Fast Company Article, June 1999

Make Yourself A Leader Kit, magazine supplement

After searching through this magazine several times, I kept coming back to the " Make Yourself A Leader Kit" article as I found it interesting to think about how the "Building Basic Leadership Skills" curriculum that I was writing for my field project would measure up. So, now that I am done with the curriculum, I thought it would be a good time to look back at this article and see how I did. FYI - I had a task force that decided what topics should be covered in my basic leadership skills lessons and they really did have a difficult time deciding what skills were teachable in a 45 minute lesson. Let's see how we did - how will we match up to the 12 points listed as ways to make yourself into a leader.

1. Leaders are both confident and modest. OK, so I'm going to have trouble with the first one. Teaching confidence and modesty is challenging, but in my lesson on "Supporting Others" and "Be a Tigger" I do hit on building self-esteem in others and when you do this, you in turn build your own self-esteem - which in turn makes a leader more confident. The "modest" part is tough - not sure that you can teach "modesty" in a 45-minute lesson.

2. Leaders are authentic. The article talks about this one as earning the trust and the respect of people you work with. So even though my lesson on "Being a Role Model" can lay the foundation that as a leader you are a role model and a good role model is trustworthy and respected - reality is that this one I'm not sure I can teach - but I can "model" it hopefully.

3. Leaders are listeners. Yes! A whole lesson is dedicated to listening skills and the quote used in the lesson by Mark Twain says it very well. "If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have two mouths and one ear."

4. Leaders are good at giving encouragement, and they are never satisfied. Another yes! One of the lessons is on "Supporting Others" and focuses on how to encourage others and believing in others that they CAN and WILL succeed!

5. Leaders make unexpected connections. Well, I missed the boat on this one, as it isn't something that falls into a "basic skill" category.

6. Leaders provide direction (not the same as giving answers). Yes, one of the lesson focuses on giving directions when leading that could apply to many situations - from giving directions for playing a game to giving directions at a project meeting.

7. Leaders protect their people from danger and expose them to reality. This one is definitely above the "basic" level - so I'll pass on this one!

8. Leaders make change and stand for values that don't change. I think this one is a yes - as several of the lessons have role-plays that give participants the opportunity to make change in a given situation, but also have givens about "doing the right thing" - or looking at what values are involved. So, the experience for building this skill is in many lessons.

9. Leaders lead by example. Yes on this one - as the lesson on being a role model really focuses on the importance of leading by example - and yes - someone is ALWAYS watching you!

10. Leaders don't blame - they learn. Well, this one is a bit shaky, but the curriculum does touch a little on giving examples of scenarios that require problem solving so that participants learn how to figure out "what do I do now" that focuses on moving on - not deciding who is at fault.

11. Leaders look for and network with other leaders. Although the curriculum doesn't have a lesson on this, I would think that it is part of what happens when you do a leadership training, as those who come - will in a sense be "networking" with others who are also emerging leaders.

12. The job of the leader - make more leaders. Yes - at least in the long run! The curriculum won't make a leader out of any one overnight, but it will teach young people basic leadership skills. In the future - as leaders, they will they be looked up to and will be setting the example for others to follow and teaching others by example just "how to be a leader."

For a basic skills curriculum - I'd say it matches up pretty good! My task force obviously did a good job looking at skills needed and the lessons should be a good base for developing leadership skills in young people - tomorrow's leaders!

-- Anonymous, June 15, 2000