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Scout leadership is not all about ticking things off the to do list – or even having the list in the first place.
Leaders possess the initiative, sense of purpose and skill that motivates others. They are able to look beyond the task into the motivation behind it, they are able to see what needs to happen three or four moves ahead; to anticipate the needs of those they are leading.
I sometimes need to check my tendency to give youth leaders lists of tasks and hover over them until the tasks are completed to my satisfaction. My time is better spent helping them define the purpose and motivation of their work.
When leaders start with a sense of purpose and motivation they figure out what needs to be done on their own.
When leaders start with a list of tasks they focus on completing the list.
“I sure hope my son doesn’t have to repeat step 4 & 5 multiple times…” I was thinking generationally. I’m not always a great writer and my thoughts sometimes come out a little bit muddled when written.
Both of my sons came home from their first semester at the university telling me how many young men had no clue how to get things done. They needed help finding their way around campus. They needed help figuring out their schedule or how to find the books they needed to buy or where to get food. On and on. Both sons noted that it was not the Scouts who were having problems.
So, when I think “three or four moves ahead”, that’s kind of how I think. How does Scouting assist a family with the task of raising a young man from a boy of 11 to a man of 17 or 18. You go to 10 or 15 of your Eagle Scout’s weddings or when your wife gets her first invitation to their baby shower and a few moves ahead starts to take on a new meaning. Now my Scouts have at least 30 or more youngsters headed for Tiger Cubs 🙂 Clarke’s story sort of sent me down that path.
“Both of my sons came home from their first semester at the university telling me how many young men had no clue how to get things done.”
Amen to that. My boy was amazed how many of his classmates had no idea ‘how to live’ (I think that’s what he said) in his freshman dorm.
Larry,
I sure hope my son doesn’t have to repeat step 4 & 5 multiple times… 😉
“They are able to look beyond the task into the motivation behind it, they are able to see what needs to happen three or four moves ahead; to anticipate the needs of those they are leading.”
This can be a bit difficult, especially when leaders see it as their responsibility to “get things done”. Actually, the best Scout leaders are those who don’t get things done (except training boy leaders).
“they are able to see what needs to happen three or four moves ahead”. That three or four moves ahead for your Scouts are:
1. Grow up
2. Get a job
3. Finish high school
4. Move out to a job or college.
5. Get married?
6. Have children…
7. Repeat 🙂
When you can really, really get it through your head that he is moving out and going it on his own soon, then you can really begin to understand that it’s your job to turn things over to him. Most of you have done this in your life, but you may not have shepherded a young man through this.
That’s the big picture. Now back up and figure out how much you can give them to do on their own.
Wow – you’ve got them growing up and being parents pretty quick! I was thinking more like what happens at the next Troop Meeting!
I’ll tell everyone to heed your words of wisdom – “he is moving out and going it on his own soon”. Nobody, and I mean nobody can understand how short that time seems once it is past.
Very insightful post, Clarke. It hit home hard for me as I am a very task oriented person and as an SM, I’ve resembled the remark about hovering more often than I would like.
I sent your post to my ASM as we have JLT coming up and will see if we can figure out a way to incorporate this message. He said he’ll add it to the list. oops. 🙂