CEdu 527--Week 3: Applying Our Leadership Skills this Week

This past week, I have been in Florida, serving as a coach for my daughter's 16U fastpitch team. I have been able to apply so much of what we have learned in this class in my role as coach for our girls and a leader for our parents. Organizing side trips, meals, line-ups, finances, and schedules has been very interesting and challenging. Using Gabriel's tips on building consensus and mediating conflict has been most helpful on this trip. 13 high school girls, 2 overwhelmed house moms, and parents ranging from hands-off to meddling have provided me with many opportunities to try out what we have learned thus far in this course. I have actually enjoyed the process and the results and find myself quickly growing as a leader.

I have also been able to help my wife as she assumes the leadership role as pastor in her new church in Janesville. The "Who Moved My Cheese" video offered insights into how parishioners might react to the changes going on in their church. In addition, I have offered some of Gabriel's suggestions ("build support by identifying your supporters" "let someone else propose the change" "sit on your hands") regarding some upcoming potentially difficult personnel changes.

As a developing leader and teacher, I found the Beloit list and the Tune In article most helpful in acquiring a better understanding of what people of different ages and generations know and how they have grown up. Helping my dad learn how to use his new laptop in the next few weeks will certainly test my skills on how to relate with and teach a traditionalist (born in 1937) technology tools that are completely foreign to him at this point.

I look forward to applying what we have learned in this course and applied this summer at Falls North Junior High this autumn.