Leadership Practices in the Girl ScoutsEssay Preview: Leadership Practices in the Girl ScoutsReport this essay“Leadership Practices in the Girl Scouts”What constitutes effective leadership? If you ask ten people you will likely get a variety of answers. In fact, a great deal of time is spent defining what leadership means to the individuals within any organization and in the end it often becomes individual preference of what characteristics a follower thinks should be present in good leadership because different people respond to different things. The Girl Scouts, a widely known organization that I was fortunate enough to be a part of, exemplifies sound leadership characteristics and strives to impart these characteristics to young girls. This paper will endeavor to share some of the key points that the Girl Scouts embody with regards to leadership, and outline why those characteristics are important in everyday life as well as in the professional work place.
Leadership is a word frequently used in the Girl Scouts. I had the opportunity to be a Girl Scout Leader for several years when my daughter was growing up. One key point to being a leader in the Girl Scouts is taking on the responsibility of developing the young girls into leaders themselves. The organization itself plans and carries out operations under the direction of a board and staff leaders, and a lot of emphasis is placed on recruiting volunteer leaders as well.
In the Girl Scouts, the girls are taught from a young age what it means to be a leader and what characteristics and actions are important to being a positive and effective leader. From an early age, the girls are taught that a leader is someone who helps others do and become more than they ever thought possible. They are also taught that leadership is about unlocking potential, whether individual potential or that of a group, community, company or organization. Girl Scouts teaches that leadership is not merely telling people what to do, but inspiring them to see what they are capable of, then helping them to get there. (Kloninger, 2011)
There is no denying that leadership is a hot topic. One online search found 22 million web site listings for the word “leadership.” (Vojta, 2012) It is common sense that good leadership gets things done, but the quality of the leadership determines the difference between a team that is passionate about what they are doing versus one that is merely following orders. The Girl Scouts uses the transformational approach in their leadership to help the girls to learn and understand the value of being an ethical and moral leader. The Girl Scout Leaders are charged with being positive role models for the girls, and there is a huge emphasis placed modeling them to them through actions rather than merely telling them “do as I say but not as I do”. (Goldsmith, 2008)
In the Girl Scouts organization, the idea of knowing “where youre going” is of great importance. It is key that effective leaders know what is important to them, what their own individual strengths and weaknesses are, what drives them, and where to draw the line. Putting all this together will result in a leader who has self-confidence and clear values. Knowing oneself is necessary when faced with challenges or ethical choices, communicating with those who have different ideas, making decisions and identifying sources of satisfaction. “We need to be clear about our own values, priorities, and preferences and not let someone else, or society, define them for us,” says Marina Ruderman, a group director and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. “By clearly identifying those values, priorities and preferences, we can articulate what we want, develop benchmarks, and make better choices.”
For Girl Scouts, the Promise and Law provide a solid foundation for their ethical values. It is critical in the organization that every member starts from the same basis. As Karen White, GSUSA Director of Volunteer Development and Diversity explains, “The value of an individual must match the values of the Girl Scout Movement. We then encourage an individuals future growth through training, mentoring and coaching.” (Kloninger, 2011) It is through this process that the transformational approach is used to successfully mentor and mold the girls. It is by providing learning opportunities, both formal and informal, that Girl Scouts helps girls, volunteers, and staff members develop stronger self-awareness.
In addition to being self-aware, an effective Girl Scout Leader is not afraid to take on responsibilities and is regularly encouraged to do so. Sometimes this requires putting the organization or group first, and keeping it there. Cynthia Thompson, Chair of the National Board of Directors, GSUSA, said, “I believe a lot of people understand what it means to be a leader, but the difference comes down to commitment. True leadership requires you to make sacrifices, including putting others before yourself.” Gayle Davis, GSUSA Senior Director admits that “Sometimes our use of the word leadership can put people off. A potential volunteer may think I cant do that; Ive got no experience or qualifications. When really what were looking for is a mentor, a person who prompts others to be their best, someone who cares and listens, someone confident in her beliefs and is willing to be there.”
Being a Girl Scout Girl Scout can get you a great place to grow and a place to work with. If you want girls to be successful and want more, join a new organization. If you value family, support, and community service, join the Girl Scouts.
This article about a Girl Scout Girl Scout is still in its infancy. If you’re interested in attending a Girl Scouts group please click on the link above and email a review to me. I will add in future reviews to a list as soon as possible.
There is a girl scout group in your area! My friends in college and I have all of our friends (who are in other organizations, the Girl Scouts of America, etc.) who are Girl Scouts. We have started the last Girl Scout group in North Carolina. My favorite is by now as we have about 40 or more members who are looking to join. We have about 1,000 girls in our group, and many more are members. Our main goal is to create a way for them to become a Leader who is willing to teach others to do the same or make the same connections. We believe that when we do, we will be able to learn, grow, and learn beyond the small team we started when most people did not know about them. We will never have more than 90 to 100 girls. Any way we can keep our Girl Scout group growing by our goal is great…
Hi! The Girl Scout Girl Scouts Club is here. We want to share our experiences with Girls who are taking leadership positions at the school or school in question. We are making an effort to start a Girl Scout Club. We will start this Club at 8:30 a.m. on April 5 for any volunteer that needs to get on our radar. And, we would like to invite any Girl that is in our Scout group up to join. The Club can be started at 7 p.m. on April 5 and continues until that time. Come be part of the fun and help spread the word about today’s Girl Scout Girl Scouts. A Girl Scout Girl can be as diverse, active, friendly, and committed to the same mission regardless of your background or where you are. In addition to being able to contribute to the cause of empowerment and youth development, it is also important for her to be at the forefront of doing what she feels her role is best at. It is also important for her to have confidence and be ready to do whatever challenges will surface.
I am also looking for a Girl Scout to join us. I would like to start working with girls. If I have too many girls I have a lot of challenges. We try to figure out a way to keep them where they are now and to focus them on the day they get an appointment. We have done this together and it all starts with you. When we can have you feel that you have the potential to help out our Girl Scouts, let’s do it. Let’s make an effort on their Day. Please feel free to join us at 7-9:15 by the beginning of April. All Girl Scouts need to follow the same basic instructions when approaching the office so as not to cross the line in leaving a group. Here are a few important points that we want to make clear: Girl Scouts belong to the same family as their male peers, and a girl’s gender is a natural aspect of them. If she doesn’t like the way she looks