Sure, we all know that in order for any team to be successful, it must have a leader who goes beyond the role of a manager to actually lead the team from the trenches. It’s not exactly astute to say that a manager manages and a leader leads but it is important to recognize that these are two different skills. Teams need leaders. Teams rely on their leaders. Everyone knows that leadership is important but how can leadership be at its utmost effectiveness? Many people say that leaders are born not made. In many ways, this is true as some of the necessary skills to be an effective leader are naturally bred within leaders. However, these raw skills must be refined through dedicated development.
Observing children take part in 2+2=5 leadership activities revealed an important point to be made about effective leadership. The children demonstrated the importance of leading by example. How many times have you been barked an order from a manager and thought to yourself, “They’re just getting rid of something they wouldn’t do themselves.” If a manager is down in the trenches with the team, the members of the team will have exponentially more respect for the team leadership and be more inclined to follow the leadership without reserve. Teams absolutely need leaders that are willing to walk in the shoes of their team members. Leading by example is one of the simplest ways in which a leader can gain the following of their team members.
Another lesson that the fourth graders demonstrated was that leaders must be flexible in their role on the team. “As the leader of the team, Lisa had to adjust to where the team needed her,” Kim, age eleven, said. Kim noticed during one of the activities that everyone wanted to perform one particular task leaving other tasks unattended. As a leader, she had to adjust her role in order to balance the team. What do you think makes a great leader?
photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/327939900/
Purchase today!
