Discussion: View Thread

Sandy --

I have had fun with an easy to set up activity. Put large pieces of news
print around the room with names of TOOLS on them (hammar, wrench, pliers,
screwdriver, etc.) Then ask the students to think a minute about their
leadership style -- what kinds of qualities they exhibit. Then ask them
to choose a tool which best describes their style. When the crowd has
dispersed, ask the small groups to list how the qualities of the tool they
have chosen are like their leadership style.

The groups can then report out. Discussion to follow.

It breaks the ice, gets people talking, gets them reflecting...all the
things that set the stage for further learning.

Good luck,
Diana

Sandy Millar wrote:

> This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
> on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
> more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
> (By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
> lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).
>
> Does anyone have any interesting games, experential tasks which would
> be appropriate for a lecture situation (i.e. 120 students sitting in
> tiered rows of immovable desks)?
>
> Remember, this is Friday, so any weird or innovative ideas will be
> gratefully accepted.
>
> Enjoy your weekend.
>
> SS
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Sandy Millar, Manukau Business School, Manukau Institute of
> Technology, Private Bag 94006, Manukau City, NEW ZEALAND.
>
> Ph: 0064 9 274 6009, Fax: 0064 9 273 0707
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
(By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).

Does anyone have any interesting games, experential tasks which would
be appropriate for a lecture situation (i.e. 120 students sitting in
tiered rows of immovable desks)?

Remember, this is Friday, so any weird or innovative ideas will be
gratefully accepted.

Enjoy your weekend.

SS




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandy Millar, Manukau Business School, Manukau Institute of
Technology, Private Bag 94006, Manukau City, NEW ZEALAND.

Ph: 0064 9 274 6009, Fax: 0064 9 273 0707
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sandy--

I have gotten a good response, as have others I know, to the old chestnut,
"Name three great leaders." I haven't done it with that many students
but, if you can arrange some separation--even letting the students leave
the room--it works well as a small group exercise. Alternatively, you
could do it as a whole class discussion.

Ask each student to think of three great leaders. Don't define
"great"--let them work from their own definitions. Then, ask them to list
some characteristics that the leaders have or share. Report out to the
group and then have the group agree on a joint list of characteristics.
The characteristics will generally fall into the areas of traits,
behaviors, and outcomes. (I have "mindmapped" them using that model.)
This provides a good basis for a debriefing about the different ways we
think about leadership and the complexity of it, that effective leadership
can take many forms and that almost any given set of traits and behaviors
work well in some circumstances.

If the group doesn't get lively, throw in Adolf Hitler's name. That always
generates intense discussion (I didn't say "good" leaders). It is also
helpful to explicitly bring in some leaders from other cultures. Gandhi
and Mandela are usually mentioned but characterized according to an
American values set. It can be interesting to talk about the
characterics that appeal to their own societies instead. Clinton should
make for interesting discussion these days--the public versus private
life issue. If you want to, you can specify "leaders of
organizations"--that opens the Pandora's box of "What is an organization?"

Hope this sparks some ideas. It's a really fun exercise. Enjoy.

Ruth
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth H. Axelrod | For every complex
Organizational Behavior & Development | problem, there is a
The George Washington University | simple solution--
Home: | and it's wrong.
(301)593-4938 |
11372 Baroque Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901 | H. L. Mencken
Mailto: raxelrod@gwu.edu |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, Sandy Millar wrote:

> This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
> on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
> more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
> (By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
> lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).
>
> Does anyone have any interesting games, experential tasks which would
> be appropriate for a lecture situation (i.e. 120 students sitting in
> tiered rows of immovable desks)?
>
> Remember, this is Friday, so any weird or innovative ideas will be
> gratefully accepted.
>
> Enjoy your weekend.
>
> SS
>
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Sandy Millar, Manukau Business School, Manukau Institute of
> Technology, Private Bag 94006, Manukau City, NEW ZEALAND.
>
> Ph: 0064 9 274 6009, Fax: 0064 9 273 0707
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>

Hi,

First have each group come up with the criteria for
assessing leadership. Then, when the name their leaders,
have them show how each one named met the crtiteria.
Sort of like was done in the little book, Leadership
Secrets of Atilla the Hun. It gets them thinking in
more concrete terms about what makes a person
"leaderly".

Jim Dobbins


Ruth H. Axelrod wrote:
>
> Sandy--
>
> I have gotten a good response, as have others I know, to the old chestnut,
> "Name three great leaders." I haven't done it with that many students
> but, if you can arrange some separation--even letting the students leave
> the room--it works well as a small group exercise. Alternatively, you
> could do it as a whole class discussion.
>
> Ask each student to think of three great leaders. Don't define
> "great"--let them work from their own definitions. Then, ask them to list
> some characteristics that the leaders have or share. Report out to the
> group and then have the group agree on a joint list of characteristics.
> The characteristics will generally fall into the areas of traits,
> behaviors, and outcomes. (I have "mindmapped" them using that model.)
> This provides a good basis for a debriefing about the different ways we
> think about leadership and the complexity of it, that effective leadership
> can take many forms and that almost any given set of traits and behaviors
> work well in some circumstances.
>
> If the group doesn't get lively, throw in Adolf Hitler's name. That always
> generates intense discussion (I didn't say "good" leaders). It is also
> helpful to explicitly bring in some leaders from other cultures. Gandhi
> and Mandela are usually mentioned but characterized according to an
> American values set. It can be interesting to talk about the
> characterics that appeal to their own societies instead. Clinton should
> make for interesting discussion these days--the public versus private
> life issue. If you want to, you can specify "leaders of
> organizations"--that opens the Pandora's box of "What is an organization?"
>
> Hope this sparks some ideas. It's a really fun exercise. Enjoy.
>
> Ruth
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Ruth H. Axelrod | For every complex
> Organizational Behavior & Development | problem, there is a
> The George Washington University | simple solution--
> Home: | and it's wrong.
> (301)593-4938 |
> 11372 Baroque Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901 | H. L. Mencken
> Mailto: raxelrod@gwu.edu |
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Fri, 7 Aug 1998, Sandy Millar wrote:
>
> > This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
> > on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
> > more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
> > (By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
> > lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).
> >
> > Does anyone have any interesting games, experential tasks which would
> > be appropriate for a lecture situation (i.e. 120 students sitting in
> > tiered rows of immovable desks)?
> >
> > Remember, this is Friday, so any weird or innovative ideas will be
> > gratefully accepted.
> >
> > Enjoy your weekend.
> >
> > SS
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > Sandy Millar, Manukau Business School, Manukau Institute of
> > Technology, Private Bag 94006, Manukau City, NEW ZEALAND.
> >
> > Ph: 0064 9 274 6009, Fax: 0064 9 273 0707
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Management Education and Development Discussion
> [mailto:MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU]On Behalf Of Sandy Millar
> Sent: Friday, August 07, 1998 8:43 AM
> To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: Leadership Game
>
>
> This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
> on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
> more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
> (By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
> lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).

