How to Inspire Initiative in Scout Youth Leaders

initiative

How do we inspire initiative in Scout Youth Leaders? The idea of connecting  initiative to authority starts with this post by Dan Rockwell, Ineffective leaders seize and hoard authority; successful leaders give it. Those who cling to authority lose it. Those who give authority gain authority. Authority is permission to act without permission. Control freaks never inspire…continue reading

Three Leadership Motives

laotzu

As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate. …When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’ – Lao Tzu How do we lead? Lao Tzu describes…continue reading

23 Leadership Questions

leadership questions

These leadership questions were part of our annual leadership challenge event this past weekend. Scouts were asked to evaluate their leadership skills at the beginning and the end of the weekend by rating themselves on how well the understood and applied these concepts. These evaluations were done for the Scouts themselves, we did not collect them or read them; they did…continue reading

Leadership talk by Drew Dudley

We’ve made leadership about changing the world, but there is no ‘world’ there’s six billion people’s understanding of it. If you change one person’s understanding of it, their understanding of what they are capable of, of how  much people care about them of how powerful an agent for change they can be  you have changed the world. It’s a simple…continue reading

Authoritative Leadership in Scouting

Authoritative leadership is marked by high expectations and active responses.  Parenting styles and adult leadership styles have a lot in common. Authoritative is not authoritarian; in this context they are polar opposites. Balanced responsiveness is a key factor to being a good authoritative leader, authoritative leaders listen more than they talk and readily reason with those they lead. In Scouting our expectations…continue reading

What is Wood Badge?

wbeads

Wood Badge is Scouting’s premier adult leader training. It was a mystery to me before I took the course, but it turned out to be simple to understand and very useful to my work in Scouting. Wood Badge is much like any modern corporate leadership course but it does not cost $3000, it is outdoors,…continue reading

Peace Corps Lessons

Willy Volk succinctly describes how he applies his experience in the Peace Corps to his work. I have known several Scouts (all Eagles) who went on to serve in the  Peace Corps and gained a great deal from it. Volk outlines five excellent lessons to apply to any leadership challenge – ones I think are particularly accessible to youth leaders: I joined…continue reading

Leadership Lessons From the Shackleton Expedition

25-SHACKLETON

Earnest Shackleton set out to cross the Antarctic on foot in 1914. When his ship Endurance became trapped and subsequently destroyed Shackleton and his crew spent the next two years rescuing themselves.  Shackleton’s leadership has been closely studied in recent years as an example of adaptation to tremendously difficult circumstances. We’re unlikely to experience anything near the physical…continue reading

The Five to One Rule

EDITORS NOTE – Here’s a something that should be in our minds every time we interact with our Scouts. I am often focused on problems and missing opportunities to support them positively.  We all have a memory of a time when we were criticized. Do you remember a time when you were praised? I bet the negative comments stick…continue reading

Models of Learning and Leadership

Our perception of learning shapes the way we instruct and lead. Here are four common models of learning and the corresponding methods applied: Learning Model – EMPTY VESSEL - BLANK STATE Students are empty vessels that are filled by learning new things. Additive learning assumes uniform voids are filled by uniform chunks of learning. Leading Method - PASSIVE…continue reading

Ten Truths about Leadership

Authors James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner  have distilled thirty years of research and one million plus responses to their questions in The Truth about Leadership : You Make a Difference. Before you lead others you have to believe you will have a positive impact on others. Credibility Is the Foundation of Leadership. People…continue reading

Adaptive Leadership Skills

The Center for Creative Leadership identifies seven critical leadership skills: Leading by motivating directing, delegating, managing Strategic planning. Managing change. Inspiring commitment. Resourcefulness. Persevering under adverse conditions. Being a quick learner. I am particularly drawn to the adaptive skills listed; managing change, resourcefulness, persevering under adverse conditions, and being a quick learner. Scouting plans are…continue reading

The Poetry of Leadership

Leadership is the keynote to success– but leadership is difficult to define, and leaders are difficult to find. I have frequently stated that “any ass can be a commander, and a trained man may often make an instructor; but a leader is more like the poet– born, not manufactured.” Baden-Powell from B.P.’s Outlook available from The Dump B.P.…continue reading

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