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LEADERSHIP STYLES PROGRAM

Goals:
1)  To examine the different styles of leadership.
2)  To learn about your own leadership skills.

Objectives:
1)  The Participants will discover the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of different styles of leadership.
2)  The Participants will meet three leaders with different leadership styles.

Materials:
Small Packs of Legos
Decks of Cards
Big Slab of Paper
Markers

Time Table:
0:00-0:10    Intro/Break into Groups
0:10-0:25    Group meets with First Leader
0:25-0:40    Group meets with Second Leader
0:40-0:55    Group meets with Third Leader
0:55-1:20    Discussion

Procedure:

Note:  This program will be more effective if the participants do not know that this is a program about different leadership styles.  The participants will get the effect of the program better if they only know that they are supposed to complete a task and do not know that they are being subjected to stereotypes of leadership styles.

0:00-0:10    Intro/Break into Groups
Intro:  Speaker tells participants that they are now going to have a non-content based program.  They are going to break up into groups and merely do fun little things in groups.  Participants find their assigned groups and go to the assigned group locations.  Once there, the group leader can lead the participants in going around the circle and doing the name/introducing thing. 

0:10-0:25    Group meets with First Leader
The first leader leads by showing the group what to do, but then abandons them.  The leader distributes small packs of Lego's to everyone in the group.  The leader tells everyone not to touch anything, just to watch the leader.  The leader then proceeds to assemble the Lego's, then instructs everyone in the group to assemble their Lego's the exact same way.  The leader should not help the group in any way after the initial instructive.  When asked any questions, the leader should just say that the group should know what to do, they should be able to do what they need without being "led" further.  A possible way to make the group feel abandoned is by talking to the group leader and not letting the rest of the group come talk to the two leaders.

0:25-0:40    Group meets with Second Leader
The second leader leads by ordering people around.  The group has a deck of cards.   The leader tells the group that they must build a card tower.  The leader should try to instruct the group to build the tower in a very unproficient way.  When the group goes too slow or messes up (especially whenever the cards fall), the leader should berate and scold the group.  The leader should constantly yell at the group and tell them how bad and dumb the participants are.  A good thing to try would be to "accidentally"knock down the cards and then blame it on the group or an individual.

0:40-0:55    Group meets with Third Leader
The third leader leads the group by delegating responsibility to others in the group, working by using cooperation, and positively encouraging everyone in the group.  The leader gives the group a big piece of paper and markers, and tells the group that they need to make a banner that glorifies five different aspects of NFTY.  The leader should say that there are 5 things that they are supposed to include, but instead, he feels that the group should think of their own 5 things ( and pretend that it is the leader's own idea to go against what the program says).  The leader should then let the group break itself up into 5 groups, each to work on one part. 

0:55-1:20    Discussion
The group leaders and the rotating leaders (who should each stay with the last group they were with) should then lead the group in a discussion about the different kinds of leadership they were subjected to (hint; there are more than just these three stereotypes-each leader's character can be broken down into different aspects of leadership -discuss all that come up).  If the participants have not yet realized what the program was about, they should be let in on the big secret at this time.   Here are some ideas that can be incorporated into discussion (try to incorporate text to add that little bit of Jewish flavor).

What kinds of leadership were they subjected to?
How did the participants feel when they were just given something to do and then abandoned?
How did they feel when they were given a task to do, and even when trying were put down and berated?
How did they feel when they were given a say in what they were doing?
Which aspects of leadership seem to be more effective?
Which aspects of leadership seem to make the group less effective in what they were doing?
Is it sometimes necessary to be rough or strict or mean with a group (see first text below) Why?  When?
Why shouldn't those traits often be associated with leadership?
Why must a leader not try to lead alone? (see second text below)
Why must a leader sometimes join the group in doing a task? (see third text below)

First Text:  Numbers 20:2, 9-12:  "The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron...Moses took the rod from before the lord, as He had commanded him.  Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in from the rock; and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels, shall we get water for you out of this rock?"   And Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod.  Out came copious water, and the community and their beasts drank.  But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them."

-This is an example of a leader who is harsh with his people and belittles them-Moses also hits the rock, disobeying God's command, and is punished for it.

Second Text:  Exodus 18:13-14, 17-18, 22-23:  "Next day, Moses sat as magistrate among the people, while the people stood about Moses from morning until evening.  But when Moses' father-in-law saw how much he had to do for the people, he said "What is this thing that you are doing to the people?  Why do you act alone, while all the people are standing about you from morning until evening?" ...But Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing you are doing is not right; you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well.  For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone...Made it easier for yourself by letting (other magistrates) share the burden with you.   If you do this- and so God commands you-you will be able to bear it up; and all these people too will go home unwearied."

-This is an example of a leader who realizes that to be more effective, he must not only listen to another's advice, but delegate responsibility by dividing his power among others.

Third Text:  Judges 4:4, 6-8:  "Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess; she led Israel at that time...She summoned Barak son of Abinoam, of Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "The Lord, the God of Israel, has commanded:  Go, march up to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulan.   And I will draw Sisera, Jabin's army commander, with his chariots and his troops, toward you up to the Wadi Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hands."  But Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go; if not, I will not go."  

-This is an example of how sometimes a leader has to lead by example, for if the leader does notdo the task, no one will follow, etc.