Learning to lead
Featured in the First-time Leadership training manual
By Clare Llewellyn West
Category: Leadership
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
One of the key characteristics for effective leaders is that they take responsibility for their own learning and development. Individuals new to the leadership role often take a little time to recognise and accept this responsibility. This activity provides the chance for the participants to assess themselves and consider their own development priorities. In the process, it encourages them to recognise that they should not be waiting for other people to tell them what they need to learn.
You begin by leading a brief group discussion on the importance of self-assessment and the issues it raises. You then ask the participants to work individually to complete the questionnaire. If the group are known to each other you then ask them to work in pairs and carry out some peer assessment. Using the questionnaire, the participants move on to identify their personal priorities for self-development and, finally, you explore some of the possible routes for self-development.
Who is it for: This training activity is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to identify their own development needs, encouraging them to recognise and accept responsibility for their own development.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 01:05:00 |
| No of Pages: | 14 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: 2 flipcharts and stands.
Purpose: This training activity is intended for use by trainers in the early stages of a leadership course to improve participant involvement and motivation. It would be wise to deal with some of the preconceptions about leadership first, for example, by completing ‘What is a leader like?’, ‘What does a leader do?’ and ‘What kind of leader can you be?’ The activity could also be linked with ‘Learning to let go’, where they consider their role in developing team members. It is also useful at the end of a course since it provides the participants with an agenda to continue learning and underlines the fact that they will still have much to learn and they are now responsible for their own development. Interesting comparisons can be made by using the activity at the beginning and end of a training programme, which should provide some evidence of growth and improvement.
Download the training activity, Learning to lead as featured in the Fenman training manual; First-time Leadership