Module 7: Leadership

Learning Outcome:

Instilling leadership qualities in DA, which intend to help DA to create a social impact on society
with confidence.

Methodology - Instructor Led

Materials required - Bucket, papers, 2 balls, blindfolds, board, chalk

Time required - 130 mins

Maximum Participants - 20 DAs

Instructions for Trainer -

In this module, trainees will understand-

1) Who can be a leader?

2) Knowledge of a leader
3) Attitude of a leader
4) Skills of a leader
5) Impact of leader on the society
6) DA=Leader

Steps -
Who can be a leader?
Knowledge of a leader
Attitude of a leader
Skills of a leader
Activity 1
Activity 2
What is expected of a leader
DA=Leader
Activity 3
Step 1 - 10 min
Who is a leader

Discuss -
Ask the participants name of the leaders.

Activity -
Material - board, chalk

Description - Discuss which qualities do they have in common. Write down these qualities on
the board one by one.

Explain -
A leader is someone who has the following qualities.
1. Assertiveness
2. Capacity to run meetings.
3. Problem-Solving capacity
4. Conflict management/resolution capacity
5. Public speaking and networking capacity
6. Technical Skills
7. Customer management
This is a general understanding of the leader. But we are going to delve deeper into 3 major
attributes of the leader - 1) Knowledge 2) Attitude 3) Skills.
Step 2 - 5 min
Knowledge of a leader -
Explain -

This attribute indicates what is known.

To be a leader, DA must have the following knowledge

1) Project Objective and Project Goal
2) Role
3) Digital and Financial Literacy training content
4) Scheme knowledge
We have learned each of these topics in detail.

Step 3 - Attitude of a Leader 10 mins

Explain -

The following are among the personal qualities that may fall under this category.
1. Personal integrity - Assumes strong moral responsibility toward those whom she leads.

As a DA, while training the citizen on the DFL and for the scheme application, understand the
importance of these two objectives and conduct yourself with personal integrity.

2. Determination ● Takes repeated or different actions to overcome an obstacle. ● Has firmness

of mind with own judgment in the face of opposition or early lack of success.

As the target of this project is known, DA shows determination in completing that target. If there
are any obstacles DA does not back out, she tries to over them.

3. Courage ● Exhibits bravery even under difficult situations. ● Has patience in achieving the
desired goal or in overcoming obstacles. ● Displays inner strength in day-to-day decisions
relating to any aspect.
DA must be courageous. She should perform every role with patience. If there is any problem,
she should not fear it and instead lead with courage.

4. Self-responsibility ● Decides how good she wants to be, how hard she wants to work and
how far she wants to go. ● Takes responsibility for the setbacks when things don’t work out as
planned.
Once DA understands the role, she must take responsibility for the DFL and scheme
application.
She should not be lazy, or dull.

5. Understanding people ● Pays attention to the human element in all situations. ● Expresses
consideration for human feelings, what motivates them, how they think and how they react. ●
Respects others’ views and opinions.
DA should be empathetic to the citizens. She should be considerate of the situation of the
citizen.

6. Self-confidence ● Believes in one’s self. ● Displays trust in one’s own ability to complete a
difficult task or meet a challenge

DA should have self-confidence. As a trainer, the most important attribute is self-confidence. If

you do not show confidence in yourself, participants will not listen to you.

Note for the trainer - After every point, discuss what this point means for this project and the role
of DA.
Steps 4 - 10 mins
Skills of a Leader

Explain -
1. Thinking and planning ahead ● Develops simple and clear thinking for the short and long
terms. ● Capacity to think of programs/projects and activities that will address the project
target.
Plan with the field coordinator regarding how to mobilize citizens, where to conduct
training, how to organize camps etc.

2. Making things happen ● With strategic thinking makes sure the decided target is
complete.
Leaders make sure the decided target is achieved. Similarly, as a DA you are supposed
to act as a Leader.

3. Decision-making ● Assesses the possible options and consequences prior to making

decisions. ● Shows keenness in making timely decisions. ● Wants to be held
accountable for decisions made.
As a DA, whenever required DA won't hesitate to take decisions and take accountability
for the decisions.

4. Initiative taking ● Makes the first attempt without waiting for others. ● Believes in doing
things even if they do not conform to past norms or have never been done in the past.
DA takes initiative to mobilise citizens, in the training, and in the scheme application
process. She does not depend on the field coordinator every time.

5. Creative and experimental ● Thinks and acts beyond mindset boundaries ● Trusts that
change is necessary to meet the challenges in the environment. ● Takes modest risks in
experimenting with the creative decision taken and will not hesitate to revert back if
positive results are not achieved.
As DA understands the target, she is being creative to achieve that. She takes a path
which is effective.

6. Listening and questioning ● Believes that listening is the key to two-way communication.
● Question any unclarified issues to make sure that there are no doubts. ● Respects
others’ views and expect open feedback for questions raised.
She listens to citizens, she practices active listening. Resolves doubts in the training
session. Ask doubts to field coordinator.

