One of the most important skill sets you pick up in Scouting is Leadership. While there is essentially just one "way" we do it--hands on experience--there are quite a few positions you could hold to learn various leadership skills. Communication, scheduling, planning...you might not even realize you're learning this stuff because they're the kind of thing you end up doing to get the real business of Scouting done: FUN!
For info on the troop's leadership positions, go to the Scout Positions page.
Click these links for more information about these leadership skills:
There are also training opportunities, once called Junior Leadership Training (JLT), available to help you learn the various skills we call leadership. Nowadays, this course is NYLT* (National Youth Leadership Training). On the national level,
NAYLE* (National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience) is another opportunity to pick up these 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 often prone to change because we
always deal with the vagaries of weather, participation, and other
unexpected changes to our plans.
The Scout motto 'be prepared' is
an encouragement to develop adaptive skills. When asked 'prepared for
what?' Baden Powell reportedly answered 'any old thing'.
These
skills contribute to developing a strong. flexible character that does
not resist but rather welcomes change. Good leaders adapt the energy of
change towards reaching their goals in the same way that a Judo expert
uses the momentum of his opponent to resist an attack.
Life
outside of Scouting is just as unpredictable as elements beyond our
control shape and change things. Being prepared, being flexible, and
learning the skills of adaptive leadership will serve us well.
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Section last updated/reviewed 22 Feb 10.
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