Training Leaders

So I'm in charge of my high school choir of about 60+ people, and I have 3 other section leaders who are in charge of sections of 15, and I take the other 15. I have been in leadership positions before, but usually of smaller groups, like 5-15. Those I can handle by myself, or with one other person. However, I've gotten extremely lucky and not had to do much in the way of training up my secondary leaders.

However, these three team leaders haven't had much in the way of leadership experience, but they showed natural leadership talents, which is why our director chose them. I was given the assignment to develop a system to train these 3 to be effective leaders. They definitely have the people skills, but lack the leadership experience that comes from being out on the battlefield, so to speak. Because I've never been required to train leaders, or lead a group this big, I need some advice.

I've planned out what I need to do this coming school year to make the choir successful, but I know I can't do it myself. I need everyone on board, and I can't do that alone. However, from my past 3 years in high school, the leadership before me has proven to be next to worthless, and the choir has a bitter taste about having to follow anyone but our director, and my 60 year old director is getting quite burnt out from having to manage all the extra-curricular things we do, schedule our performances, battle with the school board for funding, and all the other things. I need to be able to train these three into strong leaders over the next year, and I don't know how to do that.

I've seen some amazing leaders in GSCH and would like to know how I can help them along the path. I know I can't force them into leaders, but I know they have dedication and potential. What can I do to nurture their natural abilities to make them become successful? I know I'm a little vague, but I don't quite know how to put this dilemma into perspective for you, unless you had been with me the past three years to understand. A lot has gone on that has brought down what was a state level team, and now I'm the one tasked with bringing it back on par, outside of what the director is doing.

My only advice to you Ragmar is to share YOUR knowledge and what you do when leading with them. Also, don't make the popular decision. Stand by your gut and instincts. I've seen choirs (show choirs more specifically) fall apart and fall flat because certain people could only make the popular decision. The biggest thing once again is to share your knowledge with them. They can't teach and be leaders if they don't know what they are supposed to be teaching.

While I haven't been involved in any leadership in this guild due to time constraints, I am considered upper administration at work and have led fairly large guilds in the past.

The lessons I have learned is that you can only loosely control large groups, even when you have hiring/firing power. You set the general direction but a tight grip on the reigns will probably lead to bad outcomes and a lot of personal stress. Communicate your vision early and often and empower your leaders to act. You set the goals and timelines but let them decide how to get there. Offer to be available on a regular basis to provide feedback, encouragement or just as someone they can blow off steam with. 

Lastly, a good leader is a servant. If someone is struggling offer assistance no matter whether it is taking out the trash or polishing the trophies. People want a leader they can respect and the fastest way to achieve that is to set the example of what you expect through action rather than telling them.

Ok, one more lastly - not everyone is cut out for leadership and often it isn't obvious who will be good at it until they are given that responsibility. Just because someone talks the loudest or complains the most about how they would change things does not equate to leadership potential. In my experience it is often the reverse. Knowing when to re-assign roles is a skill that comes with experience but one should not be afraid to do so (if that is even possible in your situation).

Okay, awesome. Thank you.

I agree that "good" leadership takes someone who knows how to be a servant.  To lead so many takes someone who understands all the people they are leading or knows how to get what is needed from the people they are leading which in my experience comes from experience.  I have found that inspiration from any source is usually well taken by most people.  A positive attitude usually gets more done than a negative one.  Motivating people is by far one of the best qualities in a "great" leader in my opinion.

As long as you keep the lines of communication open and keep people motivated and doing the best they can do then you are doing your  "job" as a leader of people no matter the size of the group.  It takes a strong personality to deal with so many people and keep them doing what you need them to do.  Confidence is key but also keep in mind that no one is perfect and there is always room for improvement.

At the end of the day, a leader is only as strong as his/her weakest link.