7. Monitoring and Evaluating ● Weekly monitor her own work and reflect on where she is in
terms of target and evaluate what can be done to improve.
Every Saturday evaluates how many trainings are being conducted, and how many
citizens were mobilized. Analyse what worked, and what did not. Based on analysis
Activity 1 15 min

My Strengths and weaknesses as a leader

Description -
As discussed the knowledge, attitude, and skills of the DA, identify which attributes you will be
conducting with confidence. Put those attributed into the strength column.
Identify which attributes you will have to work on. Put those into the weakness column.

Ask every DA to reflect on their own qualities.

If they are hesitant, go back to each attribute in attitude and skills, and ask them if they have
them, if yes then put it in strength and if no then in weakness.

Strength Weakness
Activity 2 15 min

In the earlier activity as we understood the strengths and weaknesses.

In this activity, we are going to focus on how we can work on our weaknesses and turn them
into strengths.

This is your reflection on your own weaknesses.

We have covered the first step of turning weaknesses into strengths. That is accepting that
these are your weaknesses. Now let's understand what can be done about these weaknesses.

Discuss with them what can be done to improve.

Establish the value of each point and the importance of improvements.
Make sure as a trainer you instil the importance of turning weaknesses into strengths.

Weakness How to overcome this weakness

Step 5 - 10 min
Leader -

Explain - A leader is someone who performs the following duties

1. Strategic thinking - Think about how to complete the target. For this leader will need to
understand the target and strategies for completing the target in the given timeline.
2. Planning and delivery - Planning how to achieve the target and dealing with the delivery
of the target
3. People management -Managing the people whom you come across while delivering the
project target,
4. Change Management - Recognizing, and responding to the changes/obstacles that
come your way to deliver the target.
5. Communication - Working on the best ways to communicate with the team, citizens, or
any other targeted audience.
6. Persuasion and Influence - Encourage others to help you achieve your target.
Based on the discussed duties of a Leader, a Leader is expected to create impact on the
society.
Following is the impact expected by a leader -

1) A leader sees the potential in every individual and aims to exploit this and inspire them.
Leading by example is a positive attitude of a good leader.
2) Good leadership makes society a positive and content society.
3) A leader with a good amount of self-confidence can keep the people in the society
motivated and inspired and works for the betterment of the society rather than her own
benefit of herself.
4) A leader will influence society and not show authority in society.
5) Initiative by a leader will drive society to learn new skills and practice those skills.
Along with creating an impact in this project as a DA, DA is going to create an impact on
society.
A leader is someone who

With the DFL training and scheme application leader is going to create a social impact.

DFL training will enable every individual to be digitally and financially literate. This will increase
digital awareness and citizens will start taking planning their finances consciously. Digital
literacy generates economic, cultural and social advantages for rural youth and communities

Similarly, citizens will be able to avail of social and economic inclusion government schemes.

As a DA you will influence society to be digitally and financially literate.

You will be aware society of the government schemes available to them and you will also
support them to receive the benefit of the scheme.

Hence working as a DA= Being a leader of your community.

Activity 3 - 15 mins

Reach the End -

Material required = blindfolds, a bucket, and a ball.
Volunteers required - 12

Description-
1) Make a group of 6s (2 groups to be formed)
2) Ask them to identify one leader for them.
3) Blindfold 5 volunteers, only the selected leader is not blindfolded.
4) Keep a bucket at one end of the hall - training location.
5) Give one ball to each team.
Instructions - 5 volunteers have to stand behind each other and then form a line by resting
hands on the shoulder of the front person. At the end of the line, a leader will stand and she will
also join the line. She will also rest her hand on the shoulders of the front volunteer.
Leader has a target to help the whole line to throw the ball in the bucket.
A person standing at the front of the line has a bucket.
A leader will direct by following instructions -
1) Tap on both shoulders - move ahead
2) Tap on right shoulders - turn right
3) Tap on left shoulder - turn left
4) Hard tap - Stop
With these instructions, a leader will help the blindfolded team to put the ball in the bucket.

After the activity

Discuss the steps the leader has to follow

1) Understand instructions
2) Plan for the efficient way.
3) Manage the communication within the team.
4) If a team did not go according to plan, if there are any obstacles make necessary
changes and tackle them.
5) Keep the team motivated.
6) Leader is also responsible for the result - she has to take ownership.

Discuss - DA is going to be a leader as she will have to go through all the above-mentioned
action points at one point in the project. And most importantly, she has to take ownership of the
given target.

Note for the trainer -

End of the session, go back to the reflection of the activity 1 and 2. Ask DAs to keep that with
you. Go back home and reflect more on the strengths and weaknesses and how these
weaknesses can be tackled.

Activity 4 10 min

Description -
Ask everyone to say loudly the following sentences -
1) I am a DA
2) I am a leader
3) I am a change maker.

Revise 05 min
1) Knowledge
2) Attitude
3) Skills

Question and Answers 5 min