Teamwork Contributes to the Acquisition of Leadership Skills

1.1. Teamwork Contributes to the Acquisition of Cross-Cultural Communication Skills

Teamwork allows students to develop cross cultural communication skills that enable them to thrive in diverse environments. The ability to thrive in team settings is a significant determinant of the extent of the acquisition of leadership skills.In the article Leadership Development on a Diverse Campus', published in 2009, Satu Riutta and Daniel Theodore sought to establish how leadership skills are developed in the diverse contexts within which students learn. The researchers found that working in college organizations where participants come from different backgrounds provide college students with relevant leadership skills that shape their experiences. Students from different racial groups need to employ cultural competence while at the same time blending their values with those of their peers. Moreover, courses that encourage teamwork are vital to helping the students develop emotional intelligence which is vital in cross-cultural communication. In 2013, John P. Dugan, Kimberly Q. Faith, Shannon D. Howes, Kathryn R. Lavelle, and Joshua R. Polanin wrote a report on 'Developing the Leadership Capacity and Leader Efficiency of College Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Fields. The key findings of the research revealed that the students from STEM courses report lower levels of development of leadership capacities in comparison with their peers. The STEM environments have significant constraints that hinder the development of leadership efficacy. Other careers emphasize interactions that contribute to the creation of a sense of belonging, self-awareness and they also emphasize the importance of social and cultural communication.

1.2. Teamwork Enhances Problem Solving Skills and Inner Capabilities for Leadership

Working in a team raises an individual concern about other people leading to the development of problem-solving skills. Also, successful teamwork activities raise an individual motivation to achieve set goals and sense of delegation of tasks. In the article 'College Student Capacity for Socially Responsible Leadership: Understanding the Norms and Influences of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation,' John p. Dugan, Susan R. Komvies and Thomas C. Segar investigated the college students' capacities for acting in a socially responsible manner. The authors reveal that the findings of the research were consistent with previous literature findings that revealed that participation in extra curriculum leadership development programs builds the students perceptions about commitment, raises the concerns about welfare for the community members and still contribute to the development of external behaviors that led to healthy relationships with others.

2. The Role of Extra Curriculum Activities in Enhancing Leadership Skills

2.1. Participation in Community Events Enhances Transactional Leadership Skills and Non-calculative Motivation

Co-curricular activities including volunteering in community events encourage the development of transactional leadership skills of supervision and organization. Also, the pressure to reach the group goals heightens an individual capacity for self-motivation. In the article 'Effects Associated with Leadership Program Participation in International Students Compared to Domestic Students', Daniel A. Collier and Dr. David M. Rosch set out to establish the leadership-oriented distinctions between domestic and international students focusing on their development of leadership capacity from their participation in co-curricular leadership programs. According to the findings of the research, the international students reported lower pre-exposure scores to leadership positions before they joined college. However, it was apparent that there were no noticeable gaps in leadership efficacy, transactional leadership skills and non-calculative motivation to lead by the time the students were exiting college. Also, participation in community events enhances individual decision-making skills which are vital in planning. Participation in community events in college boosts the student's leadership capabilities since such events necessitate initiative and proper organization of events among the involved students. In a study on the 'Influences on College Students' Capacities for Socially Responsible Leadership,' conducted by John P. Dugan and Susan R. Komvies, a variance of thirty-one percent to forty percent in student's capacities among the measured outcomes for leadership development was apparent. Vitally, the findings revealed that interactions with peers, participation in community events and faculty mentoring as critical influencers in the process of development of leadership efficacy.

2.2. Curriculum Activities Introduce Opportunity for Positional Leadership

Extra-curricular activities provide students with an opportunity of getting involved in practical leadership settings, and the high level of involvement in positional leadership provides students with an opportunity to apply the skills they learn in class. In the article 'Involvement and Leadership: A Descriptive Analysis of Social Responsible Leadership, John P. Dugan sought out to establish the factors that contribute to the development of leadership skills among the college students during their learning years. The researchers found a linkage between leadership development and involvement. Vitally, the authors showed that the different types of involvement that contribute to the acquisition of leadership capacities included involvement in positional roles, community service, and organizational membership. In the same research, the authors found that participation in positional leadership to be the most significant extracurricular predictor of the extent of development of leadership capacity. Through positional leadership students gain active listening, nonverbal communication, written communication, team building, and creativity skills that are vital in future leadership positions.

Conclusion

To sum up, college students develop leadership capacities depending on the extent of their involvement in teamwork and extra curriculum activities. Participation in positional leadership provides students with extensive opportunities to try out the leadership skills that they learn in class. Among the skills that students acquire through participation in co-curriculum activities are work delegation skills and public speaking while issuing reports. Still, teamwork equips students with active listening and cross-cultural communication skills by encouraging interactions with peers from diverse backgrounds. Also, extra curriculum activities provide students with an opportunity to engage in extensive organization and delegation of events by introducing chances for positional leadership. Importantly, extra curriculum activities give the students a chance to overcome the effects of demographic characterizes such as cultural background race and gender since students develop extra abilities to understand each other during peer interactions outside the classroom. Therefore, teamwork and extra curriculum activities are more important than formal training in equipping students with leadership skills.

References

Collier, D. & David, M. (2015). Effects Associated with Leadership Program Participation in International Students Compared to Domestic Students.

Dugan, J. Komvies S. & Segar.T. (2008). College Student Capacity for Socially Responsible Leadership: Understanding Norms and Influences of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.

Dugan, J. P. (2006). Involvement and leadership: A descriptive analysis of socially responsible leadership. Journal of College Student Development, 47(3), 335-343.

Dugan, J., Kimberly, Q., Howes, S. & Lavelle. K. (2013). 'Developing the Leadership Capacity and Leader Efficiency of College Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Fields.

Dugan.J &Komvies.S. (2010).Influences on College Students' Capacities for Socially Responsible Leadership.Riutta, S. &Teodoresc, D. (2009). Leadership Development on a Diverse Campus.