This document discusses youth leadership and group dynamics at Encounter. It describes transformational leadership as being the best fit for Encounter's core values. It outlines the stages of group formation and provides tips for effective leadership, including setting goals, facilitating discussions, and finding meaning in leadership roles. The overall message is that youth are empowered to use their gifts to help others through the Encounter experience.

1. Encounter the Gospel of Life
The Call to Leadership
Youth Leadership

2. “Do not conform yourselves to this age but
be transformed by the renewal of your
mind, that you may discern what is the
will of God, what is good and pleasing
and perfect.”
- Romans 12:2

3. Leadership is…
• BE
– Who you are
• And use your strengths
• KNOW
– The skills of teaching and leading
• To help others – and you – achieve goals
• DO
– The toolbox of leadership skills
• Communicating, problem solving, planning,
resolving conflict

4. What are some different forms of
leadership?
• Transactional Leadership
– Values problem and solution identification
– Makes decisions in order to move forward
– Uses standards and principles to make
decisions
– Takes charge and gets things done
– Develop themselves to be better decision-
makers for the group
– Recognizes the importance of the product

5. What are some different forms of
leadership?
• Transformational Leadership
– Values the participation and contribution of
others
– Takes all viewpoints into consideration before
making a decision
– Considers individuals within their situations
– Develop themselves to be better contributors to
the group
– Shares leadership responsibilities
– Recognizes the importance of the process

6. Take a wild guess…
• If the Encounter core values are…
– Direct-Relational Ministry
– Shared Responsibility and Empowerment
– Openness to God and Holy Spirit
– Commitment to Excellence
– Conversion is Reflected in Daily Life
• Which leadership style do you think is
more in keeping with Encounter?
– Transactional or transformational?

7. Components of Effective
Leadership
• Moral confidence
• Futures thinking
• Human relationships
• Networking and collaboration
• Accountability
• Operational management

8. Effective Leadership
Development
1. Challenge and problem solving
2. Cognitive strategies
3. Work based
4. Social interaction and models
5. Mentoring and coaching

9. Desired Outcomes of Leadership
Development Programs
• Building confidence
• Social interaction
• Access to information
• Motivation – inspiration
• Skills development
• Behavioral – attitudinal change
• Personal growth

10. Leadership in Groups
• Groups experience developmental
stages just as individuals do
• Each stage has challenges that need to
be addressed
• There are advantages and
disadvantages to working in groups

11. Stages of Group Functioning
• There are five basic stages of group
functioning:
– Forming
– Storming
– Norming
– Performing
– Transforming

12. Group Functioning at Encounter
• You will be part of a few different
groups at Encounter
– Parish
– Small parish group (possibly)
– Work-site
– Action group
• EACH of these groups will move
through the stages at their own pace

13. Leadership Behavior
Team Development Phase Best Leadership
Stage Behavior
Forming High Enthusiasm Explaining
Low Skills
Storming Low Enthusiasm Demonstrating
Low Skills
Norming Rising Enthusiasm Guiding
Growing Skills
Performing High Enthusiasm Enabling
High Skills
Transforming Falling Enthusiasm Empowering
High Skills

14. Group Functioning at Encounter
• The groups that you are a part of will move
through these stage (and possibly revisit
them) during the course of the week
• There is no “right” timing, but your groups
may move through all of the stages as the
week progresses (or only some)
• The timing shown on the next few pages a
rough estimate for the average group, but
yours may spend more or less time in a given
stage

15. Forming – Sunday/Monday
• This is the first stage, involving the initial
coming together of the group
• You spend time getting to know one another
• Few (if any!) accomplishments occur
• Uncertainty of how to act (think first day of
school)
• Time should be spent defining goals
• You need to get to know your tasks and how
to do them (and each other)

16. Storming – Monday/Tuesday
• Familiarity has been established
• Conflicts may (and often do!) occur
• Confusion among members concerning
roles and responsibilities
• Members may become defensive
• Smaller cliques may start to form
• Conflict should serve to help clarify
group goals and promote cohesion

17. Norming – Tuesday/Wednesday
• Group becomes more organized
• Roles and responsibilities are clearly
defined
• Rules and relationships are established
• Trust and support increase

18. Performing –
Wednesday/Thursday
• Group is more mature
• Members are comfortable and know
what is expected of them
• Tasks are completed with focus and
cooperation
• You have hit your stride as a group and
are working well together

19. Transforming – Thursday/Friday
• This stage is about wrapping up and splitting
up, both from the tasks and the group
members.
• You will (hopefully!) be proud of having
achieved much and having been part of the
group.
• There may be sadness for the completion of
the task and for the loss of the group, but
this should be balanced by the excitement of
moving forward into the future
• How can this experience continue to form
and transform you in the future?

20. Identifying Strengths and
Weaknesses
• When identifying your own strengths
and weaknesses, consider the
following questions:
– What am I good at?
– What do I enjoy? What do I not enjoy?
– What can I do that I am proud of?
– What do I ask others to assist me with?
– What can I not do that I want to learn how
to do?

21. Facilitating Effective
Discussions
• For the group to have an effective
discussion, ownership needs to take
place among all the youth in the group
• The majority of the discussion must be
taking place among the YOU – the youth
• Use open-ended questions to get the
conversation started

22. Meaningful Leadership
• Leadership is meaningful when:
– There is an opportunity to apply the skills
you are learning
– You are feeling your work is having an
impact
• Opportunities for meaningful
leadership:
– Community involvement and service

23. Goals and Expectations
• The most important thing to remember
is to make sure that goals and
expectations are set by the entire
group and everyone should contribute
• Everyone has ownership, compromises
can be reached, and agreements can
be made on what is best for the group

24. Goals and Expectations
• Ground rules:
– Every idea is valid, everyone contributes, and
every person is responsible
– Use many of the open-ended questions you would
use in discussions
– Provide adequate opportunities for participation
– Ask for everyone’s opinions and ideas
– Make sure they are communicated clearly and
everyone is comfortable with them
– Review periodically and adjust as needed

25. YOU are Encounter
• From the very start Encounter has been about
empowering youth to use their gifts to help
others
• This means that YOU and your gifts are vital to
the success of the week, and of the community
that continues after the week is done
• If you are an experienced youth leader in your
parish, now is the time to shine!
• If you don’t have any leadership experience,
now is the time to step up!

26. Acknowledgements
• Portions of the above are based on
information gathered from the following
sources…
– http://pa4h.cas.psu.edu/100.htm
– www.pack730.com/CubCD/scouts
– www.saintjoancatholic.org