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| Teen Leadership
:: Background |
Background:
Leadership - A Component of 4-H Youth
Development
4-H Youth Leadership Development Program Basics
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Introduction
"A community is like a ship; everyone ought
to be prepared to take the helm." Henrik Ibsen
One of the most pressing issues facing the United
States and its youth serving organizations today
is how to best facilitate the development of our
youth. The future of the nation, and the future
of world civilization, will soon rest in the hands
of today's young people.
To become productive and contributing individuals
who can be effective and proactive in determining
the course of tomorrow's world, today's youth must
develop positive leadership knowledge, attitudes,
skills, and aspirations. Preparing today's young
people for their roles as tomorrow's leaders is
a challenge we all face.
The purpose of this section is to provide an overview
of 4-H youth leadership development programs which
are being conducted in Ohio to help meet this challenge
and to outline the research base and commonalities
upon which the programs are built.
The 4-H program is unique in its educational approach
in that it offers "learn by doing" education,
laboratory settings to test the results of that
education, and real-life applications of the knowledge,
attitudes, skills, and aspirations gained. The
remainder of this handbook provides an overview,
guidelines, and resources for these major 4-H youth
leadership development program opportunities. Leadership
Defined
The working definition used in the 4-H program
to define "leadership" is "a broad
concept related to the knowledge, attitudes, skills,
and aspirations utilized by one or more persons
in influencing, motivating, inspiring and otherwise
causing desired actions and reactions by others." Rather
than limiting the focus of the programs to leadership
as defined by a particular scholar, or to a particular
perspective, it is the intent of 4-H faculty to
incorporate and accept a variety of viewpoints
in a broad definition which includes and synthesizes
diverse opinions and theories. "Leadership
development experiences" are similarly defined
as "any learning experiences or background
gained by individuals which facilitate the development
of leadership".
Note: It is recognized that there are almost as
many definitions of leadership as there are scholars
and theorists studying the concept. Leadership
is one of the most observed and least understood
of all phenomenon. Even those theorists who conceptualize
leadership in frameworks of types and styles of
leadership have not reached consensus on an all
encompassing system which takes into account the
varied perspectives from which they view the concept.
However, the fairly complete scheme of classification
developed by Stogdill and Bass (1981) which builds
on the similarities between the many definitions
of leadership advanced by scholars since the turn
of the century has proven to be a helpful starting
point for 4-H program development. This scheme
defines leadership in 11 categories:
a) a focus of group process,
b) personality and its effects,
c) the art of inducing compliance,
d) the exercise of influence,
e) a group of acts or behaviors,
f) a form of persuasion,
g) a power relationship,
h) an instrument of goal achievement,
i) an effect of interaction,
j) a differentiated role, and
k) the initiation and maintenance of structure.
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Characteristics of Leaders
Even though scholars believe there may be special
personality traits and characteristics which
distinguish leaders from followers, thus far,
no perfect "recipe" has been found
of characteristics which when combined make a
person a leader.
However, there are many studies
which substantiate that leaders usually exceed
or score higher than average group members in
relation to the characteristics listed below.
4-H youth leadership development programs should
be designed to enable teens do develop the knowledge,
attitudes, skills, and aspirations needed for
effectiveness and success related to each of
these characteristics:
| technical skills |
|
friendliness |
| amount
of social participation |
|
gropu task supportiveness |
| task motivation and application |
|
social and interpersonal skills |
| leadership effectiveness and achievement |
|
emotional balance and control |
| administrative skills |
|
intelligence, scholarship |
| general personal impression given |
|
dominance and decisiveness |
| willingness to assume responsibility |
|
ethical conduct and personal integrity |
| maintaining closeness witin a group |
|
maintaining coordination and teamwork |
| communication skills |
|
physical energy |
| conformation to norms |
|
creativity and independence |
| maintenance of standards of performance |
|
informal group control, helpfulness |
| experience and invovlement |
|
courage and daring |
| maturity |
|
cultured approach to life |
| dependability in completing responsibilities |
|
socio-economic status |
| initiative |
|
persistence |
| know-how in getting things done |
|
alertness and insight into situations |
| self-confidence |
|
cooperativeness |
| popularity |
|
adaptability |
| exellence in the group task |
|
originality |
| judgement |
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aggressiveness |
| desire for excellence |
|
sense of humor |
| liveliness |
|
athletic ability |
| height, wieght, body build, appearance, |
|
emotional control |
Note 1: It is important to recognize that although
several studies support the importance of each of these characteristics,
there are also studies which prove "exceptions to
the rule" for each.
Note 2: Of particular concern to 4-H program developers are the results of numerous
studies which indicate that gender differences are significant both in development
of leadership and in how males and females lead. Current research is indicating
that what "works" for females does not always work for males, and vice
versa. As more research is done and definite conclusions drawn, it is critical
that findings be incorporated into on-going program development processes.
