Back-to-back Teambuilding Workshops were held for University and School Beacon Scholars in December.
For the first time, Teambuilding Workshops were held for University and Schools Beacon Scholars in the same month. Each Workshop involved three zoom calls:
- Outline and Registration
- Theory and Exercises
- Review of Group Scenarios – Utopian Leader
The subject of the Workshop was ‘Leadership Styles’. The theory was captured in a video and disseminated in advance of the Workshop. The discussion centred on two models of leadership – the Kurt Lewin Theory, and Situational Leadership (by Hersey and Blanchard).
| KURT LEWIN THEORY | SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL |
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Scholars then looked at Leadership Traits, including assessing their own, using a Leadership Traits Wheel:
| PERSONAL TRAITS EXAMPLES | LEADERSHIP TRAITS WHEEL |
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Finally, Scholars analysed the dominant leadership styles of ‘Leaders in the public eye’.
In the second part of the Workshop, called the Utopian Leader, Scholars had to work in groups to consider how leadership dilemmas would be resolved by an ideal leader in one of four scenario case studies:
- A Sous-chef having to prepare a state banquet on short notice when the main Chef is taken ill;
- The Head of a local NGO having to deal with an imminent famine;
- An Event Promoter who has sold tickets to a concert but finds the headline band denied a visa to enter the country;
- A Police Chief who has to deal with a potential riot situation when extremists appear at a Black Lives Matter protest.
Scholars reviewed each group’s video and came to the meeting ready to discuss leadership styles, as evidenced both in the scenarios and within their own groups.
Videos produced by University Scholars can be viewed here
Videos produced by Schools Scholars can be viewed here
