Ms - Exploring Leadership
 

Exploring Leadership provides members with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge around competencies in the area of leadership. This competitive event consists of an objective test. It aims to inspire members to learn how a set of behaviors is used to help people align and execute their collective direction.

Event Overview

Division: Middle School
Event Type: Individual
Event Category: Objective Test, 50-multiple choice questions (breakdown of question by competencies below)
Objective Test Time: 30 minutes
NACE Connections: Career & Self-Development

Items Competitor Must Provide: Sharpened Pencil, Conference-provided nametag, Attire that meets the Florida FBLA Dress Code

 Competencies

·         Personal Responsibility
·         Self-Awareness
·         Teamwork
·         Collaboration
·         Communicating Effectively
·         Motivating
·         Conflict Resolution
·         Problem Solving
·         Empathy
·         Flexibility
·         Creativity
·         Embracing Risk
·         Innovation

District

Check with your District Leader for district-specific competition information.

State

Eligibility

·         FBLA membership dues are paid by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on December 1 (or earlier date specified by the District Director) of the current school year.
·         Members may compete in an event at the State Leadership Conference (SLC) more than once if they have not previously placed in the top ten of that event at the National Leadership Conference (NLC). If a member places in the top ten of an event at NLC, they are no longer eligible to compete in that event.
·         Members must be registered for the SLC and pay the state conference registration fee in order to participate in competitive events.
·         Members must stay in an official FBLA hotel in order to compete.
·         Each district may be represented by participant(s) based on the Florida FBLA scaled quota system found on the Florida FBLA website.
·         Each competitor can only compete in one individual/team event and one chapter event (Annual Activities, Community Service Project).
·         Each competitor must compete in all parts of an event for award eligibility.
·         If competitors are late for an objective test, they may be disqualified or permitted to begin late with no extension of the time as scheduled.
·         Participants must adhere to the Florida FBLA dress code established by the Florida Board of Directors or they will not be permitted participate in the competitive event.

Recognition

·         The number of competitors will determine the number of winners. The maximum number of winners for each competitive event is 5.

Event Administration

·         This event is an objective test administered at the SLC.
·         No reference or study materials may be brought to the testing site.
·         No calculators may be brought into the testing site.

 Tie Breaker

·         Ties are broken by comparing the correct number of answers to the last 10 questions on the test. If a tie remains, answers to the last 20 questions on the test will be reviewed to determine the winner. If a tie remains, the competitor who completed the test in a shorter amount of time will place higher.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

·         FBLA meets the criteria specified in the Americans with Disabilities Act for all competitors with accommodations submitted through the conference registration system by the registration deadline.

Penalty Points

·         Competitors may be disqualified if they violate the Competitive Event Guidelines or the Honor Code.

Electronic Devices

·         All electronic devices such as cell phones, headphones, and watches of any type must not be brought to the testing site.

National

Be sure to see National guidelines at https://www.fbla.org/divisions/fbla-middle-level/competitive-events/

Study Guide: Competencies and Tasks

A.      Personal Responsibility

1.       Define personal responsibility and its relationship to leadership.

2.       List characteristics of leaders.

3.       Explain how leaders achieve desired results.

4.       Explain how leaders build stronger relationships with work team members.

5.       Describe how leaders create environments that cultivate high performing teams.

6.       Understand the relationship between individual responsibility, the choices made, and actions taken.

7.       Understand that past programming of the subconscious mind (habits and conditioning) impact current behavior.

8.       Identify change for current behaviors to improve performance.

9.       Explain how individuals use planning strategies to determine action to take.

10.   Explain the importance of keeping commitments and the achievement of worthwhile results.

11.   Define accountability for taking action to achieve priority goals.

B.      Self-Awareness

1.       Explain the relationship between leadership and self-awareness.

2.       Define self-awareness.

3.       Explain why an individual must have self-awareness as a leader.

4.       Explain the relationship between perception of others and self-awareness.

5.       Explain how self-awareness involves seeing oneself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection.

C.      Teamwork

1.       Explain the use of teams in organizations.

2.       Explain the difference between a group and a team.

3.       Explain advantages and disadvantages of teamwork.

4.       Describe characteristics of effective teams and the role of leadership.

5.       Differentiate characteristics of different teams (functional, cross-functional, and self-managed).

6.       Describe the difference between leader-centered and group-centered decision making.

7.       Explain the difference between individual and team decision making.

D.      Collaboration

1.       Define collaborative communication.

2.       List skills that contribute to successful collaboration.

3.       Explain how successful collaboration depends on the ability to get along with people, being able to listen, and being open-minded.

