What makes a meeting productive instead of frustrating? In this Student Leadership Playbook episode of the Teen Exec Podcast, host Natalya Lucas teams up with her dad, Jeff Lucas, a college marketing instructor, to explore the essential skills every student leader needs to plan and run better meetings.

Together, they share the “five plus one rules” of successful meetings:

• Setting a clear agenda with goals
• Guiding discussion so everyone participates
• Following up with action steps
• Assigning roles like timekeeper and note taker
• Scheduling the next step before you leave
• And the bonus: not every problem needs a meeting!

You’ll hear real examples from student clubs, learn how AI can make planning and follow-ups easier, and pick up practical tools you can use right away.

If you’ve ever left a meeting feeling like nothing got done—or if you’re stepping into a leadership role and want to do better—this episode gives you a simple framework you can put into practice now.

Resources & Links:

• The Student Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
• Visit TeenExec.com for blog posts, tools, and upcoming workshops
• Join Teen Exec on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

What does it really take to lead, stay organized, and find your path—even when the future feels uncertain? In this first episode of the Teen Exec Podcast—part of our Leadership Journey track—host Natalya Lucas, a high school student and founder of Teen Exec, and her mom Dr. Stacy Smith talk with Dr. Karen Zaleski, Superintendent of Weston Public Schools.

Dr. Zaleski shares:

• How being a teen today compares with when she was in high school
• The pressures (and opportunities) that come with social media
• Why surrounding yourself with the right people matters
• What it means to lead by example
• Her own story of shifting from medicine to psychology to education—and how teens can explore passions without fear

She also opens up about time management strategies, the importance of communication skills, and the one piece of advice she’d give her teenage self.

Whether you’re trying to balance school, activities, and friends—or figuring out what kind of leader you want to become—this conversation offers practical insights you can use right now.

Resources & Links:

• Dr. Zaleski's biography
• Weston Public Schools
• Teen Exec
• From the Teen Exec blog: How my first podcast episode challenged from executive functioning skills
• Visit TeenExec.com for blog posts, tools, and upcoming workshops
• Join Teen Exec on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Welcome to the Teen Exec Podcast—the show that helps teens build the real-world skills they need to thrive in school, in leadership, and in life.

Hosted by high school student Natalya Lucas, founder of Teen Exec, the podcast explores how to stay organized, manage time, and lead with confidence. Some episodes feature insightful conversations with Natalya’s parents—her mom, a physician and professor, and her dad, a business school instructor and marketer. Others bring in inspiring guests from business, the arts, and beyond to share how executive functioning and leadership skills power their success.

In this trailer episode, Natalya shares what Teen Exec is all about, what listeners can expect, and why developing these skills now can make school—and life—easier and more rewarding.

👉 Follow or subscribe today so you don’t miss the first full episode!