Table of Contents >
Chapter 13. Orienting Ideas in Leadership >
Section 7. Encouraging Leadership Development Across the Lif... >
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| Contributed by Phil Rabinowitz Edited by Bill Berkowitz |
Checklist
Here you’ll find a checklist summarizing the main points of the section.
Who are potential leaders?
You know that:
__ Leadership skills are learned.
__ Nearly everyone is capable of being a leader at some time and place in her life.
__ People with “natural leadership skills” – good communicators, initiators, risk takers, etc. – particularly need to be ready to be thrust into leadership.
Why look for potential leaders?
__ You know that the right people are much more likely to emerge as leaders when they’ve had some experiences that make them feel capable.
Leadership development across the life span
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for children:
- Sports and games
- School, camp, and other institutional situations
- Community projects
- Letting children solve many of their own problems without adult intervention
- Modeling good leadership by treating children with respect while providing a structure in which they can operate safely
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for adolescents:
- Athletics
- Music and theater
- Youth groups and clubs
- Involvement in community and political issues
- Challenging outdoor activity
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for college students and other young adults:
- Entrepreneurship
- Politics
- Service learning
- Employment
- Government-sponsored service programs
- Non-profit and non-governmental organizations
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for parents and other adults:
- Community activism
- Organizations and associations
- Parenting
- Parenting-related experiences
- Volunteering
- Local politics
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for “elder statespersons”:
- Employment
- Organizations and associations
- Volunteering and community service
- Local politics
__ You’re aware of leadership development opportunities for retired persons and seniors:
- Community service
- Advocacy
- Local politics
- Volunteering
Some general guideline for encouraging leadership development across the life span
__ You ask people to take leadership positions
__ You provide real-world opportunities
__ You challenge people with reachable goals
__ You provide training
__ You build on success
__ You provide peer support
__ You provide an institutional structure for leadership development opportunities
__ You provide models of effective leadership