8.3 It’s time to put all those neat leadership skills to some practical use. In this exercise, you are to actually lead a small group meeting of at least twenty minutes in length using the suggestions presented in this chapter.

Find a very small, specifi c problem-solving task at your work, place of worship, school, or community that you can lead a group of four or fi ve people to discuss (not solve). If you cannot locate a group outside of class, you can also use a group of four or fi ve students in class to discuss some minor campus problem for twenty minutes.

Once you have the group formed, agree on a meeting time and place, construct a fi ve-point agenda that analyzes the problem, and review the suggestions for holding an effective meeting presented in this chapter. Lead the group. After the meeting, have the group members give you feedback on what they liked and didn’t like about your meeting. Remember, be a servant leader!