Like the people who tell their stories in Voices of the Present Times, we all have our own definition of leadership. Some are detailed, others vague; some developed through long and careful thought, others more intuitive. But everyone’s definitions of leadership is shaped by their own experiences. Could reading Voices of the Present Times give you a new vision of leadership?
1. Pre-activity
a. Before reading the book, or a selection from it, work in small groups or individually to write down a definition of leadership.
b. If working in small groups, first write out every group members’ definition in a shared document. Then, read out and discuss the different definitions.
c. Look up “leadership” in the dictionary. Compare your definitions with the dictionary definition.
d. Identify people who you consider to be leaders in the world, in your society, or in your entourage. Do these leaders possess the qualities mentioned in the definitions of leadership you have discussed?
2. Reading
This step can be done individually, in pairs, in teams, or as a full class.
a. Individually : Everyone reads a single text, or the whole collection.
b. Pairs : Each pair is responsible for reading one text from the collection.
c. Teams : Each team member is responsible for reading a text from the collection.
d. Whole class : Every day, read a new text from the collection together.
3. New perceptions
e. Go back to step 1.a. This time, draw on your reading to create a new definition of leadership. Compare the results.
f. Which definition of leadership feels right to you now? Using this new definition, what other leaders can you identify in the world, in your community, or among your loved ones?
4. Identification
a. Which story do you identify with most?
b. Was it the same for your classmates?