Greetings everyone,
Its been awhile but I have noticed something that I think needs to be brought up.
I have been a cadet since Feb 09. I will be the first to tell you that I was all for Learn to Lead as I found Leadership for the 21st Century to be overly educational (or as kids on the street would say, boooooooooring.) It is nice to see a more cadet-friendly leadership book except for one thing. I recently had a cadet ask me a perfectly reasonable question about the new modules which I would've been able to answer except for one thing. National not only made the information more accessible and more intriguing. They also, added and retooled the information blatantly making everything I have learned obsolete. I find it a bit troublesome to read these new modules while planning squadron-level activities, writing SDAs, mentoring NCOs, and continuing with Leadership for the 21st Century part 2, because they didn't release the C/officer learn to lead at the same time as the Phase I and II. Although this situation would be easily fixable had national kind have released a 'Summary of Changes' or a transition for older cadets and cadet programs senior members.
Having the C/Officer books wouldn't help one bit. The material in L2K was quite different between volume 1 and volume 2. I would expect the same with the L2L.
A "Summary of Changes" would include reading the new books. Here's the thing. While you didn't have to, as a leader you should have anyway. You never know, maybe you'll learn something new from these books.
^That's what I did. I was still in L21C up until achievement 7, But I decided to make the switch. My three main reasons were
1. Online testing is sooooo much more convenient. Especially with all of my responsibilities at the Squadron, it was getting hard to find time to test during meetings.
2. The L2L textbooks contain much more useful information. The new material also provides more example-based teaching style, e.g. when group leadership worked and when it didn't (Module 2, Can't remember what chapter).
3. L2L is the material that most of my subordinates are using. I want to be prepared to answer any questions they may have about becoming a leader.
Oh...right...L2K was before L21C...
:)
Not that the content was different.
I personally hate learn to lead. I see it as a dumbed-down textbook full of cartoons. We're usually dealing with better youth than that. Of course Leadership for the 21st Century isn't perfect, but it's far better than the new alternative.
One issue though is CAP making manuals or textbooks of any kind. I find that nearly every one I read is full of typos and errors. :(
Quote from: pilot2b on June 01, 2011, 10:30:27 PM
I personally hate learn to lead. I see it as a dumbed-down textbook full of cartoons. We're usually dealing with better youth than that. Of course Leadership for the 21st Century isn't perfect, but it's far better than the new alternative.
One issue though is CAP making manuals or textbooks of any kind. I find that nearly every one I read is full of typos and errors. :(
The previous textbook had no basis in actual research. The new one does. That alone makes it a far better alternative. The new one also gives real world examples of those leadership concepts and theories. The old one didn't.
Search and search and you will never find concepts like the "ABCDs" of leadership, because someone decided to make it up when they wrote the old book.
Search and search and you will never find "The NCO support channel" in any military doctrine. Made up.
So, do we want to provide our cadets with made up information, with no basis in fact or research, or something that was well researched, documented and provides well written, clear examples?
There actually was some research (take a look at the section talking about Abram Maslow's hierarchy). And the NCO support channel does exist. I've used it from both ends of the spectrum myself on a regular basis. It's hard to function in a large squadron without it.
Many of the concepts in there are based on practical experience, not just theories made up in a lab.
Quote from: pilot2b on June 01, 2011, 10:38:24 PM
There actually was some research (take a look at the section talking about Abram Maslow's hierarchy). And the NCO support channel does exist. I've used it from both ends of the spectrum myself on a regular basis. It's hard to function in a large squadron without it.
Many of the concepts in there are based on practical experience, not just theories made up in a lab.
You may use an NCO "support channel" as it is described in the book, but it doesn't have any foundation anywhere except in that book. There are no doctrine items, etc that it was taken from. Just another case of "this sounds good so I'll put it in there."
I'll give you Maslow, but really, there isn't much else in there. Really. I promise.
As someone who worked his way through Leadership 2000 and Beyond, I can tell you that the new L2L books are easily 1000x better than the old ones. There's more material which gives actual practical application. It's written in a way that more people can understand instead of as a technical manual that you use to lull a room of unruly cadets to sleep with.
There is really no comparison between the two. The only thing I don't like (and this is entirely my fault) is that now I'm behind the curve on knowing what's in the leadership books.
In the beginning of this, with my lack of having paper tests available, when a cadet was unable to deal with the internet or had eServices password issues. (The usual they never even get the first one, mostly)- whatever.
I gave the old test, using the old standard of 70% passing closed book, with the explanation that this is a test drafted on the prior texts .. Of about 7 cadets, no one got less than high 80's on it, most missed a couple in the typical rank/stripes/drill area.
My conclusion too has been that L2L does a better job of explaining things.
I agree with the opinion that it is better written and has better applicable leadership theory in it. I don't think that it has removed the problem of typos and formatting errors though. I entertained myself with L21C by highlighting every error I found, and when I started reading the new textbook, I was surprised to find myself encountering the occasional error again. I think when NHQ releases a new manual, they should make a limited release, so that cadets can get their hands on it and take it apart before general circulation.
My main question, though, is when will the officer books be released for phase III and IV?
Quote from: Spaatzorbust on August 11, 2011, 03:24:56 AMI agree with the opinion that it is better written and has better applicable leadership theory in it. I don't think that it has removed the problem of typos and formatting errors though. I entertained myself with L21C by highlighting every error I found, and when I started reading the new textbook, I was surprised to find myself encountering the occasional error again. I think when NHQ releases a new manual, they should make a limited release, so that cadets can get their hands on it and take it apart before general circulation.
The new L2L text was released before official publishing to give people a chance to look it over. Same thing was done with the recent CAPR 52-16.
Quote from: Spaatzorbust on August 11, 2011, 03:24:56 AMMy main question, though, is when will the officer books be released for phase III and IV?
NHQ website says late in 2011. I would assume they are really working to get it out since some of the cadets who started on L2L would be nearing officership.
Quote from: crisptheyounger on August 11, 2011, 03:56:02 AM
Quote from: Spaatzorbust on August 11, 2011, 03:24:56 AMI agree with the opinion that it is better written and has better applicable leadership theory in it. I don't think that it has removed the problem of typos and formatting errors though. I entertained myself with L21C by highlighting every error I found, and when I started reading the new textbook, I was surprised to find myself encountering the occasional error again. I think when NHQ releases a new manual, they should make a limited release, so that cadets can get their hands on it and take it apart before general circulation.
The new L2L text was released before official publishing to give people a chance to look it over. Same thing was done with the recent CAPR 52-16.
This.
There was much tearing apart of the texts before release- I was responsible for some it and witnessed much more. And several things brought up to be logical issues/concerns were changed.
When you find errors, report them to NHQ. They will likely add them to the changes posted on the cadet programs section. You don't really need to be sending it up through the entire chain if it's clearly an error rather than a request to change the material. I'd say just involve your unit CC and you're fine. Your wing and region commanders don't need to approve a spelling error issue or whatever. It will probably get lost if you send it from your cadet chain to CC to Grp/CC to Wing/CC to Region/CC to NHQ. It's not like you're proposing a new uniform item.