The programs of Scouting America are more relevant today than ever before. About 84% of current business leaders cite the lack of employees with strong leadership skills as a critical need for the future success of their business. The patrol method utilized in the scouting program is the time-tested and proven best method to develop leadership skills in young people. These top seven leadership characteristics are identified by business leaders across the country as necessary for innovation and growth.
1. Servant leadership – Scouts learn to lead by first serving others, creating leaders who build teams rather than command them
2. Resourceful problem-solving – Scout leaders frequently face challenges with limited resources, developing innovation rather than escalation
3. Values-based decision making – Every leadership decision is framed by the Scout Oath and Law, creating ethical leaders who consider impact before opportunity
4. Inclusive team-building – Patrol leaders must work with the team they have, not the team they wish they had, developing true team-building skills
5. Resilient determination – Leadership in challenging outdoor conditions builds psychological hardiness that corporate comfort never develops
6. Communication across differences – Scouts learn to lead diverse teams toward common goals, which is perhaps the most valuable leadership skill in today's environment
7. Authentic accountability – Scout leaders face real consequences for their decisions, creating leaders who take ownership rather than assign blame.
The scouting program on the Delmarva Peninsula is growing. It is proven to provide positive character traits in only three years of participation, and is best begun in the elementary grades as Cub Scouts and continued for six to eight years. The rank of Eagle is the highest achievement a youth can earn and is held by many top corporate leaders like Rex Tillerson, former CEO of Exxon Mobil; Bob Gates, secretary of defense and CIA director; Jim Lovell, commander of Apollo 13; and Sam Walton, founder of Walmart.
To learn more about scouting, go to www.delmarvacouncil.org, or to find a pack or troop near you, go to www.beascout.org.
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