Received The Wood Badge for the second time yesterday. The first time was from Egypt 2002. I am also honored to be invited to join the staff for next course this spring.
For those who don't know what the Wood Badge is, check the below brief:
Wood Badge is the highest and most advanced training course offered by the Boy Scouts of America. While it is rich in scouting history and tradition, participants will spend 6 full days and nights learning modern leadership theories from contemporary scholars such as Ken Blanchard (author of the One Minute Manager series of books), Stephen R. Covey (author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Principle-Centered Leadership), and Spencer Johnson (author of Who Moved My Cheese). A complete set of references can be found at the end of this document.
Wood Badge has five Central Themes that encapsulate the course content. These are:
- Living the Values
- Values, mission, and vision
- Aims and methods
- Bringing the Vision to Life
- Listening to learn
- Communicating
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Valuing people and leveraging diversity
- Coaching and mentoring
- Models for Success
- High Performance Teams
- Team Development Model
- Team Leadership Model
- Situational Leadership
- Tools of the Trade
- Project planning
- Problem solving and decision making
- Managing conflict
- Assessing team performance
- Self-Assessment
- Managing change
- Celebrating team success
- Leading to Make a Difference
- Leaving a legacy
- The greatest leadership secret
These workshops are taught through lecture, group discussion, hands on exercises, and through the creation of goals that apply the leadership training received. At the conclusion of the course, attendees will have created at least 5 goals. A counselor will be assigned to work with each attendee for 18 months to ensure application of the training they received and the completion of the 5 goals.
Dr. Blanchard’s courses and workshops, offered through The Ken Blanchard Companies, run $500 per day ($3000 for 6 days). The Boy Scouts of America have negotiated royalty fees and intellectual property rights which allows them to offer the entire 6-day course for just under $230.
Leaders at many companies (such as IBM, Motorola, and Intel) have recognized the value this training is to their employees. As such, many agree to pay the course fees and/or give time off as part of their employee’s professional development and training plan. Individual company policies vary, however. If you would like additional information, please feel free to contact the Boy Scouts of America, Atlanta Area Council at (770) 989-8820. Or, visit http://www.atlantabsa.org/training/wood-badge/6412.
Wood Badge Training Resources
- Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader
- by Warren Bennis, Joan Goldsmith
- https://www.amazon.com/Learning-Lead-Workbook-Becoming-Leader/dp/0465018866
- Managing People is Like Herding Cats
- by Warren Bennis
- https://www.amazon.com/Managing-People-Like-Herding-Cats/dp/189000961X
- Old Dogs, New Tricks: On Creativity and Collaboration
- by Warren Bennis
- https://www.amazon.com/Old-Dogs-New-Tricks-CollaborationBennis/dp/1890009342
- On Becoming a Leader
- by Warren Bennis
- https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Leader-Warren-Bennis/dp/0465014089
- Why Leaders Can't Lead: The Unconscious Conspiracy Continues
- by Warren Bennis
- https://www.amazon.com/Why-Leaders-Cant-Lead-Unconscious-ebook/dp/B00ZDS94K6
- Leadership by the Book: Tools to Transform Your Workplace
- by Ken Blanchard, Bill Hybels, Phil Hodges
- https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Book-Tools-Transform-Workplace/dp/0688172393
- Empowerment Takes More than a Minute
- by Ken Blanchard, John P. Carlos, Alan Randolph
- https://www.amazon.com/Empowerment-Takes-More-Than-Minute/dp/1576751538
- The 3 Keys to Empowerment: Release the Power Within People for Astonishing Results
- by Ken Blanchard, John P. Carlos, Alan Randolph
- https://www.amazon.com/Keys-Empowerment-Release-Astonishing-Results/dp/1576750604
- High Five! The Magic of Working Together
- by Ken Blanchard, Sheldon Bowles
- https://www.amazon.com/High-Five-Magic-Working-Together/dp/0688170366
- The Power of Ethical Management
- by Norman V Peale, Ken Blanchard
- https://www.amazon.com/Power-Ethical-Management-Norman-Peale/dp/0688070620
- The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams
- by Ken Blanchard, Eunice Parisi-Carew, Donald Carew
- https://www.amazon.com/Minute-Manager-Builds-Performing-Teams/dp/0061741205
- Leadership and the One Minute Manager - Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership
- by Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigarmi, Drea Zigarmi
- https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Minute-Manager-Updated-Effectiveness/dp/0062309447
- Principle-Centered Leadership
- by Stephen R. Covey
- https://www.amazon.com/Principle-Centered-Leadership-Stephen-R-Covey-ebook/dp/B0068SVE9E
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- by Stephen R. Covey
- https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful-ebook/dp/B01069X4H0
- First Things First
- by Stephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, Rebecca R. Merrill
- https://www.amazon.com/First-Things-Stephen-R-Covey/dp/0684802031
- Leadership Is an Art
- by Max Depree
- https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Art-Max-Depree/dp/B0077EEPTO
- Leadership Jazz
- by Max Depree
- https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Jazz-Revised-Essential-Elements/dp/038552630X
- Leading Without Power: Finding Hope in Serving Community
- by Max Depree
- https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Without-Power-Community-Paperback/dp/0787967432
- The Team Coach
- by Donna Deeprose
- https://www.amazon.com/Team-Coach-Supervisors-Managers-Environment/dp/081447859X
- Best Practices in Leadership Development Handbook
- By David Giber, Samuel M. Lam, Marshall Goldsmith
- https://www.amazon.com/Linkage-Practices-Leadership-Development-Handbook/dp/0470195673
- Generation We
- by Eric H. Greenberg, Karl Weber
- https://www.amazon.com/Generation-We-Millennial-America-Changing/dp/0982093101
- Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness
- by Robert K. Greenleaf
- https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Leadership-Legitimate-Greatness-Anniversary/dp/0809105543
- Co-Leaders: The Power of Great Partnerships
- https://www.amazon.com/Co-Leaders-Power-Partnerships-David-Heenan/dp/0471316350
- by David A. Heenan, Warren Bennis
- Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources
- by Paul Hersey, Kenneth H. Blanchard, Dewey E. Johnson
- https://www.amazon.com/Management-Organizational-Behavior-Leading-Resources/dp/0130175986
- Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation
- by Neil Howe, William Strauss
- https://www.amazon.com/Millennials-Rising-Next-Great-Generation/dp/0375707190
- Generations: The History of America's Future
- by Neil Howe, William Strauss
- https://www.amazon.com/Generations-History-Americas-Future-1584/dp/0688119123
- Who Moved My Cheese?
- Spencer Johnson
- https://www.amazon.com/Moved-Cheese-Amazing-Deal-Change/dp/B000FQFSTM
- Leading Change
- by John P. Kotter
- https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Change-LEADING-CHANGE-Hardcover/dp/B003YK9OB4
- The Power Principle: Influence with Honor
- by Blaine Lee
- https://www.amazon.com/Power-Principle-INFLUENCE-HONOR/dp/0684810581
- Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development
- by Ellen Van Velsor, Cynthia D. McCauley, Marian N. Ruderman
- https://www.amazon.com/Center-Creative-Leadership-Handbook-Development/dp/0470387394
- Managers As Facilitators: A Practical Guide to Getting Work Done in a Changing Workplace
- by Richard G. Weaver, John D. Farrell
- https://www.amazon.com/Managers-As-Facilitators-Practical-Workplace/dp/157675054X
