Identifying, Defining, Applying, Analyzing & Synthesizing Leadership Opportunities with Adolescents

Executive Summary A leadership program was developed by the authors and utilized at the State 4-H Leadership Camp in Ohio during July, 1998 and 1999. The purpose of this workshop was to obtain qualitative data from two groups, Leadership Counselors and Leadership Campers, regarding their perceptions and definitions of leadership. Specifically, workshop participants were asked to identify current and former leaders, define "leadership," apply leadership principles to the camp situation, analyze their abilities and opportunities as youth leaders and synthesize leadership opportunities which could be performed when they returned to their families, clubs and communities. Comparisons between the two groups were made with camp counselors tending to believe that leadership was learned through teaching and observation, while campers tended to believe that leadership skills were learned through active participation.