A very interesting approach is to ask them to focus on the negative aspects of
being a leader first.

For example, when a team badly underperforms, who usually gets the axe? I
cannot remember the wholesale firing of team while keeping the leader. This is
a built in bias for group survival that many young people fail to comprehend. I
can remember bringing it up in a graduate course I was taking. I can say almost
categorically that few people ever consider the leader as a scapegoat, but it
does happen.

Another negative, is the leader as moral symbol. I use the example of Gov. Ann
Richards here in Texas having to execute criminals by lethal injection or stay
the execution. I am fairly certain her political leanings were not in favor of
the death penalty, yet she still had to decide whether or not she would sign the
certificate of execution. Leaders are the ultimate either/or decision-makers,
and we hire them to make the kinds of unpleasant decisions so that we don't have
to do it ourselves.

My third negative is learning when to let go. This follows the parental model
(you'd be surprised how many people use the family as their model of
leadership). However, at a certain point the group will assert its desire for
autonomy from its leadership. That is the point when leaders are hesitant to
yield control because their identity is wrapped up in being the "leader." The
question becomes who is leading who?

The hazards of leading by example on character. If a leader is sitting at a
desk filing report that suggests a promotion or the termination of an employee,
do I really want to follow that example? Many leaders actually lead by
carefully chosen symbolic gestures that are sure to be transmitted through the
rumor mill. I am not sure how they develop the uncanny ability to do this, but
many do.

Finally, leaders tend to overstay their usefulness. At my undergraduate
university, the president retired after 26 years of service. Truly nice guy but
with that length of tenure he had an iron grip on the faculty and the board of
directors. Shoot, a significant number of the board members had graduated after
he became president allowing him to exert a very subtle form of control by
reminding them of their student days at the school.


There are many who focus on the compensation and perks, but forget the toll that
being a leader takes. If you will start with the negatives first followed by
positives, the normative process will unearth some latent concepts of leadership
that get the short-shrift.
__________________________________
Great Optimism,

Dutch Driver
Abilene, TX 79605
mailto:AskChoragus@yada-yada.com

Sandy -
How about you showing some leadership and taking the class out of the
controlling environment of a stuffy classroom? Then do some experiential
things outdoors or in the halls if the weather is bad. You can discuss your
risks in leaving the classroom and have an exercise where several students
can lead small groups. Both leaders and groups can report on the
experience.
Mike Krause
-----Original Message-----
From: Sandy Millar <smillar@MIT.MANUKAU.AC.NZ>
To: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU <MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Date: Friday, August 07, 1998 12:35 AM
Subject: Leadership Game


This coming week, I am lecturing a large class of first year students
on the topic of leadership. I would like to introduce something a bit
more jazzy to the lecture to get students buzzing about the topic.
(By the way, they do have a tutorial group for 50 minutes after the
lecture, but it is the lecture I'm particularly interested in).

Does anyone have any interesting games, experential tasks which would
be appropriate for a lecture situation (i.e. 120 students sitting in
tiered rows of immovable desks)?

Remember, this is Friday, so any weird or innovative ideas will be
gratefully accepted.

Enjoy your weekend.

SS




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sandy Millar, Manukau Business School, Manukau Institute of
Technology, Private Bag 94006, Manukau City, NEW ZEALAND.

Ph: 0064 9 274 6009, Fax: 0064 9 273 0707
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sandy

Much depends on what you want to accomplish

If you want students to come up with a definition of what leadership is (one
more, since there are as many as there are people who have thought about the
issue), then follow any of the useful suggestions that were posted, in
conjuntion with very brief explanation of the core of various leadership
theories or theory groups.

If you want to help them understand what makes a manager a better leader, you
have to take a different approach. It is a manager who understands what
decision skills he or she has to bring to bear so that the team will have
control over the direction it wants to take, so it has the competence to do
what it sets out to do, and so it has the satisfying climate for all
stakeholders that will avoid many obstacles and get commitments. In addition
the manager has to work on those traits that help leaders be better leaders,
and you could talk about those a little.

These issues can and should be phrased in the form of questions and you could
handle that in the lecture, especially if you make it a participative lecture.
Then, there could be brief exercises to explore what the three issues (or
questions mean).

If that interests you, please respond to me directly, not as a posting, and I
can send you some more information, based on a recently published book.

Best wishes with your class.

Erwin
Erwin Rausch; didacticra@aol.com; Tel: 908-789-2194; Fax:908-789-0038;
Didactic Systems, P.O. Box 457, Cranford, NJ 07016