8/3/2019 Summary of Leadership Concepts

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8/3/2019 Summary of Leadership Concepts

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y Body Language - make sure that when you are talking or listening to someone thatyour body language shows that you are actively paying attention to them. Youshould be facing them, attentive, looking at their face (not down to the ground), andgiving other signs like nods to show that you are focused on what they have to say.When its your turn to talk, your posture should be the same, your are focusing yourmessage to that person. Looking away, etc. suggested that you don't think that

talking with them is important or suggests that you are nervous or are not beinghonest. Body language is especially important in high stress situations andemergencies. Part of the way you take control of the situation is through your bodylanguage and physical presence. Be firm, direct, look people in the eye, speakdirectly to them and address them by name giving specific instructions for what theyare to do.

y Assessment - the process of using Leader's Radar to assess the current state ofparticipants and the group and apply the Situational Leadership Model to determiningthe most effective leadership behavior for that situation.

y Leaders as Role Models - leaders are carefully watched for signs of behavior thatis appropriate or inappropriate.

y Facilitator - one of the leader's primary goals is to facilitate effective groupinteraction and encourage personal growth.

y Honesty - it is imperative that you are honest with the group at all times. Thereshould be no hidden agendas.

y Your Disability is your Opportunity - the notion that in some situations it is usefulto try to turn a problem into a positive situation.

y Success and Failure are not Absolutes - the idea that not achieving your statedgoal is still success. If you aim to get from A-Z and get to M you have still traveled agreat distance. If someone is having difficulty, you may need to help them see this.

y I Language - owning your feelings rather than placing the responsibility for them onothers by saying "I feel __________ when you _________."

y Gender Inclusive Language - since language can have extremely subtle effects onindividuals it is important to model this behavior. It will make some morecomfortable and may challenge others leading to a positive Thaw-Shift-Refreeze.

y Respect for Others - this is an inherent value for OA, a form of minimal impact inworking with people. This means that we have to create an environment whereeveryone is respected. You don't have to agree with the person, but you need torespect them.

y Accept the Person but Not the Behavior - the idea that if someone is exhibitingproblematic behavior that you should focus on the behavior and still communicateyour interest and caring for the person.

y Refocus - some people in seeking reasons for why things happen some people tendto be internal attributers (assume it is something they did or didn't do) and somepeople are external attributers (assuming it is caused by something outsidethemselves). Neither is always true and often it is a combination. If someone ishaving difficulty, try to determine how they are making their attribution, and if it is,in fact, an appropriate assessment of the situation.

y Transference - the process of transferring the new knowledge learned from the tripback to daily life and incorporating it there. Debriefing is essential to successfultransference.

y Recipes, basic ingredients, chefs and cooking styles - a metaphor forleadership in which the leaders are chefs. Each may have their own recipes but thereare certain fundamental cooking skills which must be mastered by all.

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y Compensating Behavior - the notion that the initial interpretation for whysomeone is behaving a certain way may be incorrect. There may be another issueand the person's behavior is an attempt to compensate for a situation they finduncomfortable.

y Anxiety Meter - a method of checking to see how stressed people are feeling.y Space Tolerance - the idea that each leader tolerates a certain "response space"

between when s/he asks for something to be done and when, if participants don'tjump in, s/he will do it herself. Leaders have different space tolerances and problemscan result. Co-leaders should discuss their space tolerance before a trip andnegotiate how they will deal with differences. If I have a low space tolerance, and noone steps in, I feel uncomfortable that a need is not being met and I step in. Thiscan prevent others (leaders and participants) from taking responsibility and can lockme into one role on a trip. I may need to expand my space tolerance to createopportunities for others.

y Co-leadership - It is best for leaders to support each other in front of the group. Ifyou have disagreements with your co-leader, it is best to work them out privately,unless you feel there is a safety issue involved. In that case, deal with the safetyissue first.. Better yet, talk with your co-leader before the trip to explore the goalseach of you has for the trip, what skills and experience you each bring, what areasyou need support on, and to work out how you want to run the trip. This also letsyou talk about possible areas for conflict like Space Tolerance.

y Right to pass - people always have the right to pass on an activity. This is part ofthe philosophy of challenge by choice. In some situations, like debriefing, it isimportant to hear from everyone, so a pass means you will come back to that personlater.

y Pre-trip briefings - are an important way to start to set the tone for the trip. Thisincludes discussing activity, laying ground rules, defining the roles of leaders,stressing minimal impact and safety, and doing some ice-breaking games (seeInitiative Games below).

y Leaders-of-the-day - is an important structural technique for moving responsibilityfor the group from the participants to the leaders.y Informal discussions - on the first night of the trip help set the tone for later

debriefings. This gives an opportunity for checking out how the group felt the firstday went, answering questions, and talking about the next day's activities. It alsogive leaders a chance to share some of their thoughts in a low key way that starts tomodel self-disclosure.