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IPrinciples of Youth
Leadership Development
The following principles have been identified
as critical for success in planning, conducting,
and evaluating youth leadership development programs.
Check the degree to which the youth leadership
development programs with which you work incorporate
each of these principles:
A. Effective youth leadership programs should
be developed around stated purposes and goals.
Programs should be thoughtfully designed and
explicit about what they are trying to accomplish.
Although enabling young people to develop leadership
knowledge, attitudes, skills, and/or aspirations
is a basic goal of all youth leadership programs,
effective programs focus their efforts towards
specific purposes and goals which meet the needs
and interests of their target audiences.
B. Effective youth leadership programs encourage
high expectations and confidence in youth and
demonstrate respect for youth. Having someone
who respects and believes in them is an excellent
motivator for enabling young people to developing
the confident attitudes and aspirations which
are characteristic of successful leaders. Those
who work with youth leadership development programs
should convey and demonstrate with every action,
word, and deed that they respect, have confidence
in, and have high expectations of each program
participant. While programs may do this in various
ways, they can only do it if they embody a genuine
respect for young people: for what they know,
for who they are as individuals, and for their
potential.
C. Effective youth leadership programs emphasize
experiential learning and provide opportunities
for youth to exercise genuine leadership. Leadership
is learned by doing. Respect for youth as leaders
implies trusting them to exercise leadership
within the program itself. Youth should be involved
in exercising real leadership by designing, conducting,
and evaluating programs and activities in real
life situations. As leaders, they should be encouraged
to take prudent risks, learn from their successes
and failures, and continue their growth and development
in the future.
D. Effective youth leadership programs enable
youth to understand the history, values, and
beliefs of their society. Effective leaders must
understand the society of which they are a part,
even if they seek to change that society. Young
people need to learn to think critically regarding
the history, values, and beliefs of their society
in order to understand problems and needs, consider
alternatives, make acceptable decisions, take
appropriate action, and otherwise be successful
in exercising leadership. With this in mind,
effective leadership programs should consider
the various cultures and societies within their
community, in developing programs which prepare
youth to be leaders.
E. Effective youth leadership programs promote
awareness, understanding, and tolerance of other
people, cultures, and societies. We live in a
world that has been made more complex and diverse
by our global age. To be effective and authentic,
leaders must have the capacity to work with people
outside their social group on the basis of empathy
and tolerance.
F. Effective youth leadership programs involve
youth in collaborative experiences, teamwork,
and networking with peers. Young people need
to experience collaborative teamwork in order
to develop the skills and understanding needed
to work with other people in democratic groups.
G. Effective youth leadership programs help youth
develop skills related to leadership. Leadership
requires skills. Leadership programs should make
young people aware of those skills and should
provide opportunities to develop them. The key
skills of leadership include: envisioning, communications,
making group decisions, resolving conflicts (negotiation),
motivating people, advocating ideas, creating
positive images, gaining legitimacy, and building
coalitions among groups. These are the ways in
which groups and communities depend on leaders.
H. Effective youth leadership programs involve
youth in significant relationships with mentors,
positive role models, or other nurturing adults.
Mentors and role models play a powerful role
in launching young people in positive directions.
A multitude of research studies have concluded
that significant relationships with mentors,
role models, and other nurturers are a key factor
in the development of leadership. Effective leadership
programs should include the development of such
positive relationships.
I. Effective youth leadership programs facilitate
the development of individual strengths and personal
characteristics. There is no one successful leadership
style, and no single set of personality traits
that make for a successful leader. However, leaders
must understand and accept themselves as unique
and valuable individual, have a valid appreciation
of their strengths and weaknesses, and be aware
of the ethics and beliefs which guide their behavior.
Effective leadership programs should enable youth
to process and reflect upon what they learn in
order to improve for the future.
J. Effective youth leadership programs encourage
youth to provide service to others, to their
community, to their country, and to the world.
Young people should learn that service is intrinsic
to leadership. That is, leadership implies serving
the group or community, not controlling them.
Programs should encourage young people to value
that service dimension and exercise responsible
citizenship.
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IHow Youth Develop Leadership
There are ten significant adolescent leadership
development experiences which should be incorporated
into teen leadership development programs. Use
these as a checklist to assure that you provide
appropriate experiences in the leadership development
programs with which you work:
____ A. collaborative experiences
____ B. personal characteristic development
____ C. mentors/role models/nurturers
____ D. cultural and citizenship experiences
____ E. communications experiences
____ F. management experiences
____ G. employment/internship experiences
____ H. group leadership experiences
____ I. formal education
____ J. spiritual and other significant life
experiences |
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