ShmoopTube

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We speak student!

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Leadership

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a la Shmoop

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Leaders.

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They're the people who know how to get things done. [coach motivating a kids team]

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They inspire us to work harder and achieve more.

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And they know how to keep almost any situation

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under control.

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We're surrounded by leaders. [Image of Mount Rushmore]

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But Oscar? Well, he's not one of them.

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Oscar has spent the past three days

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playing video games and eating cheese puffs in his underwear.

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Sounds kind of fun, actually.

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He's running low on money to fund his cheese puff habit, [boy playing video game while lying on the sofa]

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so he figures, well, what the heck?

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Might as well go on a job interview.

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But, believe it or not, the interviewer isn't impressed

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that his only leadership experience

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is leading his troops to victory in Call of Duty: Black Ops. [someone going through a resume]

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All from the comfort of his underwear.

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So how can Oscar go from shlub

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to leader?

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Well, putting on pants might help.

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But, uh, most leaders wear pants. [image of a direction sign board]

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Unless you're Ghandi, but that guy was a rebel.

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All right. Leaders tend to possess certain traits, right?

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They're honest. They're confident.

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They're committed to their cause.

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They retain a positive attitude throughout hardships. [image of political leaders from across the world]

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And they have the ability to inspire.

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Though, this one should be used wisely.

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Spidey's uncle wasn't lying about the great power great responsibility thing.

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Strengthening those traits

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will help you become a better leader. [Martin Sheen talking to spider man]

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If only Shmoop had some sort of program

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that could help with that. Hmm.

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Wonder where that could be.

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Anyway, it's helpful to keep in mind that there are different

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types of leadership. [explanation of Types of Leaders written on a board]

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Oscar knows about democratic leadership.

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Well, all right, maybe a refresher would help.

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Democratic leaders share decision-making with the group.

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Within a democratic leadership,

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discussion and debate are important, [image of former Presidents of US laughing together]

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as is the sharing of ideas.

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So if Oscar asked his Call of Duty troops

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what the best plan of attack was

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and took their advice into consideration,

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he'd be a democratic leader.

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An authoritarian leader keeps strict control [boy in a soldiers uniform, holding a gun]

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over their followers.

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[ dun-dun-dun ] Yeah, like this guy.

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If Oscar supervised everything his troops did,

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never let them aid in the decision-making process,

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and valued efficiency over everything else,

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well, he'd fit in well with this club [soldiers with their gun waiting to fire]

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Though how they elect a club president

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we'll never know.

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If Oscar decides to be a paternalistic leader,

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he'd be a father figure to his troops,

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taking care of them as a parent would.

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This isn't so much about efficiency

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as it is concern for the well-being of his followers. [a teacher asking if anyone wants more recess]

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And laissez-faire leaders are in favor of delegation.

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They like a hands-off approach.

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So if Oscar's leading his troops like this...

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He's probably a fan of laissez-faire.

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Now that Oscar knows all he can about leadership,

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he's ready to conquer the world.

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When his next interview comes around, [someone going through a resume]

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he's ready. He preps by...

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by... really?

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Ugh. Well, you can lead a horse to water...

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Bottom line - change doesn't happen without someone

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leading the cause.

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If there's something out there that you [image of a man and a horse on TV]

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don't think is fair, you don't need to be like Oscar

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and wait for someone else to take charge.

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Sometimes you just gotta pull up your pants

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and take care of it yourself.

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Unless you're like Ghandi.

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Then go change the world however you see fit, [boy watching a video of Gandhi and followers on TV]

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you pantsless wonder.

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[ groan ]

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