4.       Describe the roles of compromise, ability to see the big picture, and problem-solving abilities, which have a direct relationship to collaboration.

5.       Explain the role of conflict negotiation for groups.

6.       List essential skills for successful collaborators and project managers.

7.       Define brainstorming.

8.       Describe the need for commitment and enthusiasm for effective collaboration.

E.       Communicating Effectively

1.       Explain how successful leadership is based upon solid communication.

2.       Define the elements of the communication process (sender, receiver, message, and feedback).

3.       Explain common approaches to getting feedback on messages.

4.       Explain the power of nonverbal communication.

5.       Explain the role of conflict negotiation for groups.

6.       Explain the importance of listening skills.

F.       Motivating

1.       Compare motivational leadership styles.

2.       Explain the difference between job-centered and employee-centered behavior.

3.       Explain the motivation process for leadership.

4.       Compare and contrast motivation theories.

5.       Define Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory.

6.       Explain the need for individuals to balance professional and personal needs.

7.       Define the Equity Theory, Expectancy Theory, Reinforcement Theory, and Goal Setting Theory for motivation.

G.      Conflict Resolution

1.       Define conflict in the workplace.

2.       Explain the importance of collaboration for team accomplishment.

3.       Describe positive and negative conflict in the workplace.

4.       Describe conflict management styles.

5.       Define conflict resolution and mediation.

6.       List causes of conflict in the workplace.

7.       Explain inter-group conflict.

8.       Explain why managers must make decisions to ignore or do something about possible conflict in the workplace.

9.       Explain the relationship between panic and conflict.

10.   Explain why leaders entitle every person to have a “bad day”.

H.      Problem Solving

1.       Identify the six stages of problem solving (problem definition, evaluation of the problem, generating alternatives, selecting a solution, implementation, and evaluation of the results).

2.       List steps for problem solving (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control).

3.       Explain why problem solving is important.

4.       List examples of problem solving in the workplace.

5.       Describe underlying causes of problems in the workplace.

6.       Explain why it is important to collect data for problem solving.

7.       List underlying causes of problems in the workplace

8.       Explain how standards or expectations not met create problems at the workplace.

I.         Empathy

1.       Define empathy.

2.       Explain how empathy improves communication.

3.       Explain the relationship between empathy and stronger working relationships.

4.       Explain how empathy promotes creative thinking.

5.       Describe the relationship between empathy and active listening.

6.       Describe the relationship between empathy and personalized communication.

7.       Describe why empathy is needed to consider others’ perspectives.

J.        Flexibility

1.       Explain what flexibility in the workplace means.

2.       Explain why employees need workplace flexibility for success.

3.       Describe the relationship between workplace flexibility and productivity.

4.       Describe how workplace flexibility strengthens working relationships.

5.       Describe the relationship between flexibility and improved communication in the workplace.

6.       Explain why active listening is needed in the workplace.

7.       Explain the relationship between flexibility and personalized communication in the workplace.

8.       Define the relationship between flexibility in the workplace and consideration of others’ perspectives.

9.       Explain the need for flexibility due to unforeseen circumstances (pandemic, weather disaster, etc.)

K.       Creativity

1.       Explain why creativity in the workplace is important.

2.       Outline strategies to increase creativity at the workplace.

3.       Explain the relationship between creativity and critical thinking.

4.       Explain how creativity is enhanced when collaborative thinking is encouraged.

5.       Explain the need for employees to be involved in activities that clearly meet company mission and vision.

6.       List steps to increase creativity in the workplace (hire the right people, implement flexible work hours, provide space for critical thinking, act on good ideas, and reward creativity).

7.       Describe rewards for creativity in the workplace.

L.       Embracing Risk

1.       Define risk assessment.

2.       Match team members who want to succeed and meet challenges.

3.       Identify open opportunities to embrace risk.

4.       Understand that embracing risk can result in failure

5.       Explain how embracing risk is a key to business success.

6.       Describe how entrepreneurs are willing to take risks.

7.       Explain how the culture of failure can be good for future success.

8.       Explain how successful individuals seek and prepare for change.

M.    Innovation

1.       Explain how to increase innovation in the workplace through leadership.

2.       Define brainstorming and its relationship to innovation.

3.       Describe rewards for innovation in the workplace

4.       List the benefits of innovation in the workplace

5.       Explain the need to tolerate mistakes when encouraging innovation.