GIRL LED: GIRL POWER

GIRL LED: GIRL POWER
  By Denise Sheaks Burke MA, LCSW
Volunteer for Girl Scouts of California Central Coast
LET GIRLS LEAD THE WAY AND YOU FOLLOW!
  • GROWTH mindset versus CLOSED mindset
  • Encouraging versus Discouraging. How to encourage, engage and empower in all that you say and do.
  • The POWER of non-verbal communication. How your non-verbal cues can empower or confuse.
  • The Girl Led Facade: Leaders and adults who make it
      look girl led, but undermine the girls choices.
  • Girl Led Confusion: Laissez faire leadership style leads to the most lowest productivity. Being girl led means guidance and support. Well intentioned leaders sometimes allow chaos, confusion, and frustration when they instruct the girls to lead but don’t offer them the tools to succeed. If you were sending the girls on a hike, you’d give them a map and guidelines to help them find their way, the same goes with a girl led troop model.
  • Growth Essentials: Trust, safety, acceptance. It is essential to build trust in your troop to build a feeling of safety and acceptance. Girls grow in connection with one another and offer peer support to each other when trust, safety and acceptance is established.
  • Mistakes are allowed: Guiding girls that risk-taking and mistakes are essential ingredients of success.
  • Are We Having Fun Yet?: Having the girls connect through play (at any age) to build a stronger troop.
  • Team Building: Mindful games and exercises to promote fun and connection which also builds trust.
  • Help is on the way, just ask! Connecting with other leaders, parents, SU meetings, other resources. We grow when we connect with each other. You don’t have to do this alone.
  • Attitude Check: Being aware of leader burn-out and martyrdom. Negative attitudes create negative outcomes...are you a light (attracting) or a drain (sucking the life out of those around you)?
  • Pulse: Take a few min to assess the strengths of your troop and what you are succeeding at.
  • Positive Reinforcement: This is not just a catchphrase. Are you motivated when you hear: “No, sit down, not now, maybe later, we can’t do that, why? We’ll see.” What about when you hear: “Yes; Great idea; Tell me more; Let’s discuss it; I love the idea-can you write it up and present it at the next meeting: I never thought about doing it that way, thank you for sharing that.”
  • Girl Led: Girl Power: How girls can make choices and lead their troop and what it looks like for Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors.
  • Daisies: Simple (age-appropriate) choices. Asking them which do they want to first, activity or snack. Guiding this age level but giving choices. Daisies are learning the rituals and expectations in a troop and encouraging their input sets the foundation that it’s their troop.
  • Brownies: More choices. They can choose the badges, outings, take turns leading activities, and give suggestions.
  • Juniors: This age level can actively plan and lead their meetings. Girls can choose a badge to lead and plan it entirely. Juniors are excited about leading and they tend to embrace every opportunity to lead. They respond well to support and guidance and they love leading their troop at this level. This is a great age level to plan and lead a service unit event with leader assistance. The girls earn their Bronze Award at this level, which is another great leadership opportunity for them.
  • Cadettes, Seniors, Ambassadors: Girls are leading their troops at this level and making all decisions. Cadettes can earn their Silver Award and Seniors/Ambassadors can earn their Gold Award. Girls in 6th grade and older can attend Program Aid Core Training (PACT), earn their Leader In Action (LIA) and work on many other awards. Girls at these age levels can assist and plan service unit events and assist at council events. Girls at this level can also be Program Aids (PA’s) at day camps. Teens love leading but they still need guidance and assistance. Teen leaders can have very creative ideas, but need assistance following thru. Just because they are older does not mean that don't need help. They are willing to learn, so offering positive guidance and encouragement goes a long way with this age level, especially since they often worry about making mistakes. Some teens will need little assistance and others may need more. Peer support is the best source of encouragement at this level and you model that in how you mentor the group.

#BanBossy: “When a little boy asserts himself, he’s called a “leader”. Yet when a little girl does the same , she risks being branded “bossy.” Words like bossy send a message: don’t raise your hand or speak up. By middle school, girls are less interested in leading than boys--a trend that continues into adulthood. Together we can encourage girls to lead.” (banbossy.com)







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