2. Big Questions of the Day
● Why do leadership skills matter?
● What are the qualities of a leader?
● What kind of leader am I?
3. Why do leadership skills matter?
Brainstorm
The world’s top universities don’t just want “smart kids”...
● Harvard rejects 1 in 4 applicants with perfect 2400 SAT scores
● Duke University & University of Pennsylvania both reject 6 out of 10 valedictorians
(highest grade point average in their class)
… they want young leaders who make a difference!
● Harvard University: “maturity, character, leadership, self-confidence, warmth of
personality, sense of humor, energy, concern for others and grace under pressure.”
● Princeton University: “We look for qualities that will help [students] become leaders in their
fields and in their communities.”
Source: New York Magazine, Swarm of Super Applicants, 2007 http://nymag.com/news/features/24398/
4. Why do leadership skills matter?
Brainstorm
● More books mention “leadership” than being “smart”, “wealthy”,
“attractive”, or “talented”
5. Why do leadership skills matter?
Brainstorm
Employers worldwide
are looking for
employees with
leadership skills!
Quick Reflection:
Which of these skills are
leadership skills?
6. Qualities of a Leader
Individual
Brainstorm
Think about and write down 5-10
important qualities of a leader.
Consider…
● What qualities make a person a leader?
● What does a good leader do?
7. Qualities of a Leader
Small Group
Activity
Share your ideas with your
group and look for similarities.
Combine your ideas into a word
cloud, writing larger for
popular/”more important”
qualities many people wrote,
and smaller for unique ones.
Word cloud example:
8. Qualities of a Leader
Gallery
Walk
Questions to consider during the Gallery Walk:
● Why do some of same ideas come up over and over
again? Where does this idea of leadership come
from?
● Are some leadership qualities more important than
others?
9. What is Leadership?
● 30 years of global research about leadership has found that
successful leaders engage in some or all of the Five Practices of
Exemplary Leadership, regardless of country, setting, time, title,
etc.
● “Leadership is not about personality; it’s about behavior.”
● “One of the greatest myths about leadership is that some
people have it and some don’t.”
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 6th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Copyright (c) 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
10. The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 6th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Copyright (c) 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
11. What is Leadership?
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 6th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Copyright (c) 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Brainstorm
Think and write down one
person for each of the
five practices that is a
good example of this
practice of leadership. It
can be someone in your
own life or someone
famous.
12. What is Leadership?
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 6th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Copyright (c) 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Reflect: What practice do
you feel is the most
important and crucial for
leaders?
13. What is Leadership?
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 6th Edition by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Copyright (c) 2017 by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Get together with
everyone else who chose
the same practice.
Small Group
Activity
1. Why did you feel drawn to this
practice?
2. Why is this practice important
as a leader? (Prepare for
someone to share your ideas
with the large group)
14. Leadership & Confidence
“Anyone who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people
and processes, and who has the courage to develop that potential.”
- Brene Brown
Group reflection: What is the role of confidence
or courage in leadership?
Group
Reflection
15. Leadership & Me
1. What are the leadership qualities I have?
2. What “exemplary practices” of leadership do I
already engage in? What can I work on
incorporating more?
3. If leadership is a learned skill, what can I do in
my life to practice and improve my skills?
Individual
Reflection
“Academics are not the only thing universities look at when considering applications. If you have leadership experience and have volunteered or created change in your community, this shows the university that you take initiative, get involved, are hard-working, passionate, and will be a positive addition to their university community! Not only that, but having leadership experience and qualities will help you succeed after graduation, making you a potentially successful alumnus.”
“Leadership skills are one of the determining factors of success in roles in all industries and of all levels, and so it makes sense that people want to learn more about how to develop them!”
“Just like universities, employers highly value soft skills, your values, and your fit at the company… not just your hard skills and applicable work experience. Gaining leadership skills through learning and hands-on experience early in life will help you have more time to develop your skills, and show employers that not only do you have the skills, but the motivation to grow and learn.”
Small group activity: Leadership Word Cloud (10 minutes)
(supplies for each group: poster paper, markers/pens)
Large Group Activity: Gallery Walk (5-7 minutes)
Leave the Leadership Word Clouds on tables around the room, or stick to the walls. Ask participants to consider the questions as they circulate around the room, looking at the Leadership Word Clouds from other groups.
Leadership Challenge (Kouzes/Posner)
Learn more here: https://www.success.com/5-practices-of-exemplary-leadership/
Individual Brainstorm: Leaders Around Me (3 minutes individual brainstorm, 5 minutes discussion)
Reflection Question (2 minutes): What practice do you feel is the most important?
Give 2 minutes for students to review the 5 practices and think of their answer. In the next slide, they will be asked to use this answer for the activity.
Small Group Activity (10 minutes, plus presentation time): 5 Practices of Exemplary Leadership
Participants create groups based on their answer from the reflection question.
Each group talks about why they chose it, and then considers why that practice is so important for leaders to prepare to share
Someone from each group stands up to presents their ideas, advocating for their leadership practices’ importance
Group Reflection (5-7 minutes): Confidence and Courage in leadership
Read the quote, and ask the reflection question.
Give a moment for silent reflection, then encourage participants to share their ideas