All recreational leaders need a pen, paper and open mind for this activity. Tell them to write down the following words on the paper: persuading, directing, informing, disciplining, brainstorming, observing and clarifying. Give the adults about 15 minutes to write down the amount of time they spend doing each of these tasks in their leadership roles. After they finish, have the adults write down the amount of time they think they should spend on each of the behaviors. Have a group discussion and ask questions like "Are some behaviors taking up too much of your leadership time and why?" and "What strategies can you use to get closer to your daily behavior goals?" This activity will encourage recreational leaders to concentrate on behaviors they feel they are weak in. For example, a leader might find he needs to work on better informing his troops about scouting events forthcoming.
Explain to the adults that they are going to participate in a leadership activity that will boost their courage and self-esteem. The object of this activity is to walk down a busy sidewalk and make eye contact with at least 10 people. They must smile at these 10 people while making eye contact and cannot look away until they have passed each person. Before the adults head out, have them discuss what they think will happen and how it will improve their leadership skills. Give them 30 minutes to complete this activity and then meet back up for a group discussion. Have each person say how this activity made her feel and how she thinks it will affect or improve her leadership role in the recreational field. This activity teaches leaders to put a smile on their face and deliver a positive attitude toward their employees or students.
Have all recreational leaders sit in a circle and chat with each other for about five minutes to break the ice. Select a volunteer to share a leadership story of his choice to the group. The story should include a conflict within his team members he had to deal with or what he did with a member who always runs late or does not show up for a specific activity. After he shares his story, he will tell how he handled the situation. Other team members will chime in and tell the leader other options he could try if the situation arises again. This will not only help leaders get things off their chest; it will help them with future similar problems. Let each leader share her own story.