Leadership Skills Toolbox

Consider what you might put in a toolbox if you were going to build something in your home. You might want a hammer, some nails, maybe a level, and if they were available power tools could be a big help and perhaps may the project finish more quickly. The most important part of your toolbox is having tools you know how to use properly and keeping them at your fingertips, ready to use when needed. 

Now that we have reviewed the benefits of focusing on your strengths, as much if not more than areas with room for growth, consider what you would want to have in your leadership toolbox. What strengths have you identified that are your primary tools as a leader? What strength would be the first tool you might take out of your toolbox if you needed to help organize a skilled team? Would you choose a different tool if you moved into a team that had never worked together before?

For this assignment, imagine you are the leader of a group in one of your courses and the assignment is to do a semester-long service learning project. You will need to identify and discuss specific things you could do to create a positive climate, positive relationships, positive communication, and positive meaning in a group with your peers.

First, consider the strengths you have that would help you lead this semester-long project. In your response of at least 300 words include what you would include in your leadership toolbox to help you create a positive and productive leadership style to support your team.

Create a 250-350 word response that includes the following:

• Paragraph 1: Identify at least three of your leadership strengths that are in your leadership toolbox that you can rely on supporting you as a leader in a variety of settings. Include a short description of the strength and why you feel it would be helpful to you as a leader.
• Paragraph 2: Describe what you would use from your toolbox if you were the new leader of a team that was highly skilled in their field. Why do you feel this would be the best choice for this team?
• Paragraph 3: Discuss which choice you would make if you were asked to be the leader of a team that had never worked together before. Provide an explanation of why you would or would not choose something different from your toolbox for this group. 

Please keep in mind, even if you have not had an opportunity to lead a group formally, you can reflect on how you have provided leadership in many different settings to help support your thinking for this reflection.