The following information is published with ROUNDALAB's permission from the ROUNDALAB Reference Manual compiled by Richard & Jo Ann Lawson, 1987.

"Leadership in Round Dancing should be the raisins in your bran flakes and not the lumps in your oatmeal."

With this statement Duane opened his short course in Leadership Development. For those of us in attendance, the six hours he spent with us were exciting, fun filled, and informative. Not only did we get a good look at ourselves through someone else's eyes, but we were able to see others in a different light. In Duane's seminar he talked about specific objectives to help us understand how to motivate others, grow personally, have an impact, use active listening, use transactional analyses and develop trust and rapport with ourselves and others. We are including two charts which show us how to develop in these area.

As we examine this material we can see there is nothing new here, but a gentle nudge to get us thinking on the right track. Everyone knows what has to be done, but it doesn't hurt for us to look objectively at the problem. As Dr. Blake reminded us we choose to be angry, glad, unhappy or whatever emotion feels right at any particular moment. No one forces us to feel as we do, but rather we choose the feelings we want. However, as Round Dance Leaders and Teachers we need to modify our thinking so that we can motivate our dancers and have good rapport with them. Some of the things we need to consider, according to Dr. Blake, are self concept, the total human being, learn to listen not just hear, different personalities among people, and feed-back. We also need to learn communication techniques, influence demonstration, leadership, trust and positive strokes. The following is an article written by Duane Blake for Square and Round Dance Leaders:

Leadership Development in Square and Round Dancing

by Duane Blake

The single most important limitation, on Leadership development in square and round dancing, is the degree of positive self-concept possessed by these persons when they enter this recreation. Self-concept is the foundation for our self-confidence and sense of mastery which is closely linked to leadership. This means that square and round dance clubs should be doing things to help build a positive concept among the members.

Many persons square dancing and round dancing entered this type of recreation for the fun and entertainment involved. Very few entered for the purpose of further leadership development because of a background of leadership roles in every day life. They didn't enter for the purpose of taking office, booking callers, making announcements over a microphone. I'm personally surprised at the number of school teachers and administrators who I teach in graduate courses at Colorado State University who are nervous and tense when giving an oral presentation in the classroom.

The point here is that we must be very basic when developing square dancers for a leadership role. They are all great team workers and eager for help, and only a small portion of them are willing to accept leadership roles.

Just how do we develop confidence through a positive self-concept as a foundation for leadership development?

First of all we have to do something to make these persons feel good about themselves. They usually have had hurts in their lives that have a negative affect on their self-confidence. They may have trouble liking people, in trusting others or in respecting other people. Therefore, we must first develop trust and rapport with them. When someone talks to me as a leader I have found it best to say something that shows that I understand what they are saying. I might say something like "You feel that there is a problem with the club" or repeating part of what they said. They then respond further because they feel that you are listening (and you are) or you couldn't have repeated part of what they said. The leader (officer or caller) with a poor self-concept gets into arguments, puts others down in their feeble attempt to boost their own concept which they can never do.

So, learn to listen to others to help build their confidence.

Second, as a group of officers begin speaking at the club in terms of how you feel about something, rather than telling them what you think, which is making judgment and usually helps to terminate the communication with that person. So, don't make judgment of others based upon your values, look for the good things that a person has to offer. Your values are based upon childhood experiences and may be right for you and not right for others. Accept their feelings you see, you cannot judge another's feelings because you haven't been there.

Third, reinforce the good points about your dancers. Mention how you like their smooth dancing, their neat clothing and the like. Research tells us that if we stay positive that the negatives dry up and disappear.

Fourth, if you have new couples with problems such as a heavy smoker's breath and the like, work with them. You will find that they are usually very thankful. Who is going to help them if we don't? It takes a leader with a positive self-concept themselves to be able to handle this one. Your approach is one of how you feel and desire to help.

Fifth, many of us were raised in an environment of competition and we had to be more and better than others to amount to something. Sadly enough this usually leads to lasting insecurity and perpetual anxiety because we can never be or have enough. So, if you find yourself feeling superior in your dancing ability you will have a tendency to put others down with something like "why don't you go home and when you learn to dance come back?" This was an actual statement by a lady (?) dancer to two couples who were mainstream dancers and inadvertently got involved in a mainstream plus two dance. So, have a high esteem for every dancer, try to understand their problems. By the way both couples dropped out of dancing even with their own club.

SUMMARY: Self-concept is you stable core of strengths and growth and your dancers must develop this core to be able to accept a leadership role. It is the essential you, who you really are, what you really want.

People respond to you in the same manner you see yourself. Then you further act that way in response to their response to you. If you are negative and deny or reject yourself you get trapped in a self-defeating cycle. As an example, some dancers look conceited and alone so they are treated that way and the cycle goes on. Other dancers act like they are inadequate so they are treated that way and may say to themselves "see I am inadequate" (a program for developing a positive self-concept could help these dancers).

With the use of the above five main ideas, your club can get a start on building some positive self-concepts which in turn will begin to prepare your dancers for a leadership role. You're great for reading about my ideas. Thank you.

ROUNDALAB Journal, November, 1982