LEADERSHIP

by David Nuttle

The U. S. has experienced many leadership failures since WW II and we are not providing our youth with needed leadership training to correct this problem in the future. Skills we must develop, in our youth, to make them effective leaders are:

1) Communication & perseverance 2) Innovation & creativity 3) Critical thinking

4) Decision making 5) Integrity & courage 6) Conflict mgmt.

7) Personnel motivation 8) Agility & adaptability 9) Negotiation

and 10) Relationship building.

A good book focused on the above is J. C. Maxwell's "Jump Start Your Leadership." Other instruction options are leadership courses offered by a) Blanchard; b) Cross Knowledge; c)

Crestcom Intl.; d) Franklin Covey; e) Dale Carnegie; f) Cntr. for Creative Leadership; g) RITx; h) Elevate Leadership; i) Harvard Univ.; j) Univ. of Michigan; k) MIT Sloan School; l) Univ. of Oxford Executive Leadership; and m) Masterclass of Inclusive Leadership.

Each of the above skill areas requires specialized instructions. Examples are teaching and practice of debate skills for communications, and a 3-story complex ropes course requiring a team and strong team leader to complete successfully for courage and agility training. British Special Forces use the latter instruction on what they call the "Tarson Test." Research is now needed to determine best elements of leadership training from all the above said programs.

The results of such study should be a master book of leadership instruction.

Without effective leaders peril often comes quickly as we are now discovering in our nation!