Developing Leaders For The Twenty First Century And Beyond

Author: Reed Markham

John Gardner, a leadership expert raised the following question: Where are today's leaders? It's 2012 and America has a population today of over 300 million people. America should be producing more leaders. I believe Boy Scouts of America scouting program is the source for producing America's future great leaders. I would like to offer three strategies for developing our future leaders.

First, recognize that we are losing too many of our boys.

The number of boys who drop out of school is dramatic. The number of young boys who later go on to college is shrinking fast. And the workplace is facing a phenomena called the missing male. Many young boys are more attracted to gangs, pornography and violent video games. To reverse these trends, scout leaders need to be creative, innovative and audience centered in their search for resources to improve the quality of their programs.

Second, develop a strategic plan that includes specific goals for each scout.
Taking time to plan is taking time to succeed. A few years aog I visited a cub scout den in Albany, Georgia. The scout leader was a busy doctor. Although this doctor was busy it was obvious he spent many hours on his laptop computer to develop a strategic plan. The leader had a spreadsheet that detailed progress toward badges for each scout.

Third, update your activities and resources.

To inspire and motivate today's scouts requires the latest information. Many online resources and training activities are available to every scout leader. Albert Einstein said: "True genius is access to information." The genius behind successful programs lie in leaders who are lifelong learners and motivated to learn to latest program or activity available for his scouts. Survey your scouts and find audience centered activities that will increase their motivation and enthusiasm.

Boy Scout founder, Baden Powell was a great optimist. He recognized that the future can be bright. To insure a bright future for our young scouts, adult leaders need to be state of the art, great role models and move with innovation and flexibility in developing an exciting, strategic program for their scouts. Baden Powell concluded: "The most worthwhile thing is to put happiness into the lives of others." The opportunity to bring happiness into the lives of scouts has never been greater.

Article Source: http://www.sooperarticles.com/home-and-family-articles/self-improvement-articles/developing-leaders-twenty-first-century-beyond-799826.html
About Author:

Reed Markham
Eagle Scout
Former Speechwriter for the U.S. Supreme Court
Associate Professor, Daytona State College