Leadership Refined Problem Solving Lesson 10

You can no more blame your circumstances for your character than you can the mirror for your looks.

Last time we talked about passion. You were to record in your journal about someone who you see as passionate. In a small group share the facts about the person that you considered to be passionate. Then share what you are passionate about. For you see, living without passion is like eating chips with no salsa or drinking soda with no fizz. Sure you can do it, but why would you?

REVIEW: Character... Focus... Servanthood... Positive Attitude... Communication... Passion... Next is Problem Solving...

The problem solver... sees the big picture handles one thing at a time doesn’t give up in the hard times

When we take a look at the trees in a dense forest, we notice their persistence. They do not stand back and wonder if there is room for them in the woods. They get about the business of growing. They handle one thing at a time, if light is minimal; they stretch taller and direct the energy to tall growth. If light is dense and plentiful, they direct their energy to leaf growth. If they struggle for nutrients from the soil; they slow down their growth to survive. If water is in short supply, they drop some leaves so there is less to support. Each year they go about the business of growing. When conditions change they adapt, then get on about the business of growing. They never give up when life seems to crowd them out. What about you? What do you do when problems arise? Quit? Do you look at the possibilities and then deal with one thing at a time?

Briefing: In this activity your team will have an opportunity to utilize 4 buckets and 4 2” x 4”s to get a 5 th water-filled bucket successfully suspended and unspilled. Procedure: The four buckets are placed upside down representing the four corners of a square formation. They should be placed as close together as possible, but farther away from each other than the length of the 2 x 4’s. Rules: 1.You may not move any of the inverted buckets. 2.The boards may not touch the ground in any way. 3.The water bucket may not be placed above any inverted bucket.

Thinking About It... 1.What did your group do to solve the problem? 2.What sort of emotions did you have as you were working through the problem? 3.Who took the leadership role? 4.How did they get to be the leader? 5.What did it take for you to make it work? 6.What sort of thinking did you go through to get to the solution? 7.How could you relate the problem solving skills that you used today to relationships? 8.How could you use the skills of the problem solver to help you in school?

Journal 12 What do you do when life seems like a jungle, and you wonder how you can survive? How do you handle it when things in life seem to squeeze you out? Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? What sort of problem solving skills do you possess? What could you do to get better at problem solving?

You cannot run away from a weakness. You must sometimes fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now; and where you stand? Robert Louis Stevenson