My first reaction was, "A leadership camp for kids, that's a thing?", followed immediately by, "That probably doesn't go well, does it?" Because I had an instant image of a group of five 12yos (every school teacher I ever had said middle-schoolers were the worst), all convinced they should be the leaders. So when Labmom said:
(if anything I think she thought she would be more competent at running it!)
I thought, right, her and the rest of the group.
So I wouldn't think too hard on this specific situation. The pattern of behavior that this matches... maybe that needs more attention.
Put me in the column of parents here who support the notion that leadership skills are best developed organically. Unless some adult says explicitly that one child should be in charge (and that doesn't tend to go well, either, as handling authority is something many adults struggle to do well), children will naturally turn to a peer who seems to have the answers, or demonstrates success, or who steps up to provide whatever was lacking. Given their nature, our kids will be that kid in a lot of situations, so developing leadership skills in this case basically means putting them in group situations, and letting things happen.
This sounds just like what the leadership camp was attempting to do, but they self-sabotaged when they effectively told the kids, "COME BE IN CHARGE!!"
