work — people don’t realise how much it takes to turn the cogs in the wheels of a college.” – Polly Lewis, Student President

• “Burnout doesn’t just impact the leader. It ripples out to peers, staff, and the entire institution.” – Whitepaper insight

• “Clear is kind, unclear is unkind.” – Brené Brown (cited in the whitepaper)

• “We went from half the leaders quitting to full retention and triple the number of applications. It shows how expectation-setting, scaffolded training, and embedding a service mindset can transform not just a team, but an entire culture.” – College Dean

• “If you’re eating in the dining hall with your friends, you are not eating in the dining hall with your friends — you are the President eating in the dining hall with your friends.” – James Hardiman, Principal of St Hilda’s College