12 The Patrol Leader Handbook    

How Will I Know I Am Leading Well?

As a patrol leader, you will encounter many situations. Sometimes
it will seem as if everything your patrol tries goes exactly right—
the weather for a campout is perfect, patrol meals cooked over
camp stoves are tasty and filling, and everybody has a good time
taking part in the patrol’s activities.
However, there will be moments when it all seems to be fall-
ing apart. A patrol event may be dampened by bad weather. Patrol
members may forget essential gear. Spirits may be down and
energy low.
Through good times and bad, the first clue that you are leading
well is that you are doing your best. You are using the knowledge
you have and the resources around you to help the patrol find a
good way through any situation. By staying cheerful and by always
looking for solutions to problems confronting the patrol, you will
set an example for others. That sort of leadership can get a patrol
through the toughest challenges.
It is a good idea to sit down with patrol members at the
end of an activity and take a few minutes to talk about recent
events. You can learn a great deal about the success of an event
and about your leadership role by reflecting on some or all of the
following questions:
• In what ways did things go as our
patrol expected? In what ways did
they not?
• How good was our planning and
preparation? What could we do
­better next time?
• What did patrol members like best
about this experience? What would
they change next time?
• What did we learn during this event?
• As we prepare for future events,
what are some of the ways we can
make our patrol even better?