Why is leadership important?

FIRST sees leadership as a core value.

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting Mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

What does it mean to be a leader?

What qualities should a leader have?

Vishal's Definition of a Leader

• Has responsibility for completing a task.
• Solicits feedback from others to improve their own work.
• Values teamwork and collaboration.

Why would I want to be a "leader"?

• You feel more ownership of your tasks.
• You take on a perspective of problem-solving.
• You find it much easier to get help and collaborate.

Viewing yourself as a leader enables you to be a better team player.

Here's a few questions to think about.

Does a good leader need to know how to do everything?

Do you need a leadership position to be a leader?

What kinds of things help you be a successful leader?

Why is mentoring important?

FIRST sees its programs as grounded in mentorship.

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting Mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Who counts as a mentor?

Are mentors leaders?

Do they have responsibility for any tasks?

Are they expected to improve their own work through feedback?

Do they set the standard for the team?

If mentors aren't leaders, what are they?

FIRST describes them as teachers, experts, but not doers.

Mentors don't lead. They are a resource for successful leaders.

How can I make good use of mentors?

Listen to what they have to say.

Mentors aren't leaders, they aren't telling you what to do.

Even if they don't fully understand your situation, odds are they have some ideas that can help.

When a mentor is talking to you, wait a minute before thinking how you'll respond to them.

Remember that nobody expects you to know everything.

Smart people often don't want to accept help because it makes them feel foolish.

Wise people know better--knowing when to ask for help is the difference between success and failure.

If you have zero ideas on how to move forward, ask for some inspiration. You'll be glad you did.

Share what you're doing with your mentors.

It's a chance to communicate what you've done (and how awesome it is).

It makes your mentor feel like they're a part of the team, and they might point out something useful in the process.

Sharing your work lets you feel proud of your accomplishments, and helps build the team.

So let's wrap up.

What did we talk about today?

We established that anyone can be a leader on the team.

We talked about mentors being teachers and experts, but not doers.

We explained some of the ways leaders can effectively use mentors.

Thanks for listening!