Choosing the right leader – Part deux

Last year I wrote a post on choosing the right leader that went through the criteria our staff uses to determine the drum major and guard captain of the ensemble. While that approach has always worked in the past, this year was a different story. Typically, we sit down as a staff immediately after all the drum majors and guard captain candidates try out and make the decision. But this year… oh, this year…

We had three well-qualified students – 1 junior and 2 seniors – who had demonstrated many or all of the traits we look for in a guard captain: Respect, skills, positive actions, and a good attitude and relationship with all. So how do you choose a captain when you’re in this predicament? I added something new to my list of criteria to consider.

My previous post concentrated mostly on the student’s past actions. So I needed to think more about the season ahead. More specifically, what I was expecting from the guard captain with this year’s group of students. In this case, here’s what I knew I wanted:

• A more disciplined group
• A  captain who I felt could lead best by example (not only in terms of performance, but general attitude)
• A captain who I felt would use practice time most efficiently, taking advantage of those few precious blocks of time they get during all-band rehearsals.

Even with the added criteria, this was the hardest decision I’ve had to make in 8 seasons. All three candidates had the ability to help achieve these goals, but I chose the one that I believed would need the least molding (i.e. she was the most ready for the job). I look forward to working with her this coming season, and knowing that the remaining two will be (and always have been) incredible additions to the program.

How have you dealt with tough decisions like this in your program? Let me know…

O Captain, My Captain

A commenter named Julie posed this question:

I’m curious what you have the CG girls do during auditions for captain. When i was in school, the instructors just announced captains…but I’d like to do something to make it more transparent for the girls. We have some power struggles in our guard, and the whole “I’m a senior so I deserve this” thing going on. It’s my first year with this group and the old director did captains that way…so this year I’ve had four leaders. Three are seniors, the other is a junior I would have picked for flag captain if I had my choice this year.

We’re going to start using scored auditions next fall that will include a personal interview for each new member trying out….I was thinking of adding something like that for captains too. And maybe even have them write an essay (to weed out those who don’t really want to put forth the effort). Do you use anything like that?

I thought it was a great question that warranted a post. Let’s tackle the guard captain first:

The program I work with requires at least 2 years in the guard as the only pre-requisite- meaning only Juniors and Seniors are able to tryout for the position of captain. We set a tryout date for early June to choose the guard captain and drum major. For the guard captain, this is after our 6-week workshop with vets and newbies.

For the tryout, we give a rating on 3 pieces:

1. Tryout routine: Each candidate is to create a 90-120-second flag routine to the sing of their choice. This allows the staff to evaluate their performance skill and level of creativity.
2. Interview: Immediately after their routine, each candidate sits down for an interview. We ask several questions, such as:
   1. Why do you want to be guard captain?
   2. What do you do in the case of a misbehaving student (who is always their best friend)?
   3. Where do you see yourself in the hierarchy of the band if you become captain?
   4. What’s your favorite Tastykake? (there is always a fun question)
3. How the candidate has displayed positive and negative leadership qualities in previous seasons.

The whole rundown takes about 20 minutes a person.

As for the newbies, we don’t require a personal interview. We have a once-a-week workshop in the spring that runs for about 6 weeks. During that time, we teach the fundamentals (drop spins, double fast, pull hits, etc.) and a 60-90-second routine. Throughout the workshop, we size up the newbies, taking note of a few key items: speed at which they pick up the work, basic dance skills, improvement from week-to-week (are they practicing?), level of performance, and general attitude. At the end of the 6 weeks, all members tryout in small mixed groups of vets and newbies, being judged on the items above.

We have rarely turned anybody away (we’re usually about 13 strong), but in the case we are on the fence with a particular person, we give them a 4-6-week trial period during the summer where they either weed themselves out or work really hard to get better. We only had to let a girl go once because she couldn’t handle the work after the workshop and trial period.

Looking for more on how to choose a captain? See my previous post: Choosing the right leader

How do you choose your captain and/or evaluate new guard members? Weigh in by leaving a comment below…

Choosing the right leader

Tonight we are having auditions for our Drum Major and Guard Captain, which got me thinking of the characteristics I look for in a good leader.

So, in no particular order:

1. Respect: This is four-fold. Do the candidates have/give respect of fellow students? Can the candidates command respect (Are they believable)? Have the candidates respected the DM and CG positions in the past, or have they been a force of opposition? Do the candidates respect the program you are running?

2. Previous actions: What has the candidate done that has stuck out? This can be positive or negative. Has the student held sectionals without being asked? Does the student help fellow students? Are they always one of the first people on the field for practice? Or is the student always late?

3. Skills: This is where my qualifications for DM and GC differ. For DM, do they have the ability to learn complicated conducting? Can they keep a consistent tempo? For GC, have they demonstrated their skills during performances, practices, and workshop? For both positions: Will you and your staff be able to mold them into good leaders?

4. Attitude: What sort of attitude does the candidate have? Can you see the “power” going to their heads? Are they a motivator among their peers, or more of a negative person?

5. Relations: Do your picks for DM and GC get along with each other? With the staff? With parents?

Just remember, students don’t change when put into leadership positions – so if they say they’ll start doing something, it’s the wrong answer.

The right candidate would have been doing it all along.