LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Many years of experience in Exploring have shown that good leadership is a result is a result of the careful application of 11 skills that any post leader or officer can learn yo use. With practice, these skills can become a part of the adult's or youth officer's leadership style and will prove helpful in Exploring and all other leadership situations.

UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POST

Each individual participant of the group has certain needs and characteristics.

1. A leader should understand his or her own needs and characteristics

2. A leader should understand the needs and characteristics of each participant of the group. This helps the leader to deal with each person as an individual, to treat that individual with respect, and to help the person grow.

3. This understanding helps in planning the program and in getting things done.

4. This understanding creates trust and builds confidence among group participants.

Through conservation and informal surveys of past participants, try to find out:

• Why they joined your post
• What they expect from the post's program
• What their major interests are
• What their plans for the future are

KNOWING AND USING THE RESOURCES OF THE GROUP

Resources include all those things necessary to do a job. Resources also include people, because people have knowledge and skills. Knowledge is what a person learns through familiarity or experience - what you know. Skill is the ability to use what you know. Attitude includes the desire to do something - motivation - and the belief that you can do it - confidence.

When the leader uses the knowledge and skills of group participants to get a job done, the participants gain experience and improve skills. They also develop a positive attitude toward using a skill.

• Keep the post's program capability inventory up-to-date and use it in planning.
• Understand the purpose and resources of your participating organization.
• Survey the participants' parents; include them in your program capability inventory.
• Find out your post participants' skill. interests, and resources.